THE BEAST

MATRIARCHS: Year Of The Rat - Reviewed by Hard Rock Info! Check it out here at this link: http://www.hardrockinfo.com/reviews/2020/7.html#matriarchs-yearoftherat

MATRIARCHS: Year Of The Rat - Album
(Upstate Records - Release date: Oct. 23, 2020)

A big problem with metalcore or hardcore/metal (whatever you want to call it) is the lack of variation. It sounds too much the same way too often, which makes it boring after just a few songs. And MATRIARCHS is no exception. Nowadays people seems to like calling it metallic hardcore instead, like that would be any different or make it more interesting.

MATRIARCHS formed in L.A. in 2014 as a studio project by founding guitarst Ben Levi. He was inspired by European beat down (whatever that is, never heard of it) and 90s hardcore/metal from New York. It soon became a band though as you can understand. And after a hiatus the band is now back again with some new members and new energy.
The music on this album is really heavy, but yet full of adrenaline. Not my thing, but you might like it.
facebook.com/matriarchshc   upstaterecordsny.net
Published: Oct. 18, 2020

Matriarchs is an American hybrid 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 through out 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.
 
"Year of the Rat" hits the streets on October 16th, through Upstate Records and KnucklehedzINC and digitally distributed through Blood Blast Distribution.
Preorder Year of the Rat, exclusively through Cold Cuts Merch:
https://www.coldcutsmerch.com/collections/upstate-records

Follow them at these links:

https://www.facebook.com/matriarchshc/

https://www.instagram.com/matriarchshc

https://www.upstaterecordsny.net/

https://www.facebook.com/upstaterecords/

https://www.instagram.com/upstaterecordsinc/

https://twitter.com/upstaterecsny

https://merchnow.com/catalogs/upstate-records

https://www.coldcutsmerch.com/collections/upstate-records