Mono Inc.

Mono Inc. emerged from Hamburg as a goth rock outfit whose sound drew from the alternative icons of the 1980s—Depeche Mode, the Cure, and Sisters of Mercy—alongside the cross-genre energy of Prodigy and Metallica, earning both critical acclaim and commercial traction inside Germany’s alternative circuit. The project began in 1998 under the name Mono69 as a three-piece featuring Miky Mono on vocals and bass, Martin Engler on vocals and drums, and Carl Fornia on guitar. Two years later the group adopted the Mono Inc. moniker, then expanded in 2003 when Manuel Antoni joined on bass. Their first recording appeared in 2004 via No Cut Records with the album Head Under Water, whose track “Burn Me” became a hit on the alternative charts. Internal friction soon intensified, most sharply between Miky Mono and songwriter-drummer Martin Engler, ultimately resulting in Mono’s departure; Katha Mia was brought in on drums while Engler assumed lead vocals. Under this revised lineup the band returned with the 2006 maxi-single Somberland, followed in 2007 by the full-length Temple of the Torn, which yielded the title track and “In My Heart” as further singles. The following year brought the maxi-single Teach Me to Love, a collaboration with Lisa Middelhauve of Xandria, and the album Pain, Love & Poetry, whose single “Sleeping My Day Away” also charted in the alternative sphere. Their fifth album, Voices of Doom, arrived in 2009 while the group continued supporting other acts across Europe. After issuing the Comedown EP in 2010, Mono Inc. secured their first headlining tour and saw their audience expand. The 2011 release Viva Hades positioned them as regular attractions at major European festivals, prompting a contract with SPV Records. The label issued After the War in 2012, which climbed to number six on the German charts, and the 2013 album Nevermore reached number three, marking their highest-charting effort to that point.