The Art of Precision and Chemistry in DCxPC Live Vol. 50: Rebelmatic Live at Main Drag

Rebelmatic stands at the forefront of a movement to bring underground independent music back into the spotlight with their latest album, DCxPC Live Vol. 50: Rebelmatic Live at Main Drag. In a music scene that often feels saturated with mellowed-out records and increasingly familiar sonic formulas, the album gives a refreshing yet old-school take.

The album takes a step beyond the conventions of garage-band music. It is a polished fusion of hardcore punk, metal, hip-hop, and soul. The band effectively occupies a space where intensity does not sacrifice groove and sensibility.

With P.O.N.Y, the band wastes no time in taking you where they intend you to be, and that is in a mosh pit of moving bodies, with sweat dripping from foreheads, and vocals ringing above the collective roar. Despite its brevity, the track demonstrates a cultural understanding of punk and hardcore’s principles. As an entry point into the record, it is an immediate introduction to the band’s appetite for intensity and its ability to make that intensity move.

The band’s interest in juxtapositioning becomes more apparent in Blood N Gold, where lyrical sensibility and the force of punk rock does not compromise each other’s elements. The heavy bass and drums instrumental creates an aggressive atmosphere, thick enough to feel as though the music is literally coursing through the body. The contrast between the song title’s imagery of blood and gold also suggests social implications.

Among the album titles, Cornbread and Collard Greens is one that carries the most funky and social and personal appeal. In the pretense of Rebelmatic’s musical influences, the title carries a consideration to culture. The band also introduces more groove beyond the heavy instrumentals, effectively making the listeners “get loose”.

Upon listening to the entirety of the record, it is not hard to come to a realization that the greatest strength of Rebelmatic lies in the band members’ technical mastery of their craft. Each of them has a deep understanding of the musical space they each occupy.

On one hand, Creature aka Creech operates between melodic singing and emphatic shouts. Instead of heavily relying on vocal power, he complements the rest of his band’s sound. On the other hand, Alkatraz’ guitar work provides a more dynamic balance with his funk guitar rhythms and non linear techniques. Karnage gives color and backdrops their sound with his understanding of where each note belongs. He effectively ornates each song with bass accents and motion, making each song vibrant. Lastly, Ramsey Jones with the drums understands the physicality of hard rock and rhythmic flexibility of funk and his technique shines in Cornbread and Collard Greens.

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Perhaps the clearest way of understanding Rebelmatic’s chemistry is through their parallels with Red Hot Chili Peppers. Both bands are fluent in rock and energetic live performance, and they both demonstrate that groove is not just an accessory to the heavier elements of music they produce— it is one of the vital forces that provides color to the bigger picture. However, this is not to say that their sound is replicable as they still have stark differences that should be noted. Rebelmatic’s identity is rooted more explicitly in the confrontational hardcore punk and underground music.

Preorders for the new album begin on October 27, followed by an NYC release show in Queens on November 8, and a Hudson Valley release show in New Windsor on November 20. DCxPC Live Vol. 50: Rebelmatic Live at Main Drag is a compelling record as it understands technical proficiency and its personality is cleanly distributed across different sounds and genres, making the record a kaleidoscope in a music scene. It is a record that hails tradition and innovation. Rebelmatic has the ability to create a language that can maintain force and flexibility.