Emerging from the depths of existential anguish and spiritual erosion, Monhell presents A Last Sigh of Pain, a work that transcends the boundaries of melodic black metal. Far from trends and superficial aggression, this enigmatic project dives into themes of decay, inner torment, and metaphysical collapse. In this intimate and piercing interview, Monhell opens up about the roots of their music, the suffering that fuels it, and the haunting beauty hidden in destruction. A conversation that reads like a descent into the abyss — where pain becomes sacred, and silence screams louder than words.
Serial metalbums: Monhell emerged seemingly out of the shadows, yet A Last Sigh of Pain carries the weight of deep experience and vision. Was the formation of the band born out of personal decay, artistic necessity, or as a reaction to the emptiness of the modern world? In the early days of Monhell, was there a particular spark — emotional, philosophical, or spiritual — that shaped the foundation of the project? Or did it arise slowly, like a wound festering beneath the surface?
Monhell: Monhell didn't come out of nowhere, but rather it was a work in progress. The band did not emerge from ambition, but from a slow, corrosive unraveling of self. “A Last Sigh of Pain” is not just an album... I consider it a document of spiritual erosion, a howl from the emptiness within. It all stems from a restlessness which can be emotional, philosophical and, yes, spiritual, that refused to be silenced. As you said, it festered like a wound, until it could no longer be ignored. Monhell became the vessel through which that darkness could speak.
Serial metalbums: The title A Last Sigh of Pain resonates like the final breath of a soul weighed down by grief and decay. What is the essence of the album — a funeral hymn, an inner purging, or a cry against the absurdity of existence?
Monhell: A Last Sigh of Pain is all of those things and none of them. It is not a concept we defined, but one that revealed itself. At its core, the album is like an exorcism, like the sound of a soul collapsing under the weight of memory, guilt, and the unbearable silence of meaninglessness.
We never set out to write a funeral hymn, but death is present in every note, not just physical death, but the death of illusions, of identity, of hope. Nor is it simply a cry against existence, because even that would imply a desire to be heard. This is more primal. It is the last breath of something that no longer wishes to be understood.
The essence of the album lies in its refusal to offer comfort. It is a mirror held up to the listener. What they see in it depends on what they bring to it. But for us, it is the sound of pain made sacred.
Serial metalbums: Your sound blends haunting melody with fierce, sorrow-drenched aggression — a duality that feels almost ritualistic. How do you perceive the balance between violence and beauty in your music, and what role does suffering play in your creative process? Is there a narrative or spiritual journey within the album — a descent, a mourning, a rebellion — or is it more a fragmented mirror of the human condition, fractured by loss, guilt, and disillusion?
Monhell: For us, the melody is not a softening of the blow, but the echo of something deeper, the ache that follows the scream, the silence after the collapse. Violence is the language of rupture, and beauty is the ghost that lingers in its wake. They are inseparable...
We don’t romanticize pain, but we do channel it. It’s the only honest offering we have.
As for the album, it’s not a linear narrative, it’s more like a descent through shattered reflections. There are moments of mourning, yes, and rebellion, but also numbness, rage, and a kind of despair.
Serial metalbums: When composing the material for this album, did you find yourselves channeling something beyond your control — a force, an atmosphere, a vision — or was the process fully grounded in personal anguish and conscious artistic decisions? Was the studio a place of catharsis, or did it become a prison where every sound had to be torn from the flesh? Tell us about the rituals behind the recording of A Last Sigh of Pain
Monhell: Honestly, it was a bit of both. When I was composing the songs, there were definitely moments where it felt like I was just conduits. A lot of the initial ideas felt like they were whispered to me from some ancient void. It wasn't always a conscious decision...
I poured every ounce of the suffering, every shred of the existential dread, into this album. As for the studio… let's just say it was less a cathartic release and more a ritualistic immolation. "Prison" feels accurate, actually.
The "rituals" behind it weren't grand, elaborate ceremonies in the traditional sense. We basically turned the studio into our own personal purgatory, and "A Last Sigh of Pain" is the sound of our souls screaming within it.
Serial metalbums: Melodic Black Metal has often served as a vessel for introspection, death worship, or spiritual estrangement. Where does Monhell’s essence reside — in existential nihilism, inner torment, or a yearning for transcendence through darkness?
Monhell: I think that our band doesn’t fit into just one of those labels, but if we had to choose, it’s probably a blend of all three. There’s a lot of existential nihilism in what we do. Inner torment is always there and maybe the music is our way of bleeding it out. And yeah, there’s a search too, not for light, but for some kind of transcendence through the abyss. We don’t believe in redemption, but we do believe in the beauty that can rise from chaos and darkness. Monhell is that... a descent into the deepest parts of the self.
Serial metalbums: Does Monhell speak from the ruins of the self, or from a place beyond the veil — somewhere unbound by flesh and time? How do you define your voice amidst the cacophony of modern black metal?
Monhell: I would say Monhell doesn’t just speak from the ruins of the self… that would be too easy. What comes out is more like an invocation channeled from somewhere beyond human logic.
When it comes to defining our position within the chaos of modern black metal, Monhell doesn’t fight to be the loudest, or the most “True” band… we fight for vision. There’s a lot of distortion out there, everyone screaming to be heard. We’re not here to fit in it.
Serial metalbums: Your music evokes a sense of vastness — not geographic, but emotional and metaphysical. What elements outside of metal — literature, decay, dreams, isolation — feed the soul of Monhell? Black Metal is often seen as either a torchbearer of chaos or a vessel of transcendence. Do you see your sound as destructive, healing, or both at once?
Monhell: Outside of Metal... cinema and videogames are huge sources of inspiration for me. They're not just entertainment, they're immersive worlds that mirror the emotional that I try to channel through Monhell. Films, especially those that explore existential themes or evoke strong atmospheres, help shape the way I think about sound, pacing, and emotion. For example, two of the songs on this album are about 2 movies that I have loved since I was a child: The Seventh Seal and The Name of the Rose.
Videogames, too, especially those that dive into solitude, decay, or fantastical realms, feed into the mood that the band seeks to create.
About for the essence of our sound, I see it as both destructive and healing. Black Metal gives me a space to express the duality of destruction and transcendence.
Serial metalbums: The artwork and visual choices surrounding the album seem to echo its themes of agony and passage. Could you elaborate on the symbols, imagery, and aesthetic philosophy behind the visual aspect of A Last Sigh of Pain?
Monhell: Absolutely. The artwork for A Last Sigh of Pain was made to mirror the emotional weight of the album... grief and transformation. The central figure looks almost dissolving, like it is drifting between worlds, and that feeling of passage, between suffering and whatever lies beyond. Maybe it is key to the spirit of the album.
The color palette is muted and cold and the textures that feel eroded, which plays into the ideas of decay and fading identity. We wanted something that didn’t scream, but lingered, like the last breath before surrender. I have to admit that this cover is very much inspired by the cover of one of Katatonia's latest albums.
Serial metalbums: In a time where extreme music is often diluted by trends or technical prowess, what do you wish to leave behind with Monhell — ashes, scars, or revelations?
Monhell: With Monhell, we’re not here to just riffs or follow what’s hot this week... we are here to leave behinds something raw and real. Maybe it’s a scar you carry with you after a brutal breakdown, or maybe it’s the realization that chaos has its own poetry.
Trends fade. But truth? That sticks to your bones. That’s the mark we’re aiming to leave.
Order a copu of the album on Fetzner Death Records - Website or on the Bandcamp below