John Mourlas

The Mons

Chicago, IL

RIYL: OFF!, Circle Jerks, Die Kreuzen, Black Flag, early C.O.C., Voivod, Career Suicide, Annihilation Time

Chicago has always had a strong relationship with punk rock, and the members of The Mons have been there for the better part of it. Comprised of ex-members of Apocalypse Hoboken, The Arrivals, The Mashers and Lynyrd’s Innards, The Mons walk the line between snotty ’77-esque punk and classic early 80s hardcore.

A demo, an EP and two full lengths later, the band returns this year on Triple Eye with their blistering third full length, “Axes: Bold As Fuck”. Armed with the unpredictable energy of an over-caffienated preschooler,“Axes: Bold as Fuck” is relentless and punishing and doesn’t let up for the entirety of the album.

We are delighted to continue to support The Mons here at Triple Eye Industries and are pleased to announce the release of “Axes: Bold As Fuck” due out February 2, 2024. Pre-order available now.

Releases

Artist Video Gallery

Artist Photo Gallery

Release Reviews

TEI-090: Axes: Bold As Fuck

“
They play a unique style of punk rock that’s part hardcore, part indie, part metal, part catchy pop, and part angular jazz. It all adds up to something you’ve never heard before but need in your life. Lyrics are dark, touching on the hopelessness of life, feelings of failure, the ills of society, and our apathy toward all of it. The songs are short aggressive blasts, wasting no time and cramming loads of musical and lyrical content into less than two minutes per song, on average.
” Paul Silver

“
The Mons are back with their third full-length record. I’m not the one to say if there’s a specific “Chicago sound” out there, but there are aspects of The Mons’ music that harkens to other denizens of their city. Apocalypse Hoboken similarities notwithstanding (they share members), the tight yet off-kilter riffs often stray into The Jesus Lizard territory. A good place to be if you can pull it off, and The Mons absolutely do. How the hell do songs that are so technical with so many parts get away with being one to two minutes long? It makes no sense, but I love it. Jarring and relentless are two key adjectives here. This is not for casual, background listening. You will be grabbed by the collar and shaken around a bit, and you will love every fucking minute of it. When it comes to doing heavy/fast, these guys are among the best going right now.
” Ty Stranglehold

TEI-027: The Mons Trust No One

“
Trust No One is diverse enough over the 15 tracks that it keeps going strong, with the band suffering their own physical exhaustion instead of the listener feeling like s/he got caught in the gears of an ugly, repetitive machine. It’s good stuff that proves again how timeless a style of music can be without feeling like a band has to reinvent the wheel. 8/10
” Loren, ScenePointBlank.com

“
THE MONS from Chicago combine roguish-rugged punkrock with slanting jazzy HCs and twirl with only a few chords and riffs. The destructively nihilistic conglomerate approaches bands like MINUTEMEN, BLACK FLAG and DIE KREUZEN. Cumbersome and leaden, raging and out of control. With "God hates the Mons," the band shows off their metallic side, while "This is Why" picks the sound of the early Pitchfork, Rocket from the Crypt from San Diego before he sprints over the finish line at full speed. The sporadic order is determined by a concentrated and compressed sound. My fave is "The greatest story ever told" with a hypnotic dark riffing, which is very catchy here and imploded in a powerful-driven ambience.
” Fred Spenner, underdog-fanzine.de

“
"It’s hard to sound legitimately pissed off in modern punk but The Mons make it seem super easy with their snarling vocals, mind-bending riffs & constant up-tempo pace. The lyrical content is dark & relevant such as on the amazingly named, Dead Dick Fan Fic. A song about Dick Cheney dying!" 8.5/10
” Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life

“
Trust No One melds Dead Kennedys intensity with Black Flag‘s attack and Adolescents drive to create a hybrid that has a distinctly old school feel, almost every track flashes past in an instant before the next one kicks in at full throttle... ...The Mons have released an album that manages the recreate the intensity of the early American hardcore scene, the album also embraces a few metallic and later punk rock influences along the way, and as you’d expect from that decription this album is a little on the short side as all fifteen tracks are done and dusted in just over twenty minutes. 3/5
” AJ Phink, ThePunkSite.com

