If there is one thing TETRARCH can unequivocally claim, it’s that they are quite possibly the most tenacious heavy band on the planet. Over the course of several harrowing months in which many bands were forced to hang up their hats or slam to a screeching halt, TETRARCH accepted the challenge and manifested their most successful year to date. Now, with the impending release of their sophomore album Unstable looming, the Los Angeles four piece has the world standing at attention.
Fierce individuality and an outsider’s mentality aren’t just at the heart of TETRARCH – they form the band’s sonic mission statement. Formed in Atlanta, Georgia in just their middle school years by vocalist and guitarist Josh Fore, lead guitarist Diamond Rowe, bassist Ryan Lerner and drummer Ruben Limas, the band has proven themselves to be a powerhouse inspired by their outcast roots – equally defined by not only their metallic power and melodic hooks, but their outspoken embracing of all those who deem themselves oddities, misfits or even simply misunderstood. Their unfiltered, inclusive image, consistently unabashed and angst-ridden sermon to the misjudged masses, and anthems of acceptance in a time of palpable division are what sets them apart as one of the brightest stars of hard rock’s future
Sonically, TETRARCH seamlessly blend technical chops and aggressive ferocity with menacing groove and massive choruses while respectfully nodding to the heavy rock genre’s powerful past – and this is what makes them downright addictive. As evident on bangers like “I’m Not Right,” “Pull the Trigger,” “Oddity,” and “Freak”, TETRARCH emphasize breathtaking prowess and skill with Fore’s ambitious and diverse vocals, Rowe’s much celebrated soloing and songwriting chops, and the persistent pulse of Lerner and Limas’ pummeling rhythm section.
TETRARCH made their mainline metal debut in 2017 with their debut album Freak, blasting onto the scene with unapologetic intensity. Produced by the renowned Dave Otero (Cattle Decapitation, Allegeon, Khemmis) – dubbed by Kerrang! as “underground metal’s premiere producer” – and the members of TETRARCH themselves, Freak was built on a foundation of punishing heaviness while still maintaining the wide-reaching accessibility of hard rock’s most commercially successful acts. Freak produced an Active Rock Top 50 hit via its uplifting and empowering title track while garnering huge support from major Sirius XM stations Octane and Liquid Metal.
During the Freak promotional cycle, TETRARCH more than made their mark – receiving passionate accolades from major press outlets such as Alternative Press, Grammy.com, Loudwire, Modern Drummer, Revolver, and She Shreds (and have since garnered attention from the likes of Pollstar, Billboard, Kerrang! and more). "Tetrarch is taking heavy metal into a new era,” raved Red Bull’s music-oriented site in an enthusiastic feature. In a glowing profile of the band, Guitar Girl Magazineeven dubbed TETRARCH as “poised to become one of the biggest bands in contemporary metal.” Furthermore, guitarist Diamond Rowe went on to reach a major milestone at a remarkably early point in her career, becoming the first African American female lead guitarist of the heavy metal genre to be featured in major guitar publications like Guitar World, Guitar Player and Premier Guitar. Guitar Worldwrote, “The songs on Freak are built to bludgeon. Between its mix of concrete-heavy beats and lead guitarist Diamond Rowe’s armor-piercing thrash leads, none of us are safe.” Hot on the heels of their debut full-length’s success, TETRARCH next took their explosive live show on the road – uniting open-minded fans across the heavy music spectrum while sharing stages with the likes of Avenged Sevenfold, Korn, Alter Bridge and DevilDriver, among others. The band went on to perform blistering sets on major American festivals such as Epicenter and Exit 111, reaching countless new fans with their potent auditory assault while proving to their peers just exactly what they’re made of. Soon after their unrelenting Freak touring schedule came to a much-needed rest, the band immediately put recharged energy into tracking their next full-length. Once in the studio, Dave Otero again helmed the board alongside the band for the mighty, diverse set, emerging as their sophomore full-length, Unstable. The offering shines not only as a natural step forward for TETRARCH, but a giant leap ahead – an even more focused effort combining bright flourishes, dense low-end and soaring choruses – forming a bonafide collection of heavy rock and metal hits. In 2020, amid an inarguably dark year, TETRARCH dropped a cut from Unstable for their fans – a track that would, almost entirely independently, become their most massive hit yet – “I’m Not Right”. The profound, riff-rooted banger gave fans exactly what they were waiting for: gut-punching grooves, searing leads and hooky, melodic vocal lines backed by a gripping story-driven music video. The success of the track was immediately evident. By the close of the year, “I’m Not Right” had not only reached the Top 30 on the Mediabase Active Rock charts and held fast on SiriusXM Liquid Metal’s “Devil’s Dozen”, but clocked in at over 1.5 million streams across all platforms, including YouTube. The band was even hosted on several Spotify and Apple Music tastemaker playlists, including a cover feature on Spotify’s popular New Blood playlist. Now, with the powerful push of their new label, Napalm Records, boosting their already charged trajectory, the band is poised to explode with Unstable and the release of its intoxicating singles. If only one thing is certain as we enter the unknown void that is 2021, it’s this: TETRARCH is this new decade’s breakout metal star.
Comments