The Monolith marks Hades Descent’s most ambitious and fully realised work to date, a concept album that expands their melodic death metal foundations into something more cinematic, narrative-driven, and emotionally resonant.
Crafted on the vision of Hades, the album's narrative is chronicled in the epic short story "Tomorrow Is Dead", created in collaboration with prolific author Toni Martucci.
Set against a mythic and apocalyptic backdrop, the record tells the story of the Traveller—an ancient being from a distant future who journeys back through time, sacrificing his near-immortality in a desperate attempt to reshape history and prevent the grim world from which he came. This epic tale unfolds across nine intricately composed tracks, blending crushing riffs, soaring melodies, orchestral flourishes, and a bold roster of guest musicians to deliver an immersive and cohesive experience.
The album opens with a bang, delivering a high-octane first track that showcases both technical skill and emotional weight. The interplay of powerful vocal choruses and duelling guitar solos gives this introduction a climactic feel, setting a towering standard for what follows. The contrast between melodic clarity and feral aggression underscores the band’s evolved songwriting, ensuring the listener is drawn into the urgency and scale of the narrative from the outset.
As the album progresses, the tracks deepen the worldbuilding and further develop the story’s themes of sacrifice, defiance, and cosmic ruin. Carefully layered compositions bring together classic death metal intensity with sweeping orchestration, creating a sound that feels both brutal and refined. Rather than relying solely on aggression, the band embraces control and dynamics—using pacing, atmosphere, and structure to carry the listener through each chapter of the Traveller’s journey.
The middle section of the album pushes the tempo and ferocity up several notches, delivering breathless vocal performances and relentless instrumentation. Yet even amidst this chaos, the music remains precise, with an undercurrent of purpose that prevents it from tipping into excess. The intensity here is not just for spectacle—it’s part of the larger arc, reflecting the conflict and urgency at the heart of the narrative.
In the second half, the album takes a darker, more introspective turn. Tracks here slow the tempo slightly to reflect the growing emotional weight and rising stakes of the story. This shift adds welcome depth, with haunting melodies and layered textures lending a cinematic quality that enhances the storytelling. The arrangements allow space for tension to build and for the listener to fully absorb the gravity of what has unfolded.
Everything culminates in the final and titular track—a stunning closer that brings the narrative full circle while introducing a tonal twist. Guest vocals bring a shift in energy, contrasting the earlier aggression with a more reflective, ambiguous tone. The final moments feel less like an ending and more like a transformation, reframing the entire journey and leaving a lingering sense of awe.
The Monolith is a significant step forward for Hades Descent—a confident, multilayered work that balances heaviness with ambition, chaos with clarity. With masterful pacing, impactful guest features, and a commitment to storytelling, the album doesn’t just stand out within their catalogue—it carves out a unique place within the broader melodic death metal landscape.
Tomorrow Is Dead
Feat. Brian Kingsland, Karl Sanders and Tim Goodson
From realms obscure he emerged divine
Metal augments were shed, that he did decline
"Tomorrow is Dead!" the stranger cried loud
Sky's turmoil quelled by stormy veiled shroud
Corvak soared, herbs clutched in claw
Nature's balm to heal and to draw
Black clouds churned, a malevolent tide
‘Neath Utrecht's cliffs where gods and mortals abide
Ion's touch applied the poultice with care
Amidst fevered murmurs, secrets laid bare
Two worlds intertwined, destiny's embrace
A saga of salvation across time and space
Tomorrow, Tomorrow Is Dead!
