Sitting somewhere not-so-silently between Led Zeppelin and My Chemical Romance, Leopard Monks drenches you in aggression, emotion, rebellion, and a whole lot of sweat. Based out of Newark, NJ, each member of the five-piece alternative hard rock band has roots in different areas of the vast universe of North Jersey music scenes, and when they all finally got together to make some noise, it was nothing short of a miracle.
Formed in 2020 by two Portuguese transplants - drummer Paulo Carmo and guitarist Ray Martins - Leopard Monks hit the ground running, tirelessly brewing what would eventually become the Illusion Of Fools EP. These five songs became very popular with locals in the Newark area, and the band developed a fantastic following by scraping up every gig they could find in the tri-state area, and even putting together Newark's own Ironbound Rock Festival, which they headlined twice.
Come 2023, the band underwent a reinvention of sorts, recruiting a new frontman (James Tank), a new bass player (Paul Howes) and a second guitarist (David Coombs). This iteration of Leopard Monks has become a flowing oasis of creativity, with their number of original songs having nearly tripled, and their sound refined into something as forward as it is eclectic. Now, with another EP ready to drop and a full-length album on the way, the guys will stop at absolutely nothing to hurl the hardest of rock straight into your face without a lick of remorse.
