Side projects are so much fun for us fans precisely because of how different they can be from the “day job” bands of their members. Finding out your favorite brutal death metal musician is a secret admirer of dance pop is, like, the friggin’ best!
In the case of Monsters Around Us, which features members of Rivers of Nihil (drummer Jared Klein), Cryptospy (vocalist Matt McGachy), NyteShayde (bassist Roger Menso) and The Schoenberg Automaton (vocalist Colin Cadell), the apple doesn’t fall THAT far from the tree — we’re not about to get all Robyn up in here — but it’s certainly different from what you’d expect, at least from Klein and McGachy (with all due respect to Menso and Cadell, I’m not familiar with their bands). There are brutal breakdowns, yeah, but there are also glitchy beats and industrial/EDM flavors, the likes of which I’m having a hard time pinning down. That’s a good thing, though, as I suggested in this piece’s open; variety is welcome ’round these parts.
Check out the band’s new song “Bulletpress” below and keep up with them on Bandcamp.