Based in Oceanside, Monarch is a hard rock band founded in 2007 by Ratt Black guitarist Casey Trask (the Three Tremors, Cage), joined in 2016 by singer-guitarist Matt Smith (Nihilist, Damcyan), and backed by founding drummer Adam West. Bassist Alex Pickard (who also played with Cage) was replaced in 2020 by Gabe Mendez (Supra Summus, Sister Steele). They are unrelated to the later Encinitas band also named Monarch.
Oceanside's Monarch has shared the stage with bands such as Death Angel, Nervosa, Powerglove, and Act of Defiance. Their Dawn to Night EP was released in 2011. An album called Go Forth...Slaughter dropped in 2016. They won the 2019 Wacken Metal Battle USA competition, earning the chance to play at an upcoming festival.
Their sophomore album Future Shock dropped in April 2021. Tracked at Clarity Recordings in El Cajon, it marks the debut of a new bassist who joined the previous year, Gabe Mendez (Supra Summus, Sister Steele). The first single “Shred Or Die” came with a video. “We’re all just super excited to get this album out to everyone because I think everyone right now needs something new to get excited about,” said founding guitarist Casey Trask.
“At the time of this release, the world is still under quarantine from the Covid 19 virus in parts of the world and we think it will be a welcome escape from having to worry so much right now. We should all be cautious of course, but we can't make our lives not worth living. This album really inspires us to write even better and we're still amazed at how it came out. We look forward to hearing its response by fans and getting to play it live and loud again.”