{"id":13185,"date":"2026-03-03T14:56:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T13:56:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.themanchesterreview.co.uk\/?p=13185"},"modified":"2026-03-03T14:56:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T13:56:00","slug":"of-monsters-and-men-albert-hall-manchester-reviewed-by-paul-knowles-and-sam-cassells","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themanchesterreview.co.uk\/?p=13185","title":{"rendered":"Of Monsters and Men @ Albert Hall Manchester, reviewed by Paul Knowles and Sam Cassells"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Haunting and lyrical: Of Monsters and Men make a triumphant return to Manchester<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.themanchesterreview.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/210931-of-monsters-and-men-all-is-love-and-pain.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Of Monsters and Men @ Albert Hall Manchester | 15th Febuary 2026<br \/><\/strong><strong> Reviewed by Paul Knowles and Sam Cassells<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The faded grandeur of Manchester\u2019s Albert Hall, a former Wesleyan chapel, proved the perfect setting for the triumphant return Of Monsters and Men after a seven\u2011year absence from the city. The band\u2019s distinctive blend of Icelandic folk\u2011rock, myth\u2011infused lyricism, soulful harmonies and aching vocals lifted the sold\u2011out crowd to new emotional heights. Touring their fourth studio album, <em>All Is Love and Pain in the Mouse Parade<\/em>, they were joined by the supremely talented \u00c1rn\u00fd Margr\u00e9t, whose opening set created the tone for a night of raw, heartfelt music.<\/p>\n<p>\u00c1rn\u00fd Margr\u00e9t felt like a throwback to the great folk singers of the 1960s. Armed only with her guitar and a voice steeped in honesty and heartbreak, she captivated the room with the elegance and purity of her performance. This was live music at its most elemental: a storyteller, a guitar, and an audience held in quiet awe. Her set created the perfect emotional landscape for what was to follow, reminding everyone of music\u2019s ability to move through simplicity and sincerity.<\/p>\n<p>Of Monsters and Men opened with the hypnotic \u2018Television Love\u2019, a mournful reflection on unrequited affection that showcased the vocal interplay between Nanna Brynd\u00eds Hilmarsd\u00f3ttir and Ragnar \u00de\u00f3rhallsson. \u00de\u00f3rhallsson\u2019s regret\u2011laden opening lines, walking away from a love that has wounded him, were later entwined with Hilmarsd\u00f3ttir\u2019s unsettling refrain of \u2018television love\u2019, leaving the audience to question whether his \u2018bleeding love\u2019 was genuine or merely performative.<\/p>\n<p>They followed with a new personal favourite, \u2018Dream Team\u2019, its upbeat tempo providing the perfect vehicle for Hilmarsd\u00f3ttir and \u00de\u00f3rhallsson to bounce off each other\u2019s energy as the song swelled into a feel\u2011good celebration of first love. The band then unleashed the powerhouse that is \u2018King and Lionheart\u2019, one of the tracks that first propelled them onto the global stage. Hilmarsd\u00f3ttir\u2019s voice soared with raw strength and beauty, while drummer Arnar R\u00f3senkranz Hilmarsson\u2019s masterful control of rhythm drove the song toward a rousing crescendo that swept the crowd along.<\/p>\n<p>The momentum continued with the lively and uplifting \u2018Tuna in a Can\u2019, infused with the band\u2019s signature off\u2011kilter lyrics, dynamic duets and ever\u2011building emotional peaks. This gave way to one of their most inspired rock numbers, \u2018Alligator\u2019, its thundering vocals (\u2018wake me up, I\u2019m fever dreaming\u2019) shaking the room before easing into the synth\u2011tinged pop of \u2018Human\u2019, an underappreciated gem from their second album <em>Beneath the Skin<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The pace softened briefly with the heavily folk\u2011inspired \u2018Styrofoam Cathedral\u2019, a meditation on the false promises of consumerism that drifted into the ethereal harmonies reminiscent of Wolf Alice or Bat for Lashes. But the respite was short\u2011lived. The opening notes of \u2018Little Talks\u2019 \u2014 arguably their best\u2011known song \u2014 sent the crowd into joyous eruption, carried away once more by the band\u2019s unmistakable sound.<\/p>\n<p>The encore showcased the breadth of the band\u2019s musical range through two contrasting pieces. First came the haunting, elegiac, \u2018Love Love Love\u2019. The audience swaying gently in grateful appreciation of a band performing at the height of its powers. Then came \u2018Fruit Bat\u2019, a standout from the new album and essential listening for anyone yet to explore it. Beginning with a subdued, melancholic melody, it built steadily into a soulful climax, Hilmarsd\u00f3ttir and \u00de\u00f3rhallsson\u2019s voices blending into a harmony that felt almost transcendent.<\/p>\n<p>Albert Hall proved the perfect venue for the band\u2019s return. Its decaying beauty, bathed in hazy blue light, lent a sense of grandeur and timelessness to the performance, allowing their music\u2014and its mythological undertones\u2014to soar to epic heights. Hilmarsd\u00f3ttir promised the loyal Manchester crowd that the band would return. After a night of such moving, honest and powerful music, one can only hope the Icelandic five\u2011piece keep that promise soon.<\/p>\n<p><em>Reviewed by Paul Knowles and Sam Cassells<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Haunting and lyrical: Of Monsters and Men make a triumphant return to Manchester Of Monsters and Men @ Albert Hall Manchester | 15th Febuary 2026 Reviewed by Paul Knowles and Sam Cassells The faded grandeur of Manchester\u2019s Albert Hall, a former Wesleyan chapel, proved the perfect setting for the triumphant return Of Monsters and Men [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":[]},"categories":[15,283],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.2.1 - 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