Tomorrows existence is shed
Purge reality, claw that life from my mind
The passage was rotten, debased by mankind
Chimeras of progress, humanity's plight
In their quest for power they lost their light
The mirror reflecting a future unclear
Seeking redemption from chaos and fear
Organs and ores, a mechanical haze
Minerals merged in unnatural ways
Obscured the sun, oceans ceased of their song
Unfurl the tempest of time to right the past wrong
Mortality, I’ll embrace my end
Healer of futures, a cosmic mend
A steadfast beacon through the ages long
To rebuild the pathway to where I belong
Ion's thoughts unravel tales in his mind
The Earth below trembles, in destiny's bind
Sentinels of Mist, downward will they bear
Agents of time are tasked with repair
Flames and stone clash, defiance takes hold
Ancient giants' columns, stories of old
Guided by Corvak through tunnels they tread
To Pyram's refuge, destiny's thread
Tomorrow, Tomorrow Is Dead!
Tomorrows existence is shed
Purge reality, claw that life from my mind
The passage was rotten, debased by mankind
Chimeras of progress, humanity's plight
In their quest for power they lost their light
The mirror reflecting a future unclear
Seeking redemption from chaos and fear
Organs and ores, a mechanical haze
Minerals merged in unnatural ways
Obscured the sun, oceans ceased of their song
Unfurl the tempest of time to right the past wrong
To sense the tender mortal embrace
Sworn to amend mankind's fallen place
I witnessed through the ages of fate's constant course
Now I defy righteous temporal force
Embrace the finite and fragile new life
Pledged to amend all the wrongs and the strife
Enduring through ages, testament fate's flow
A pillar of strength against temporal undertow.
Through Savage Seas
Amidst the chaos and turmoil that's told
Of plundering pirates, a story old
Traveller arose to confront the raiding fray
Scotti with faces blue their trophies on display
Hairless visages a fearsome sight
Rebnul their leader commands with brutal might
Son of Drem in the fray a mighty name
Tribe of dominance spreading fierce fame
Skulls collected, trophies of bloodied hue
In shadows lurking as their power grew
Traveller stands firm, his courage ablaze
Defying plunderers' relentless savage ways
Unsteady yet fierce, 'midst warriors he does stand
Defending Ion from the raiding band
Rebnul, haughty chief his power on display
Merin's flames dance a spectacle in disarray
Traveller mocks, seizing the flames in his take
Unharmed, unyielding, a bold stance to make
Merin's fire tamed, his pride suffers a sting
Prominence rising - a foreign king
Skulls collected, trophies of bloodied hue
In shadows lurking as their power grew
Traveller stands firm, his courage ablaze
Defying plunderers', relentless savage ways
Thoughts they surely shift, a plan begins to form
To shift the paradigm, a change to the norm
Agreed upon with one condition clear
Ion's freedom granted, debt repaid sincere
Bound but sly a blade he swiftly throws
Gratitude is shown as the fierce wind blows
Longboat swings wide, leaves the cove behind
Fate shaped by the sea's fathomless mind
In the vast unknown his path unfurls
Against Scotti's wrath he battles, he hurls
Skulls may adorn their deeds shall amass
Legend endures through time's steadfast glass
A saga of battles amidst darkness and sea's grace
Traveller's spirit soars, an enduring embrace
Against daunting odds he dared to fight and ignite
In the annals of time his legend burns bright - burns bright
Thoughts they surely shift, a plan begins to form
To shift the paradigm, a change to the norm
Agreed upon, with one condition clear
Ion's freedom granted, debt repaid sincere
Bound but sly a blade he swiftly throws
Gratitude is shown as the fierce wind blows
Longboat swings wide, leaves the cove behind
Fate shaped by the sea's fathomless mind
The Sentinels are lurking, threat burns in their eyes
Concern for Ion, and the bird that flies
Land fades the horizon, in the wave's embrace
His journey still continues, an unyielding race
Purpose burning bright, crafting flames to take
Unharmed, unyielding, lethal stance to make
Merin's fire tamed, his pride suffers a sting
Influence is rising, hail the foreign king
Hail the foreign
Hail the foreign king
Hail the foreign
All hail the foreign, king.
