a temporary sabbatical from gigs was taken and the band wrote material for where were you when it happened in new orleans midtown district, where their rawboned compositions resembled the katrina-pummeled surroundings. with their girlfriends with them in as close to a stableenvironment as they d been in months, they were able to tap a darker, more personal side in songs like as noise, and hunt you down, with its mournful, organ drenched air belying monotonixs typical good time charlie posturing, while fulfilling the albums need for a climactic, balladic moment. where were you when it happened? finds monotonix visiting a greater diversity of places within their sound while still retaining their minimal appeal. mostly though, where were you when it happened works up a sweat with raw rock and roll, acid guitar licks and riffs, screaming choruses and, in general, the wildness of monotonix in a way that makes for repeated album listening (and pummelling). where most bands refine their production sound as they go forward, monotonix have reverse refined themselves, playing dirtier and more energetic to capture the lightning they are known for.