“
The Mons Trust No One is both relentless and punishing and doesn’t let up for the entirety of the album’s 22 minutes. While earlier offerings featured echoes of Buzzcocks-esque melodicism, The Mons Trust No One finds the band moving into even more aggressive and darker territory, drawing on the tension and aggression of acts like Die Kreuzen, Government Issue, BLAST! and early COC.
” Steve Brain, MaximumVolumeMusic.com

“
Trust No One is definitely a throwback to the early days of hardcore when it was more about speed and acceleration, than just mid-paced mosh parts. It is raging, fun and full of anger. What more could you ask for? 4 stars (out of 5)
” New Noise Magazine

“
There's a great amount of musicality to go along with the extreme hate for Dick Cheney, Christianity, and many other things. They hate enough stuff that during the course of this record, you're going to think...man I know those feels... There's nothing to complain about this record either outside or in, just remember it's a 45 RPM 12". Put your turntable back to 33 after you listen to it.
” Nik Cameron, GlaciallyMusical

“
The Mons already pleasantly surprised us two years ago with its debut album "in the original it's red" (2015). Now there is the successor "Trust No One" (Triple Eye) and again a bull's eye as far as I am concerned. The album had a perfect fit in the early punk era with a sound reminiscent of Black Flag and Dead Kennedys. Especially the combination of the trailing, vicious voice of singer Matt Mons with the drumming of Andy Mons steers the thundering record in the right direction. One of the highlights of the album, and a song that we did not see coming immediately, is "God Hates the Mons" where the band actually integrates an Iron Maiden rhythm and reminds us of Slayer. You do not have to find more metal here, however, and vintage punk is the crown. Fifteen songs at 22 minutes, all killer, no filler. 8/10
” (SG) Rock Tribute print magazine, Belgium

Past Shows

Date	City	Venue	Country
03/02/24	Chicago, IL	Burlington Bar	United States
	Venue: Burlington Bar. Time: 8:00pm. Admission: $10. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 3425 W Fullerton Avenue. Venue phone: (773) 384-3243. w/ The Bollweevils, Interesting Bricks, Robots Counterfeiting Money More information
11/17/18	McHenry, IL	Epic Daily	United States
	Venue: Epic Daily. Time: 9:00pm. Admission: $5. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 2616 Schaid Ct.. w/ Evil Engine / Take the Reigns More information
05/25/18	Lombard, IL	Brauerhouse Lombard	United States
	Venue: Brauerhouse Lombard. Time: 9:00pm. Admission: $12. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 1000 N Rohlwing Rd. Venue phone: (630) 495-2141. Bad Sons and The Old Comiskeys More information
10/21/17	Milwaukee, WI	Frank’s Power Plant	United States
	Venue: Frank’s Power Plant. Time: 9:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 2800 South Kinnickinnic Avenue. Venue phone: (414) 481-9200. w / Volunteer, Dead is Dead and Doubletruck More information
10/20/17	Chicago, IL	Quencher’s Saloon	United States
	Venue: Quencher’s Saloon. Time: 9:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 2401 N Western Avenue. w/ Volunteer, Lip and Primer Blind
09/10/17	Chicago, IL	LiveWire Lounge	United States
	Venue: LiveWire Lounge. Time: 6:00pm. Admission: $5. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 3394 N.Milwaukee Avenue. Venue phone: (773) 756-5363. EARLY SHOW w/ Cokegoat, JOB and Lost Dog More information
06/17/17	Chicago, IL	Quencher’s Saloon	United States
	Venue: Quencher’s Saloon. Time: 9:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 2401 N Western Avenue. w/ The Mushuganas, The Fur Coats and Geezers Senior More information