Forged In Darkness (and Fire)
Under the moon's wax and wane they returned
Crusaders are homeward, treasures abound
News struck like a blade; Rebnul’s father lay
Cold in state a silent departure
In the mound of the dead, shadows thick and deep
Gwynfor's draught a farewell, eternal her sleep
Rebnul’s rise to lead, his fate now surely sealed
Chieftain’s burden, destiny revealed
Traveller, the captive, sought wisdom’s throne
Become the blacksmith (through exotic knowledge)
Under his guidance metal forged anew
Darker and stronger, easing the earth’s toil
Metal forged in shadows, secrets dark and pure
Divinus gift, intentions far from sure
Rebnul's eyes saw blades with which to wield
Enemies all shall falter tribal strength revealed
Metal born from molten dreams
In the shadows, hot and bright it gleams
Intentions cryptic, intricate the schemes
Shadows cast, lit by unseen beams
Rebnul’s vision sharp he saw the metal's might
Blades of war were born from the blacksmith's hands
Violence stirred the fort’s excitement grew
Though he was unaware in Merin’s gaze unseen
Secrets of Ion, sworn to silence
Even Merin’s magic knew not, the darkened core
Traveller, the captive, sought wisdom’s throne
Become the blacksmith (through exotic knowledge)
Under his guidance metal forged anew
Darker and stronger, easing the earth’s toil
Metal forged in shadows, secrets dark and pure
Divinus gift, intentions far from sure
Rebnul's eyes saw blades with which to wield
Enemies all shall falter, tribal strength revealed
Secrets sworn to silence, knowledge veiled in night
Ion’s dark creation, hidden far from sight
Traveller’s path, a trust earned and well sealed
Power and destiny, slowly were to him revealed
Forged in Darkness
And Fire.
The Path of The Seeker
In dark realms unknown
Traveller roams alone
Seeking sacred stone
A fate yet to be shown
(Shrouded in shadows deep, his purpose finely honed)
Monolith veiled, darkness once was sown
Amulet aglow, a beacon so bright-ly shone
With subtle steps he evades through the nighttime’s silent zone
Suspicions and gaze averted of his actions unbeknown
Cryptic symbols, darkened sigils a codex to the unknown
Whispers of a power echo, ley lines of the future to be sown
Tapestry to be woven with the bleak threads of sorrow's woe
The night's embrace enfolds him close, holding where shadows grow
Arcane power pulsates deeply casting down an eerie glow
Lighting the path of The Seeker
Subtle steps he evades through the nighttime’s silent zone
Their suspicions and gaze averted of his actions unbeknown
Cryptic symbols, darkened sigils a codex to the unknown
Whispers of a power echo, ley lines of the future to be sown
Silent shadows cloak his steps in the moonlight's silver gleam
Eyes watch from the darkened corners, lucid phantoms in a dream
Hidden trails and secret signs where ancient secrets swarm and teem
Marking the path of The Seeker
Eldritch winds howl, ancestral voices cry out
Answering the call, betwixt dimensions he stands tall
A pact with shadows forged under moon’s eerie sprawl
Through the voids he ventures, darkness his eternal thrall, heedless of light's fall
Banshees shriek, drums thunder, chaos' dance enthralls the night
Screams of tortured souls pierce dark through the night's veil
Melodies of death descend, a haunting funeral pall
Choruses of agony cry out as the shadow's grip tightens and darkness installs
By moon's waning light
shadows take their flight
banishing the blight
Fading out of sight
(His search yields not the marked monolith of familiar time)
Monolith veiled, darkness once was sown
Amulet aglow, a beacon so bright-ly is shone
With subtle steps he evades through the nighttime’s silent zone
Suspicions and gaze averted of his actions unbeknown
Cryptic symbols, darkened sigils a codex to the unknown
Whispers of a power echo, ley lines of the future to be sown
Tapestry to be woven with the bleak threads of the sorrow's woe
The night's embrace enfolds him close, holding where shadows grow
Arcane power pulsates deeply casting down an eerie glow
Lighting the path of The Seeker
Subtle steps he evades through the nighttime’s silent zone
Suspicions and gaze averted of his actions unbeknown
Cryptic symbols, darkened sigils a codex to the unknown
Whispers of a power echo, ley lines of the future to be sown
Silent shadows cloak his steps in the moonlight's silver gleam
Eyes watch from the darkened corners; lucid phantoms in a dream
Hidden trails and secret signs where ancient secrets swarm and teem
Marking the path of The Seeker.
