MonstrO
MonstrO
Atlanta, GA
“Monstrous debut from hard rock super group”
MonstrO is a new hard rock super group made up of star members. Bassist Kyle Sanders (Bloodsimple) recruited guitarist Juan Montoya (Torche), then drummer Bevan Davies (Bloodsimple, Danzig) was brought into the fold, and finally vocalist-guitarist Charlie Suarez (Sunday Driver) completed the mix.
Monstro – Debut Album (Preview) by Vagrant Records
Monstro revs like a car engine on “Fantasma,” full of heaviness, and a driving force of fuzzy guitars and bass offset by Suarez’s clear, attention-grabbing tenor and Davies’ splashy cymbals. “Anchors Up,” the lead single, jumps right into strong riffs. Suarez’s vocals are full of desperation while singing about drowning fears. Halfway through the song, the musical mood changes from guitar sounds and tempos that resemble quickly rising waves to the sea’s calming as portrayed by guitar sounds of sirens, either of the female or emergency nature. “Concertina” starts with bright finger picking, but the mood quickly changes with the lyrics’ interpretation of the war machine. Eventually the music becomes a heavy bass-driven type of lullaby, a reflection of the scary complacency of living under such a regime.
“Stallone” is a fantastic recollection of the original Rocky film’s last fight. Things slow down with “Olympia,” “Elizabeth” and “April,” dreamy, indie-style songs. “Apollo” is the most dramatic track with a hypnotic guitar line encircled by cymbal crashes and delicate guitar strokes and leads. “Helios” brings sludgy metal, excellent vocals and hard speaker panning midsong. “Solar” is a head banger, all driving bass and guitar, but Suarez’s vocals remain high and clear and definitely not of the metal genre… the opposite sounds create an amazing result. (Vagrant Records)
Recorded at Bakos Amp Works in Atlanta
Produced by William DuVall
Engineered by Jeff Bakos
Mastered by Rodney Mills Masterhouse