Reader Submission: Monarch

I was recently contacted by Alex Pickard, bassist of the Vista, CA thrash metal band Monarch to check out his group. Being a big fan of thrash metal like I am, I was very interested in hearing them. I must say, I came away very impressed.

Monarch is an old-school thrash metal band with some brutal thrash influences. If I had to try to explain their sound, it would be a mix of Slayer and Dark Angel with some Demolition Hammer thrown in. The music is fast and intense with some absolutely shredding guitar parts. The songs presented on their page really do resemble something that would have been released in the mid to late 1980's.

Monarch has recorded four songs for their page, link can be found below. Each track is a monument to the thrash metal greats of the 1980's. The songs fly by with lightning speed amongst a fury of chaotic riffs, pounding drums, and shouted Araya-esque vocals.

The production values are also extremely impressive. The album sounds clean, but it does not lose any of the aggressiveness inherent in this style of metal.

I am very impressed with Monarch. I look forward to hearing more from them.

Link.