The Oncoming Storm
From the distant shores the Boreans loom
Remonstrations wielded like a poisoned plume
Doran, king steeped in spite
Warlords summoned herald endless night
Hamlets screech with the onset of dread
Forging weapons that will soon run red
Under the moon's pall his schemes decree
Whispered in shadows his darkened symphony
The Oncoming Storm a tempest of despair
Blood and fire blend in a gruesome affair
Axes clash and swords collide
In the chaos all hopes subside
Six moons wax and wane in an ominous sky
Passage of a shade, whispers scripts awry
Ullan's longships breach the firth's embrace
Unholy alliance, doom they chase
In shadows he spins tales obscure
Councils conspire, speaking of the impure
Arcane wonders in a land unknown
A continent's enigma, secrets overthrown
The Oncoming Storm, a relentless curse
Blood and fire converge, souls immersed
Axes clash, swords fall like rain
In despair's wake all sanity wanes
The die is cast, fate's cruel hand prevails
Myths birthed in sorrow's eternal trails
The hero’s path path hidden, destiny sewn
In the annals of despair a legacy becomes known.
"Grant me a vile role
In your glorious theater of war
Where despair takes its toll”
“Through battles uncharted, victories cloaked in gloom
I'll paint a canvas of sorrow as life meets its tom
Dreams and truth entwine in a dance of cruel dread
And in darkness and pain all sense of self will finally, will finally, be shed"
The Oncoming Storm, a relentless curse
Blood and fire converge, souls immersed
Axes clash, swords fall like rain
In despair's wake all sanity wanes
The die is cast, fate's cruel hand prevails
Myths birthed in sorrow's eternal trails
The hero’s path path hidden, destiny sewn
In the annals of despair a legacy becomes known.
The Oncoming Storm a relentless blight
Blood and fire entwine in the blackest night
The imminent Tempest a mournful void
Blood and fire converge where hope's dreams are toyed
Axes splinter, swords are clashed
In the void's embrace, souls are dashed
Dice cast by fate's cold unfeeling hand
Myths etched in the sand by melancholy's brand
His ordained path is lost, destiny is sewn
In despair's chronicles a legacy is grown
The Oncoming Storm, a relentless curse
Blood and fire converge, souls immersed
Axes clash, swords fall like rain
In despair's wake all sanity wanes
The die is cast, fate's cruel hand prevails
Myths birthed in sorrow's eternal trails
The hero’s path path hidden, destiny sewn
In the annals of despair a legacy becomes known.
