Bastion Releases New Album Honoring Late Band Member Marty Mata

It's no secret that FMX has a thing for the boys in Bastion, and guess what? They did it again! These local legends came out with even more badass music to grace your earholes! If you haven't seen them perform live in Lubbock, DO THIS. They never disappoint.

Their new album is a testament to how far they've come as a band in the nearly 10 years they've played together and all of the ups and downs they've gone through, especially the tragic loss of their founding guitarist Marty Mata. The new album honors his memory, and the guys knocked it out of the park.

This is Bastion's third multi-song release, and every song on the EP is filled with emotion. They put every ounce of themselves into each note, lyric, and hit of the drum. It's the pinnacle of their music career thus far, and they are thrilled to share it with their many fans and supporters.

Here's a sample of the badassery you'll find on the new album:

Click here for the full album, and then keep scrolling for heartfelt thoughts from Chop, Benji, Taylor, and Dustin on what the album means to them.

“To me, this whole release is a testament to what it means to be a band. It’s a family. You suffer together, and you grow together. And that’s exactly what we did. We took what could have been a breaking point and turned it into a stepping stone. This is the most proud I’ve ever been about something we created. From the lyrics to the performance to the quality of the mix. To me, it’s perfect front-to-back. These dudes are truly my brothers and this is what we made from our greatest loss.”

-Dustin (vocals)

“Going through one of the toughest times of our lives and losing a brother has been difficult beyond measure. This EP presents the most emotional response of how we felt from losing Marty on this earth. We wanted to display these emotions because we know everyone has gone through or is going through the loss of a loved one. It’s hard to navigate life without them in it. I feel like the song ‘Loss’ emphasizes those feelings and to express it in our way is pure beauty. Continuing to play is much of an honor now than it could ever be. In my heart, there’s no replacing Marty but only holding the rope we’ve dreamed and envisioned from the beginning. That means a ton more than just playing in a band. This one is for you bro. Love and miss you, dude.”

-Chop (guitar)

“Finally releasing this body of work is definitely bittersweet. To say we left it all on the table with this one is kind of an understatement. There were certainly moments along the way that had me questioning if we were gonna be able to pull through this time period. This release is the embodiment of everything we’ve gone through since the loss of our brother Marty Mata. As dark of a time as it has been, I feel like we’re more motivated than ever to push further and keep his memory alive and vibrant. The final track is one of his last performances on a demo he sent to us. Not only does it show what a brilliant writing mind he had, but also strongly illustrates the hole he left in all of our hearts as well. He might be pissed at us if he found out we put it on this release the way we did, but the significance was too great not to. Love you and miss you every dayriday r brother. I hope everyone who listens enjoys the Music, much love.”

-Benji (guitar)

“I think I speak for all of us when I say this album comes from a dark place in us. And that is translated through the songs. They have this dark atmosphere throughout. But by the end it, it gives me this feeling that everything is going to be okay. We wrote a majority of the songs after the loss of our guitarist Marty and we’ve been coping with that while also trying to build on ideas he left with the band. You can still hear his influence on some of these songs. The last track ‘miss u dude’ was written and performed by Marty and we felt it was best to let him round out the album by himself. I’m really passionate about all of these songs and it was a much-needed outlet for us to put this out. I know bands say this all the time, but we don’t care if this resonates with people or not. This one is truly for us and us alone.”

-Taylor (drums)

Great job, dudes! It's been a pleasure getting to know you over the past few years and seeing you perform. You're making Lubbock proud. Keep going.

To follow Bastion and stay up to date on performances, click here.