REVIEW

The second album from Italian shoegaze band Mondaze.

Regarding the band’s origins, guitarist Margherita Mercatali has stated in interviews that she discovered shoegaze after seeing Nothing on their “Guilty of Everything” tour in 2014. Immersing herself in fuzz- and reverb-heavy experimentation, she eventually wrote what would become a defining track from the debut album, “Words Undone.”

To bring that song to life as a full band, members were gradually recruited: first Matteo Vandelli (Gt/Vo), followed by Michele Leonardi (Dr), and finally Lorenzo Capacci (Bass), forming the group’s current four-piece lineup. Incidentally, the name Mondaze is said to be slang for the familiar sense of Monday melancholy—a feeling that appears to resonate well beyond national borders.

Drawing from backgrounds in punk, metal, and grunge, the band cite influences such as The Smashing Pumpkins, Swervedriver, Ride, DIIV, Nothing, and Cloakroom. Positioning themselves explicitly as a “heavy shoegaze” act, Mondaze balance blizzard-like sheets of guitar noise with delicate, heat-haze vocals, resulting in a dense yet immersive listening experience. Equally crucial is the forceful drumming that anchors their massive sound.

That strength is most evident on the title track, #7 “Linger,” a high-speed rush where metal- and grunge-rooted drums generate overwhelming momentum, propelling the song forward with explosive energy. It is a moment that encapsulates the band’s core appeal.

While the album’s heaviness is beyond question, listeners approaching the record from a darker shoegaze perspective may find themselves wishing for more melancholic passages in the vein of #3 “Dusty Eyes” or #5 “Driving Out the Weeds.” Still, the direction established here suggests considerable potential, and anticipation for the next release remains well justified.