Monolith, the trio featuring former Dream Theater drummer Mike Mangini alongside Hernán “Motley” Rodríguez on bass and vocals and Andy Barrow on guitars and vocals, has unveiled an official animated music video for its newest single, “Starchild”. The visual was directed by Rodríguez, with animation handled by Carlo Cassani, and continues the band’s steadily unfolding narrative.
The release of “Starchild” builds on a broader concept the band began rolling out last year. Monolith first set the tone with the singles “Oligarchs”, “Mother Martyr”, and “Gooru”, establishing the thematic backbone of the project. That storyline expanded further in December 2025 with the arrival of another track, “Farmer”.
The band first made waves in early 2025 when it caught listeners off guard with the announcement of its debut single, “Oligarchs”. Attention quickly followed as word spread that Mangini had joined forces with band founder Rodríguez and Barrow. The formation of Monolith marked the first group Mangini took part in after his time with Dream Theater, adding to the buzz surrounding the project. Since its release, the music video for “Oligarchs” has racked up nearly 400,000 views, while the follow-up single “Mother Martyr” has gone even further, surpassing 480,000 views and drawing in fans worldwide.
At its core, Monolith is a genre-blurring project that pulls from a wide range of musical backgrounds, merging elements of rock, metal, and Latin rhythms into something that feels deliberate but unrestrained. The group came together when industry veterans Rodríguez, Barrow, and producer Gabo Sanoja aligned around a shared goal of creating music that felt both forward-thinking and emotionally grounded. With Mangini completing the lineup, the band gained a powerful rhythmic foundation that helped shape its early sound. Together, these musicians have formed Monolith not just as a band, but as a collaborative platform designed to push boundaries while forging a genuine connection with listeners.
