Matadors

Formed in Sweden during 2001, The Matadors began when vocalist and guitarist Andreas Bergström joined forces with drummer Jonas Jönsson, formerly of Ridge. Roughly eight bassists cycled through the lineup before the group settled on Johan Anderberg as a compatible match. Drawing shared influence from the taut, post-stoner sound and erratic stylistic quirks of Queens of the Stone Age—equally comparable to a Kyuss-Devo hybrid—the trio issued its first album, The Muse of Señor Ray, in 2005 and its follow-up, Flame the Whisper, in 2007. Session guitarist Lars Andersson joined for the second record, while both releases incorporated Latin rhythmic flourishes reminiscent of Tarantino soundtracks.