Monumentum is an Italian experimental darkwave / atmospheric rock band form… Read Full Bio ↴Monumentum is an Italian experimental darkwave / atmospheric rock band formed by Roberto Mammarella, founder of Obscure Plasma Records (subsequently Avantgarde Music).
The band was founded in Milan, Italy in mid 1987 by guitarist Roberto Mammarella and bassist Anthony Duman, who recruited vocalist Mark Westfall and drummer Mox Cristadoro. Between December 1988 and April 1989, the band recorded and mixed the five song demo Musaeum Hermeticum, which was released as a limited edition cassette of 180 copies. Two tracks, "Nostalgia of the Infinite" and a cover of The Dead Relatives' "Nephtali", were selected by Obscure Plasma Records for a split single with the Greek black metal band Rotting Christ in 1991.

Following a brief split, Monumentum were picked up by the predominantly black metal Norwegian label Deathlike Silence Productions. However, before the proposed album could be released, DSP owner Øystein Aarseth (Mayhem) was murdered, leaving the band label-less. The album, In Absentia Christi, recorded and mixed between August 1994 and May 1995, finally saw the light of day through the British label Misanthropy Records.

The recording line-up featured two vocalists, in the form of Andrea Zanetti (of Italian act Iconoclast) and Francesca Nicoli (of Ataraxia, alongside Mammarella ("strings, keys and vibas"), Cristadoro (drums) and Paolo Mauri ("samples, artistic production and wisdom"). The band claimed the album was influenced by the poets Iginio Ugo Tarchetti and Giacomo Leopardi, and included a cover of "Fade to Grey" by Visage.

Activity from the band became sparse until reuniting to record "The Colour of Compassion" for Misanthropy's anti-censorship compilation Presumed Guilty (1998); the line-up for this consisted of Mammarella, Cristadoro, Federico Simonetta (bass) and Daniele Bovo (keyboards). Further compilation appearances included the Death SS tribute album Beyond the Realm of Death SS, to which Monumentum contributed a cover of "Black & Violet". Line-up for this appearance consisted of Mammarella, Cristadoro, Bovo, Max Vaccaro (bass) and Jesuis Qui (vocals); the latter is Cornelius Brastad of Solefald.

Monumentum reunited in 2001 to record Ad Nauseam for Tatra Productions. The line-up had changed again; Ad Nauseam featured Mammarella, Andrea Bellucci on keyboards, Daniele Bovo on guitar and keyboards, Andrea Stefanelli (of Nuvula Neshua) and Alis Francesca Bos on vocals, Diego Danelli on bass and Elisa Carrera on drums, although the latter had to pull out mid-way through recording after getting pregnant.

In 2004 Monumentum briefly resumed activity to contribute to the Tribute To Dead Can Dance: The Lotus Eaters CD (covering "Windfall"). As of 2004, the band has disbanded permanently.

Nephtali
Monumentum Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I PROMISE
I Promise Sworn Enemy of the Virgin
Coming out of the Body of this Creature
to make her a SIGN on the Heart
of the length of a PIN
...and this sign WILL BLEED

And I promise that GRESIL and AMAND,

will do the Same
Their Hole in the Same Way

A Red Cross, and leaving on the HAND
the Holy name of MARY in Roman Characters
Engraved Deeply in the Flesh
and she became a completely Different WOMAN

And I promise that GRESIL and AMAND,
will do the Same
Their Hole in the Same Way

And she became a completely Different WOMAN
with a Face of UNCOMMON Beauty
and we went Together on a Pilgrimage

On her Grave, On her Grave, On her Grave

(Lyric: The Dead Relative)
(Music: R.M. & The Dead Relatives)

(A.Z.:vox+R.M.:guitar,bass,keys+M.C.:drums,handcymbals+P.M.:samples)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Nephtali by Monumentum are somewhat cryptic and require some interpretation. The song seems to be about a promise made by the singer, along with Gresil and Amand, to transform a woman who is described as a "creature" into something more beautiful and worthy of a pilgrimage. The lyrics mention making a sign on her heart, with the sign bleeding, and carving the name of Mary into her hand. Through these actions, the woman becomes a "completely Different WOMAN." The song is accompanied by dark and moody music, with haunting vocals.

One possible interpretation of the lyrics is that the woman described is a representation of the singer's own inner demons or darkness that they are attempting to conquer. The "promise" made by the singer and others is a pact to overcome the negative aspects of themselves and become a better person. The act of carving the name of Mary into the woman's hand could represent a desire for redemption or cleansing.

Interestingly, the name Nephtali itself may offer some additional clues to the meaning of the song. Nephtali was one of the twelve sons of Jacob in the Bible, and his name means "wrestling" or "struggle." This ties in with the theme of overcoming personal darkness.

Line by Line Meaning

I Promise Sworn Enemy of the Virgin
I swear to be the adversary of purity and innocence

Coming out of the Body of this Creature
Emerging from the physical form of a living being

to make her a SIGN on the Heart
To mark a symbol on her heart

of the length of a PIN
As small as a pin

...and this sign WILL BLEED
And this mark will cause bleeding

And I promise that GRESIL and AMAND, will do the Same
I vow that Gresil and Amand will also make a similar mark

Their Hole in the Same Way
Their wound in the same manner

A Red Cross, and leaving on the HAND
A red cross, left on the hand

the Holy name of MARY in Roman Characters
The holy name of Mary written in Roman letters

Engraved Deeply in the Flesh
Carved deeply into the skin

and she became a completely Different WOMAN
And the woman was transformed entirely

with a Face of UNCOMMON Beauty
With a face of extraordinary beauty

and we went Together on a Pilgrimage
And we journeyed together to a sacred site

On her Grave, On her Grave, On her Grave
At her resting place, at her resting place, at her resting place

(Lyric: The Dead Relative)
(Lyrics by The Dead Relative)

(Music: R.M. & The Dead Relatives)
(Music by R.M. & The Dead Relatives)

(A.Z.:vox+R.M.:guitar,bass,keys+M.C.:drums,handcymbals+P.M.:samples)
(Performed by A.Z. on vocals, R.M. on guitar, bass, and keys, M.C. on drums and hand cymbals, and P.M. on samples)

Contributed by Isaac J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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