| Merging fluid bars with core aggression the collaboration reiterates the band’s fresh take on the sound.Emerging LA-based metalcore unit Matriarchs have delivered a steady succession of singles over the course of the last year. Dropping convincing performances on single like “R.A.N.,” “Ascendency” and “Solace,” in recent months, the collective comprised of members of previously established bands like Hoods, Ruckus, and The Faceless continue to craft a stylistic collision that sources the best of alternative culture’s broad range of influences. The band’s brand of metalcore, coupled with own individual lean loans itself to outside the box thinking and a unique receptiveness to experiment with their sound without compromising their integrity. Thus, tracks like “Edge Lorde” are born. Enlisting the lyrically fluid talents of Decatur-based wordsmith Jarren Benton, Matriarchs embraced spirit of collaboration and approach the former Funk Volume/Roc Nation artist with nothing more than a track and their appreciation. Matriarchs drummer Ben Levi detailed the origins of the track, “I discovered Jarren Benton last year, Ironically the spotify algorithm had slipped one of his tunes onto my queue after my playlist had finished. I instantly fell in love, looked him up and hit him up with something I had been working on and he was down to kick it off for us. Both K (Matriarchs vocalist) and I are huge fans, and are super proud of what we were able to come up with together. All Jarren had was a song title and the music but he set the tone right away and it was easy to vibe lyrically off of that. There are a lot of different elements we don’t normally use and we were interested in expanding our sonic means of communication. We are very proud of this release.” The track underscores the band’s continued sonic evolution. Turning heads in 2020 with the unveiling of their Year of the Rat LP, the band’s metallic hardcore roots, have since been bolstered by a progressive approach to the genre. Fusing personally-charged lyrics and a modern take on metalcore, Matriarchs blur genre lines with a level of authenticity that separates them from the pack. – Ramon Gonzales for knotfest.com |
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| About Matriarchs: Matriarchs is a metallic hardcore band formed in Los Angeles CA in 2014. It started out as strictly a studio project by founding guitarist Ben Levi. The project was inspired by his affinity for modern European Beat Down and 90s New York metallic hardcore. Ben had played with drummer Alfred Santa Cruz, bassist Miguel Vasquez, and guitarist Marty Cole in several other projects throughout the last decade so they were no strangers to getting creative together. After playing their first show to a packed house the boys never looked back. They’ve gone on to play with bands like Soulfly, Harm’s Way, Disgrace, Bane, Backtrack, Sworn Enemy, and Vision Of Disorder. An ambitious release produced by Nick Jett of Terror, and Mastered by Matt Hyde, (Lionheart, Hatebreed, Deftones) Scandalous Jointz fuses together the visual aesthetic and presentation of more thought-provoking heavy acts with the sonic ferocity and energy of hardcore. A few national festivals and two tours later saw the band taking a hiatus and reflecting on what the general direction and purpose of the band would be. In 2018 Matriarchs parted ways with vocalist Richard Barthel. After teaming up with Jeremy Valentyne and Brandon Wolfe to produce their new release, adding veteran Carlos Pagan to the line up on guitar and meeting new vocalist K Enagonio during the pandemic, the band found the new fire it needed. In K the band finds its truest voice. Over the quarantine, they wrote their 2nd full-length Year of The Rat. Matriarchs lineup: K Enagonio – Vocals Carlos Pagan – Guitar David Rubenhold – Bass Ben Levi – Drums |
