Release Date: 15 November 2024
Song Count: 14
Duration: 1 hour, 23 minutes, 49 seconds
Rating: 7.0/10
Description:
Do not worry, I initially had the same reaction when I saw this cover art. We'll get there when we get there.
An independent musician and creator from Portland in Oregon, Zelda Trixie Lulamoon, going online as Vylet Pony, is known for creating fanworks and musical creations primarily based on the cartoon franchise of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, and the twentieth album of hers that we are reviewing today is also set in the show's universe. Described by Lulamoon itself as its "darkest work yet", Monarch of Monsters tells a highly raw and unorthodox story as a concept album featuring flawed characters going through traumas and horror beyond the imagination of many, wrapped around a fantastical framing with the existence of magic and said characters being anthropomorphic. One thing stands certain right away, and that is that the album is most certainly not one for the underage amongst us to indulge in, with the thematics revolving around mature contents of murder, sexual abuse, cannibalism, suicide and much more, so beware before plunging in for sure. (Also, minor spoiler warning for the story, I suppose. I'll try my best to hint at things without stating them too directly.)
A modern and slick alt-rock instrumentation tails along as Vylet Pony lends her voice to bring life to the main character of Wolf, canonically a pegasus turned titular animal who has suffered through loneliness and the aftermath of a civil war in her home throughout her life and is now lashing out by committing crimes and murders as a means of self-punishment. The tracks of varying lengths - with one, named "Sludge", even being 22 minutes long! - follow the journey of this character's physical and mental state deteriorating, leading up to the climax of a brutal ritual and a cruel fate that then lands her in the same realm as Aria, a brown lamb and an immortal being that has been observing her and had their own arc of learning to take a liking to her over time, with the two ending up bonding closely now that they can interact with each other. It is a complex and tangled story with so many nuances within it that it was actually also released in the form of a novella on the same day as the album, which is available to read online and goes into the depths of these characters, their origins and the plot progression of Monarch of Monsters.
Using music as a tool to narrating fiction is far from an unknown concept - and, in fact, is a phenomenon we've bared witness to before - and while understanding and grasping everything that is going on within this LP seems like a quite difficult challenge at first, the emotions and intended grand picture do very much come through the nature of the aggression-filled songs and aural depictions present, and having a read on even just a summary of the titular novella helps quite a lot with contextualising everything as well. Whilst ultimately not a concept record that outright hooked me with its premise and execution quite like The Mocking Stars could, Monarch of Monsters still displays some serious talent and musical storytelling skills on Vylet Pony's end whilst also containing an order of tracks that feel heartfelt and sound well-crafted, and has been a general positive surprise in all relevant aspects. An interesting and worthwile listen that, though not appealing to everyone, shall most certainly click perfectly for those that it does appeal to.