Exciting new Connecticut band Robot Monster offer up a raw and infectious brand of riff-heavy rock that they describe as “heavy, dynamic and contemplative.”
The New Haven duo of guitarist Will Brennand and drummer Logan Sidle started out posting videos for fun on social media in 2020. The videos gained massive support, including messages from the likes of Fred Durst and Skrillex, before being spotted by producer Jacquire King, who liked their raw energy and offered them the opportunity to record if they wrote some strong songs. And they duly obliged, delivering a sound they describe to us as “very heavy, riff-oriented, and melodic.”
Our latest taste of this is Out, which was released in October. The single drags you in with a delicious opening riff that drops into a moody opening verse. The vocals intensify with the line “But this time I’m knocking lights out,” which ushers in a heavier chorus and drops back into a plodding guitar and echoey verse. A second chorus drops into wild guitars and return of the cool opening riff.
On the track, they told us: “The response has been great, it is currently our most popular song on Spotify and has been featured on Spotify’s Rock Hard playlist. Listeners should expect a dynamic, riff-heavy, hard-hitting, atmospheric experience.” Check it out in the video here:
The track follows Robot Monster’s eponymous debut album, which is packed with delicious riffing, bluesy rock’n’roll vibes and punky power like the excellent Cargo Cult and the catchy Get Somewhere. It also includes a personal favourite Don’t Be Smart, which starts out with a cool spinning riff that drops into a feisty verse. A lively riff takes over and feeds into an engaging chorus intersected by chunky guitars and cries of “Don’t get smart with me, Don’t be smart.” Check it out here:
On the album, they told us: “It feels so incredible to put music out in the world for people to listen to. The instrumentation on the album only features guitar, drums, and vocals and because of this, along with the musicality and lyrics, we think it is a raw and honest representation of who we are.
“We have enjoyed the entire creative process from when we wrote our first song to when we finished recording the album, but it was definitely challenging at times. It was especially challenging when we began writing songs to find our sound and style and were forced to experiment and push ourselves to new places musically until we found what worked best.”
Robot Monster draw influence from the likes of Metallica, System of a Down, Alice In Chains, Radiohead, and Red Hot Chili Peppers. And on what inspires them to write music, they tell us: @We find inspiration in many fields that pique our interest. Most of our songs are not written about personal experiences, rather they express a universal truth of the human experience that we hope many people cross-culturally can relate to.”
You can see the band for yourselves as they play the ShipRocked Festival, which takes place from 22-28 January and has a pretty tasty lineup.
You can follow Robot Monster on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer and YouTube.
Image credit: Steve Brennan
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