Veiled Ambitions
Shadows' enduring enigmatic embrace
Where veiled mysteries linger leaving no trace
Ullan's audacious challenge to fate's dark throne
Rebnul's response, secrets hidden, unknown
Darkest Merin, a weaver of schemes obscure
Dancing with destiny, intentions impure
Eyes aflame with malevolent desire
Ambitions entwined, intent to conspire
In obscurity's depths a pact intertwined
Sorceries clashed, powers combined
Traveller's machinations came to the fore
Veils lifted revealing what lay in store
Meres, a pawn in shadows' cruel game
The unseen strings pulled, a pawn's role to claim
Deceit's web spun with meticulous care
A role enacted, a puppet unaware
Venomous whispers, minds ensnared
Strategies devised and destinies dared
In darkness' realm magic's clash unfurled
A malevolent dance, the underworld swirled
Ullan's ascent, Rebnul's grip held tight
Unwordly power concealed, veiled in the night
Merin' fate obscured, lost in the abyss
Tragedy's silence, a lament's cold kiss
Sorceress' minions unleashed, a nightmarish array
Traveller's strength waned by pain's heavy sway
Hidden torment waged battles within the dark
A covert war, history left its mark
Darkness descended, chaos's grim decree
A hero's resolve, bested shadows' symphony
In ancient tomes, a conclusion unclear
Dirges echoing, whispers of fear
Ullan's dominion tainted, Traveller's might
Meres' destiny shrouded lost in endless night
Whispers of darkness, a malevolent refrain
Strategies forged in a shadowy domain
In the void of night sorceries collide
A dance of power where destinies will hide
Shadows' enduring an enigmatic embrace
Where veiled mysteries linger leaving no trace
Ullan's audacious challenge to fate's dark throne
Rebnul's response, secrets hidden, unknown
Darkest Merin, a weaver of schemes obscure
Dancing with destiny, intentions impure
Eyes aflame with malevolent desire
Ambitions entwined, a pact to conspire
Sentinels of Time: Ilium’s Demise
Plans were set in shadows deep
Where the starless void doth slowly creep
Dark forces have assembled
In winds of fate they tremble
Achaeans speak of Ilium
Their glories and the battles yet to come
Traveler’s eyes see beyond the veil
Strange faces at the quay, pale
Sentinels in twilight guise
Glimmering eyes, secrets arise
Sacred power they conceal
Hero’s soul in dread’s reveal
Eastern gold in Rebnul’s grasp
Commitment forged, the die is cast
North they sail to the white knight’s land
Jomsviken’s strength at their command
Tartessos, southward they will roam
Winter’s breath, they plunder home
Beyond mythic Khem the emerald spires
Coasts are scorched by mercenary fires
War preparations and blood’s refrain
Atlas’ haunt heard the king’s bane
Middle Sea, northerners' plight
With others bound for the endless fight
Waters claimed by fiery wrath
Chaos ignites a nation’s path
Achaeans march to doom’s embrace
Empire of Troad, fates interlace
Ilium’s walls stand proud and tall
But in desert sands they shall fall
They too shall fall
Ships from many shores convene
King’s enmity, Trojan’s sheen
Insults lost in time's cold grasp
Fate in iron clasp
North they sail to the white knight’s land
Jomsviken’s strength at their command
Tartessos, southward they will roam
Winter’s breath, they plunder home
Beyond mythic Khem the emerald spires
Coasts are scorched by mercenary fires
War preparations and blood’s refrain
Atlas’ haunt heard the king’s bane
Middle Sea, northerners' plight
With others bound for the endless fight
Waters claimed by fiery wrath
Chaos ignites a nation’s path
Achaeans march to doom’s embrace
Empire of Troad, fates interlace
Ilium’s walls stand proud and tall
But in desert sands they shall fall
They always fall
They always fall
The Sea of Silent Warriors
Upon distant fields, before Xanthion
Raiders take the field, defenders stand strong
Ruler of the land struggling to hold on
Faithful build their pyres
River's flow is damned though the chaos fuels the fires
They’ll burn by thy command
Warriors' power their strength is unbound
The hero and his force fight on bloodied ground
They flow, they ride, they fill the plains before me
The sea, the tide, like a sea of silent warriors
Like a sea of silent death
Spiteful warriors rise relentless might
Hero and rival embodiments fight
Triumphant Myrmidons, toppling the crown
Achaeans surge ahead
Filling enemies with dread, known for fighting till their dead
Ten thousand rejoice Axille's renown
Sentinels abound
Again they’ve hunted him down
Death. Metal. Echoes. Saga Alive. Bold. "The Sea of Silent Warriors". Destinies unfold
A hero’s faith unbowed defies cruel fate's line
In chaos and valor his spirit shines
Death. Metal. Echoes. Saga Alive. Bold. "The Sea of Silent Warriors". Destinies unfold
A hero’s faith unbowed defies cruel fate's line
In chaos and valor, his spirit shines
They flow, they ride, they fill the plains before me
The sea, the tide, like a sea of silent warriors
Like a sea of silent death
A decade unfolds, the Odyssey grand
Protagonist journey through myth and the land
The Sentinel specter all captured in lore
Tales of blood, pain, plunder and more
The tales they tell are tall, through the hallowed hall
Every win and every fall, they shall all enthrall.
