Surprise, the Greyscale Records family have a new addition! Announced on Friday, The Beautiful Monument have joined the likes of Alpha Wolf, Justice For The Damned, The Comfort, and Stuck Out under the Greyscale banner. Along with the signing news comes the release of “Deceiver”, which is the first release from the band since their 2017 album I’m The Sin.
For those thoroughly familiar with I’m The Sin, you may notice a repeating of a theme in “Deceiver”. Vocalist Lizi Blanco has shared that the new track is a continuation of what is shared in “Ashes”, but is about another person. It’s exceptionally personal territory for Lizi, as both songs relate to different members of her family. In her words:
“Writing “Deceiver” was hard. It’s like the sequel to our track “Ashes” off our first record, except instead of one sibling, it’s now about the other; which almost made it harder to process. Especially when we’d been through this shit before, and all of a sudden however many years down the track it’s the same bullshit, just with the most unexpected person.”
“What have we done to deserve this?”
Echoing and dark, “Deceiver” carries the sense of disconnect that’s felt when you can’t get through to someone who is on a dangerous path. In its video created by Kez Ellis-Jones (Crystal Arrow Films), shadowy blurred motions surrounding The Beautiful Monument band members adds to this hazy imagery. The only colour that appears in the video is a golden silk that covers a person, with only their hands visible.
Musically, gritty riffs amplify the frustration and tension of the situation; of witnessing a loved one on a path of decline. Searching moments with guitar pulling focus reach out to grip onto something hopeful, even if things feel darkened. Where questioning and subdued verses seem directed toward the family member, expansive choruses could be understood as a cry out for understanding why the pattern seems to be persisting for this family.
Though it’s tough hearing these attempts to get through to another and make sense of it all, “Deceiver” is mostly sonically upbeat and something you could bounce (and sing) along to, and that chorus will find its way into your head. Maybe we’ll get a chance to do so when The Beautiful Monument hit Download Festival next month? Time will tell!
