Girl at the Rock Shows

My boyfriend’s kids got me a mug warmer for Christmas that plugs into my computer. It’s one of those things I have always wanted, but also low-key has always judged. Now that I have one, I don’t know how I’ve gone so long without it. It’s convenient, it’s cute (because it looks like a record), and it really does keep that late afternoon cup of coffee warm. None of this has anything to do with Leopard Monks’ new EP ‘Visions.’

‘Visions’ kicks off with a perfect dose of angsty aggression in “Close This Door.” Right off the bat, I felt that the recording quality was just a bit too grainy and gritty for the style of hard rock-leaning alt-rock that this opening track is, but by about a minute in, I warmed up to the grit and realized that this is just part of Leopard Monks’ sound, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Stylistically, this song is a bit hard to explain. It’s definitely hard rock, but there are moments that caught me a bit more than a standard hard rock song would, with interesting vocal runs and juxtaposing guitar tones. Although titled “Close This Door,” this track absolutely opens the door into Leopard Monks’ world, and I am so excited to see what the other four songs on this EP will bring.

I wasn’t surprised to get a bit more of an 80’s hair metal vibe from the beginning of “Crushing Down This Lane,” as I could slightly hear that influence in the first track, but I was surprised what Leopard Monks did with it. The beginning of this second track is straight-up 80s hair metal, but then it goes into something a bit more JET and The Strokes influenced but with that signature 80s chugging guitar sound. Again, there were moments in this song where the vocals just really hooked me because they didn’t seem to fit what was going on with the instrumentation. They were a little more punk-leaning than everything else, and although they command this quick three-minute and sixteen-second song, they don’t command the genre box that I would put this track in. The problem with that is, again, I’m lost when it comes to explaining the genre of this track, so go ahead and just check it out for yourself. Even if you don’t particularly like the genre-blend happening here, this song will absolutely get your blood pumping.

I was expecting “Scream”, the third track on this album, to be super intense and abrasive solely based off of the song title and what Leopard Monks had done in the previous two songs so was a bit surprised when this song came in softer than any other songs I had heard thus far. As the first line states, “This is not a Christmas song” but it has a very triumphant feeling behind it that may you get from a Christmas song. Although this number never quite reaches the level of intensity that I expected from it, there are moments of Leopard Monks’ signature gritty rage sprinkled throughout it, giving this song an insane ebb and flow that catches you off guard at first but is super fun to follow and gives it a very unique composition.

“Struggling to Remain Still” felt a bit plain compared to the previous tracks, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t a solid song that continues diving into Leopard Monks’ unique sound. Although not my favorite track on this album, there’s no denying the talent and musicianship that is showcased in this track, especially during the wicked guitar part around the two-and-a-half-minute mark that ramps up into a beautiful crescendo and bombastic finale. This EP is already short at just shy of nineteen minutes, so even though, like me, this song may not hook you like some of the other tracks, it’s definitely not one that should be skipped.

Closing out this EP is the title track, “Visions.” This song is dramatic and even a bit eerie with some of the spoken word-styled vocals that kick it off, but it’s nothing short of powerful and is a stunning way to end this release. I love the way there’s a wailing guitar happening behind the spoken word at the beginning before the track moves into a sound very reminiscent of the unique blend heard on “Crushing Down This Line” but with a bit more of a punk influence. Honestly, the best comparison I could make on this final track would be if the Pink Spiders had been raised a bit more on old-school Alien Ant Farm. That may sound absolutely bizarre and, honestly, I feel a bit crazy saying it, but from the strong bass line to those slightly punk-leaning gritty vocals, it’s a comparison that I can’t seem to shake.

‘Visions’ is one of those releases that will definitely intrigue you by Leopard Monks but leave you with so many questions. Where did all of these influences come from? How in the heck did they pack so many different sounds and tones into just five songs? Why do I feel confused but also so dang satisfied at the same time? This is only the second EP out there from Leopard Monks so, unfortunately, I can’t say spend some time with their deep and winding discography but I can say that this EP is definitely worth a listen or twelve.

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