The Monolith
Feat. Björn Strid
In a vale where shadows lay, their quest was clear
To find the monolith of Traveller's yesteryear
Paired with his amulet, the key to mend
A future sold to ruin they sought to transcend
Their journey long and arduous now neared its peak
Ion and Traveller conclusion they seek
A monolith of ages containing those symbols arcane
Together they searched again in ancient refrain
With hearts of steel and hopes anew
They quickly set forth, their fears they slew
Days grew long coloured an endless hue
Travel on, of their true fate they drew
Traveller’s thoughts of ancient lore
Elusive knowledge of demons that bore
Faithful Corvak called, mist did part
Its shadow loomed igniting his heart
With racing pulse he scoured the stone
Familiar marks yet so unknown
Fear took hold, had destiny betrayed?
Power waned, conviction became frayed
Traveller cried, Ion stood back
Fearing an ill that might attack
Light grew bright, the land did wake
But hope was crushed, fate did forsake
Realization slowly dawned
Time's tapestry has unraveled and torn
His burdened heart, heavy with regret
Past was reshaped, future lost to forget
Symbols carved in ancient tongue
Songs of old, unsung and young
The monolith a timeless gate
To secrets vast and unknown fate
In the vale where shadows loom between despair and doom
Mist enfolds the stone obscured amidst the twilight gloom
Fate, hope, life, death, codex to map reality, the runes that chart our destiny
In the obelisk’s cold embrace belies a fateful dawn
Symbols etched in timeless stone, a future yet to spawn
He beat the stone, bloodied and torn
Wept in sorrow, amulet shorn
Ion watched within a silent mourn
Hope faded, Traveller’s heart forlorn
Ion knelt by the stone stark and cold
In the dawn's light, pale and bold
Traveller’s cries an echo old
Haunted the morning, stories told
The amulet gleamed with a ancient glow
In Ion’s hands, a relic's show
Lo Corvak true-hearted faithful crow
Saw secrets as they began to grow
Again and again they sought the spark
To wake the stone from its slumber dark
Traveller chanted under the arc
Of ancient spells leaving their mark
But each attempt was met with naught
The monolith silent, their efforts fraught
Traveller’s voice desperation wrought
In vain he called the power he sought
Symbols carved in ancient tongue
Songs of old, unsung and young
The monolith a timeless gate
To secrets vast and unknown fate
In the vale where shadows loom between despair and doom
Mist enfolds the stone obscured amidst the twilight gloom
Fate, hope, life, death, codex to map reality, the runes that chart our destiny
In the obelisk’s cold embrace belies a fateful dawn
Symbols etched in timeless stone, a future yet to spawn
Ion’s blade, a gift from old
Sharp and true with courage bold
He carved the symbols, brave and told
Into the stone the tales did fold
Marks from amulet to the stone passed
A mirror of ancient cryptic cast
Ensuring the tale forever to last
In shadows beneath the moon so vast
With Ion’s inscriptions the bond was complete
Monolith and key their power replete
The future they’d dreamed of was always at hand
But faith had abandoned and all they had planned
A fallacious perception
So close to redemption
Denied intervention
Fate doomed to repeat
Symbols carved in ancient tongue
Songs of old, unsung and young
The monolith a timeless gate
To secrets vast and unknown fate
In the vale where shadows loom between despair and doom
Mist enfolds the stone obscured amidst the twilight gloom
Fate, hope, life, death, codex to map reality, the runes that chart our destiny
In the obelisk’s cold embrace belies a fateful dawn
Symbols etched in timeless stone, a future yet to spawn.
