Music
Press
This band has no press
Discography
As a musician/songwriter:
Hunter/Hunter: Self titled debut album on Lanslyde Records. Sold modestly in the USA, and better in Europe.
Hunter/follow up EP: untitled and never released due to the collapse of Lanslyde records.
(A video was also filmed, but the masters of it and the two albums have been, thus far, elusive at best.)
Untiled Solo Project- Mid '90's- unreleased by start up label in White River Junction, Vermont and subsequently lost.
Steel Testament/Rise Up - Current project.
As a producer:
ThrashQueen/ThrashQueen
Killerfoxx/All You Can Eat
Photos
Bio
Matthew Brooks has been beating his head against the proverbial music wall since the late '80's. Time after time he watched as projects that seemed to be on the brink of fruition collapsed due to; financing problems, label collapses, ego's, personality clashes, girlfriend/wife interference, or cold feet on the part of involved individuals. Finally deciding that putting together a complete album first and THEN looking for bandmates and a label would circumvent these plaguing issues, he wrote and recorded his latest project: "Steel Testament/RISE UP" over the course of the last year at the recording studio he built on his 6 acre property in Hubbardston, MA.
The songs that make up his latest effort: "Rise Up", are born of such diverse experiences as: living through the artificially inflated skyrocketing gas prices of recent memory, a 10 year battle with depression and the horrific effects of SSRI anti-depressant medications, the peace he was trying to bring to feuding family members, and the more general evil that results from the vacuous self-involvement which is so prevalent in modern society.
In addition to being part of bands that headlined shows whose opening acts included "The Dream" (which later became Ex-Dream - or as most people know them: Extreme) and opened for rising stars like: Joan Jett, Queensryche, and Cinderella, Matthew has done virtually every other job the music business has to offer.
He has crewed for acts like Styx and Stevie Winwood; he has done security at several large rock festivals, including the long running "All Good Music Festival" in West Virginia; he has been a popular engineer at several small to mid-sized recording studios; and then progressed to producing acts like Thrashqueen and Killerfoxx. He has done stints in the A&R capacity at several indie record companies; he has worked as a marketing consultant both in the US and in England; and done graphic design and copywriting work for several start-up independent record companies whose ads appeared in publications including "Circus" magazine and "Hit Parader".
Matthew Brooks was also a successful artist and sculptor through the '90s whose work was documented in the book: A Glimpse Beyond The Veil, The Art of Matthew Brooks; published in 1998 of which the (then) European minister of culture remarked: "It is a rare thing to find such talent in this modern age.". He painted the image that is used on the cover of the "Rise Up" Demo CD and included in the pictures section of this EPK.
What the future holds is anyone's guess, but Dr. Gil Markle- former owner of Longview Farm Recording Studios (Think Aerosmith, The Rolling Stones, Cat Stevens, etc.)- was kind enough to critique the mixes, providing invaluable assistance. Matthew is quick to point out, however, that "Whatever is good is to the credit of Dr. Markle, all the flaws are my own."
Enjoy!
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