“It felt new and exciting. You don't even have to have gain on the distortion pedal. The vibrations alone make it sound distorted”: How tuning down and jamming Eagles and Skynyrd unlocked the return of Swedish doom heroes Monolord

Monolord perform live at the Royal Albert Hall.

Between 2014 and 2021, Gothenburg trio Monolord released five full-length albums and became known as a leading voice of modern doom alongside bands like Pallbearer, Yob and Windhand. Then they hit the brakes.

In an effort to grow beyond the self-imposed confines of guitar sludge, frontman Thomas Jäger recorded two solo albums rooted in ambient music and drone rock, Music for Imaginary Movies 1 and 2, and a record of introspective acoustic songs, Foliage, before returning his attention to Monolord. Not only did the side trip expand Jäger’s horizons, it allowed him to return to his main outfit recharged, refocused, and at least partially reinvented.