Monolord Drop Massive New Single Oozing Wound From Upcoming Album Neverending

Monolord just dropped another slab of massive, low-tuned heaviness. The Gothenburg doom trio released "Oozing Wound" today, the second preview of their upcoming album Neverending, which lands May 29 via Relapse Records. If you dug "You Bastard," this one goes even deeper.

I'll be real, this track is hypnotic in the best possible way. It's built around one main riff that just doesn't let go. Vocalist and guitarist Thomas Jäger explained what makes it different for the band. "It's the first song we've done in a drop tuning," he says. "We usually play in B, but 'Oozing Wound,' 'You Bastard,' and 'It's Neverending' are all drop A. Except for one part, 'Oozing Wound' is almost the same riff all the way through. It's repetitive, but we do different stuff with it, like remove the guitar and have just bass and drums in parts and then remove rhythm guitar when I play the solo melody."

Lyrically, Jäger says the song is "about being stuck on a bad road, feeling trapped with someone who takes advantage of you." That heaviness isn't just in the riffs.

Their First Album in Five Years

Neverending is Monolord's sixth full-length and their first new record since 2021's Your Time To Shine. It also marks their debut on Relapse Records, which feels like a perfect home for what they're doing. To make the album, the band traveled from Sweden to Ashland, Oregon to work with legendary producer and engineer Sylvia Massy, whose credits include Tool, System of a Down, and Johnny Cash.

The collaboration started with Massy asking Jäger to send her everything the band had ever written. Not just new material. Everything. "She asked me to send her everything we had, not just songs written for the album, but every stray riff and idea," Jäger explains. "I even sent her stuff I'd written ten years ago. She listened to all of it and sent us a list of what she wanted to work on." The band rehearsed 12 songs, recorded 11, and landed on eight for the final tracklist.

Jäger says the studio setting played a big role in the vibe of the record. "We went up to her studio in Ashland, Oregon, which is just above the California border. The scenery there is amazing, and the studio is cozy. The whole vibe was very relaxed."

Something New for Monolord

Honestly, the most interesting thing about Neverending might be how the band is framing it. Jäger has been upfront about expanding their sound. "This isn't really what people would call a doom album," he says. "It feels like a mix of that and something new." The lyrics have shifted too, getting more personal than past records. "The lyrics on this album are more personal than before because I went through some major life changes in the last couple of years," Jäger says. "I usually write about religion and how people are superstitious, but this record is more about relationships between people."

Drummer Esben Willems put it in perspective. "I've spent a quarter of my life in this band, and that period of time when we kind of faded into existence back in 2013 feels both like last year and a lifetime ago. Looking back, I'm incredibly proud of what we've accomplished along the way, and in many ways, this album feels like the essence of everything we've done so far."

The album closer, "It's Neverending," is the first Monolord song where Jäger doesn't sing. Instead, the vocals come from Jörgen Sandström, formerly of Entombed and Grave, delivering death-metal vocals over what's being described as a "deathly-doom epic." Bassist Mika Häkki's reaction to hearing Sandström's takes says it all. "When we got the vocals finally in place, I remember I just bursted into laughter. That was just my sincere reaction to how happy that end result made me."

The Full Tracklist

1. Iodine
2. You Bastard
3. Inside A Collider
4. Crystal Bridge
5. Oozing Wound
6. The Masque
7. Invisible
8. It's Neverending (feat. Jörgen Sandström)

A few more details worth noting. Album opener "Iodine" was inspired by '70s rock epics like Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird," The Eagles' "Hotel California," and Led Zeppelin's "No Quarter." Jäger says the opening riff is also his tribute to Yob guitarist Mike Scheidt. The album cover features a painting by M.K. Cooper.

Pre-orders, including multiple limited-edition vinyl variants, CD, cassette, and digital pre-saves, are available now at Relapse.

Massive U.S. Tour Starts June 11

Here's where it gets really good. Monolord are heading to the U.S. this summer for their first North American tour since 2022. The run is split into two legs. The western dates kick off June 11 in San Diego with Mizmor opening, and the eastern leg starts August 27 in Chicago with Khemmis on support. Both of those opening acts are perfect pairings. Another big addition: Per Wiberg (ex-Opeth, Spiritual Beggars) will be joining the band on guitar as a fourth member on stage.

Western U.S. Dates (with Mizmor):

June 11 – San Diego, CA – Casbah
June 12 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst
June 13 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
June 14 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow's
June 16 – Eugene, OR – John Henry's
June 17 – Portland, OR – Nova PDX
June 18 – Seattle, WA – Substation
June 19 – Bellingham, WA – Structures Brewing
June 20 – Tacoma, WA – Airport Tavern Music Hall
June 23 – Denver, CO – Marquis Theater
June 24 – Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
June 25 – Las Vegas, NV – Bizarre Bar
June 26 – Pioneertown, CA – Pappy & Harriet's
June 27 – Los Angeles, CA – The Regent Theater

Eastern U.S. Dates (with Khemmis):

August 27 – Chicago, IL – Thalia Hall
August 28 – Louisville, KY – Portal
August 29 – Atlanta, GA – Garden Club
August 30 – Asheville, NC – Eulogy
August 31 – Columbia, SC – New Brookland Tavern
September 2 – Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts
September 3 – Brooklyn, NY – Elsewhere
September 5 – Baltimore, MD – Labor Daze
September 6 – Cookeville, TN – Muddy Roots Festival
September 8 – Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups
September 9 – Detroit, MI – Sanctuary
September 10 – Indianapolis, IN – Black Circle

European Dates Through November

On top of the U.S. runs, Monolord have a packed European schedule running from album release shows in late May all the way through November. Here are the confirmed dates:

May 28 – Malmö, SE – Plan B
May 29 – Stockholm, SE – Slaktkyrkan
May 30 – Gothenburg, SE – Monument
July 30 – Ghimbav, RO – Rockstadt Extreme Festival
August 7 – Kortrijk, BE – Alcatraz Festival
October 6 – Hamburg, DE – Bahnhof Pauli
October 7 – Haarlem, NL – Patronaat
October 8 – Eindhoven, NL – Effenaar
October 9 – Sint-Niklaas, BE – De Casino
October 10 – Paris, FR – La Maroquinerie
October 11 – Nantes, FR – Le Ferrailleur
October 12 – Toulouse, FR – Le Rex
October 13 – Lyon, FR – Jack Jack
October 14 – Aarau, CH – KIFF
October 15 – Munich, DE – Backstage
October 16 – Osnabrück, DE – Bastard Club
October 17 – Cologne, DE – Gebäude 9
November 4 – Copenhagen, DK – Stengade
November 5 – Berlin, DE – Columbia Theater
November 6 – Dresden, DE – Beatpol
November 7 – Warsaw, PL – Hydrozagadka
November 8 – Krakow, PL – Hype Park
November 9 – Brno, CZ – Kabinet Múz
November 10 – Budapest, HU – Dürer Kert
November 11 – Vienna, AT – Arena
November 12 – Zagreb, HR – Vintage Industrial Bar
November 13 – Milan, IT – Legend
November 14 – Bologna, IT – FreakOut
November 15 – Karlsruhe, DE – P8

Don't Sleep on This One

May 29 is shaping up to be one of the biggest release days in heavy music this year, with new Elder, Monolord, and All Them Witches all dropping on the same day. If you haven't heard Monolord live yet, this is the year. Go watch the "Oozing Wound" visualizer, pre-order the album, and grab tickets at monolord.com before these rooms sell out.

Photo by James Rexroad