III
Mattador
III is the 2026 comeback album from Mattador, a veteran melodic hard rock band from Puerto Rico that originally operated from 1988 to 1995 and reunited in 2022. Released via Frontiers Music Srl, the 12-track, roughly 45‑minute record channels decades of live and studio experience into a set that ranges from riff‑heavy anthems to soaring power ballads and short instrumentals, all rooted in classic late‑’80s/early‑’90s hard rock with a touch of prog and a contemporary edge. The lineup features original members Mike Villegas (lead vocals, acoustic guitars), Carlos Benitez (drums, percussion, vocals), Miguel “Tito” Rodriguez (guitars, violin), and new bassist/keyboardist Abraham Millett, with production and mixing handled by Benitez alongside veteran engineer Bob St. John (known for work with Extreme, Collective Soul, Duran Duran, and others).
Across songs like Awake, Black Water, Out For Blood, Say You’ll Stay, Levitate, Crawling, Same Kind Of Crazy, Falling Backwards, Portal, Slow Down, Moksha, and No Way Out, III showcases the band’s taste for variety: atmospheric, synth‑touched intros that break into gritty riffs, Rainbow/Dio‑style gallops, Zeppelin‑flavored blues heaviness, and sleek, Foreigner‑esque balladry. Reviewers single out Say You’ll Stay as a mid‑tempo power ballad built on a gentle melody and an infectious, understated guitar hook, and point to Falling Backwards as another highlight that starts in soft, ’70s‑style singer‑songwriter territory before swelling into a full‑band climax. The two instrumentals, Portal and the brief Moksha, are often cited as standouts rather than filler: Portal rides Schenker‑like lead guitar with irresistible momentum, while Moksha distills the band’s melodic flair into 52 seconds of lyrical guitar playing. Overall, critics describe III as a surprisingly fresh, thoroughly enjoyable blast of old‑school hard rock, both tugging on heartstrings and getting heads banging, and affirm that Mattador’s return captures their signature sound with renewed energy and confidence.
III
Mattador
III is the 2026 comeback album from Mattador, a veteran melodic hard rock band from Puerto Rico that originally operated from 1988 to 1995 and reunited in 2022. Released via Frontiers Music Srl, the 12-track, roughly 45‑minute record channels decades of live and studio experience into a set that ranges from riff‑heavy anthems to soaring power ballads and short instrumentals, all rooted in classic late‑’80s/early‑’90s hard rock with a touch of prog and a contemporary edge. The lineup features original members Mike Villegas (lead vocals, acoustic guitars), Carlos Benitez (drums, percussion, vocals), Miguel “Tito” Rodriguez (guitars, violin), and new bassist/keyboardist Abraham Millett, with production and mixing handled by Benitez alongside veteran engineer Bob St. John (known for work with Extreme, Collective Soul, Duran Duran, and others).
Across songs like Awake, Black Water, Out For Blood, Say You’ll Stay, Levitate, Crawling, Same Kind Of Crazy, Falling Backwards, Portal, Slow Down, Moksha, and No Way Out, III showcases the band’s taste for variety: atmospheric, synth‑touched intros that break into gritty riffs, Rainbow/Dio‑style gallops, Zeppelin‑flavored blues heaviness, and sleek, Foreigner‑esque balladry. Reviewers single out Say You’ll Stay as a mid‑tempo power ballad built on a gentle melody and an infectious, understated guitar hook, and point to Falling Backwards as another highlight that starts in soft, ’70s‑style singer‑songwriter territory before swelling into a full‑band climax. The two instrumentals, Portal and the brief Moksha, are often cited as standouts rather than filler: Portal rides Schenker‑like lead guitar with irresistible momentum, while Moksha distills the band’s melodic flair into 52 seconds of lyrical guitar playing. Overall, critics describe III as a surprisingly fresh, thoroughly enjoyable blast of old‑school hard rock, both tugging on heartstrings and getting heads banging, and affirm that Mattador’s return captures their signature sound with renewed energy and confidence.