With their blend of heavy doom riffs, atmospheric post-rock, and melodic elements, Brighton-based trio Matador recently returned with the excellent ‘Above, Below and So’.
Across its 42 minutes, they expand beyond their doom origins with psychedelic hints and cinematic wonder. Moments such as ‘Glitter Skin’ are rooted in dense fuzz and pensive foreboding, yet maintain their wide sonic scope. ‘The Flood’ ruggedly charges, thanks to drummer Scott Stronach’s charge and James Kirk’s escalating guitars, before ‘A Virus’ turns up as the album’s centrepiece. Delicate instrumentation lures you in before Kirk’s abrasive vocals engulf its fuzz-laden middle. Throughout, Kirk, Stronach, and bassist Mark Ainsworth prove to be a compelling and dynamic trio that brilliantly balances thick and ambient textures.
Having demonstrated a versatile sound on ‘Above, Below and So,’ we were intrigued to find out about what albums have helped shape the members of Matador. Thankfully, vocalist/guitarist James Kirk and drummer Scott Stronach were on hand to serve up their influences.
Tool – Lateralus/Ænema
Scott Stronach: It’s hard for me to overstate the influence that Tool, and particularly Danny Carey, have had on me. Danny opened my mind to how the drums can be so much more than a timekeeper, and can not only determine how the time is felt but also contribute melodically and really communicate with the other instruments. Tool taught me about arrangement and orchestration beyond the standard form. An undeniably unique and influential band.
YOB – Catharsis
Scott Stronach: YOB are a three-piece band that somehow creates the most epic and hypnotic sound. Mike Scheidt (vocals/guitar) is a master of the slow burn; the way he builds something massive out of absolute silence is a masterclass in tension and release.
Their music has been a real lesson for me in the philosophy of less is more. It kind of brought me down to earth amidst my obsession with intricate drumming. It reminded me that a simple drum groove played with utter confidence, in the right context, can sound just as massive as poly-rhythmic tribal wizardry.
I saw YOB in Melbourne last month and was blown away by their mastery of dynamics and atmosphere. The way they can take a simple riff or melody and develop it into a 15-20 minute, totally captivating journey is something to behold.
Windhand – Grief’s Infernal Flower
James Kirk: These are much more on the stoner side of things, but the wall of sound these guys and gals create really is something. I saw them live back in 2018 in Vancouver, and I’ve never heard a bigger sound come from one guitar than Garrett (Morris)’s.
They’ve been a big influence on my tone shaping. I’m always trying to get the biggest wall-of-fuzz sound possible while still getting it to cut through the mix.
Groove-laden, sludgy stoner riffs at their very best, topped off with Dorthia’s ethereal vocals. It’s just dreamy.
Russian Circles – Station
James Kirk: A three-piece that can make a sound as dense as these guys has to be seen live. They’ve had a super-consistent output since their very first record, ‘Enter’, which was released 20 years ago.
I first saw them touring ‘Enter’ in a small club and have since seen them all over the place, including some huge venues. It’s so deserved, and they’re such humble dudes.
Mike Sullivan’s use of his pedalboard has been a big influence on me. For a long time now, I’ve been using high-headroom amps, with the basis of my tones and sounds coming from the pedalboard. They were also a primary influence when we were starting out and making instrumental-only music. An honourable mention should go to Cloudkicker and Pelican, too.
Sunn O))) – Life Metal
James Kirk: These guys were a real slow burn for me. I’d always been aware of them, but it never sounded like something I’d be into. That changed around the time ‘Life Metal’ came out, when I started paying proper attention. I’m a vintage gear geek, so their tonehenge of amps was more than enough to pull me in.
I saw them live for the first time last year and, honestly, “an experience” doesn’t really cover it. I was completely mesmerised and wanted to relive it again the next day. The way their guitars feed back and almost start playing themselves really resonates with me – literally and figuratively. I’m seeing them again this year on the UK leg of their tour, and I can’t wait.
I’ll never have that many amps on stage myself, but if I can recreate even a fraction of their tone, I’ll be happy. If the singles from their upcoming release (‘Sunn O)))’) are anything to go by, then this is going to be a great record.
‘Above, Below and So’ by Matador is available now on Church Road Records.
Matador will be appearing at the ArcTanGent Festival
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