THE POTENTIAL NEW FACE OF CANADIAN PROGRESSIVE DEATH METAL

posted in: Artist Features

When thinking about Canadian metal, a few bands that might come to mind would be Quo Vadis, Strapping Young Lad, Into Eternity, Despised Icon, Cryptopsy, Voivod, or a multitude of other big names.  With any luck, Derelict will be among these soon enough.

Derelict has been around on OurStage for several months, and has achieved a fair amount of success in the metal channels (as consistent as any metal band on OurStage).  Even given the success that Derelict has had on OurStage, with no full-length release and no label backing, it’s nearly impossible to strike it big.  Now, they have a full album completed and lots of positive media feedback, but still no label. Last month, the band kicked-off a full Canadian tour with an album release show for their newest release, Unspoken Words. This album shows a lot of potential that is reminiscent of the Strapping Young Lad sound, and fits in with the new Agonist sound, but is still very unique. The sound they have borrowed from many other progressive death metal bands from Canada is a very dense, with thick and crunchy guitar tones, and mid-range evil vocals, and a drum sound that sounds like machine guns over drums of war. To help their situation, Derelict was the opener for a show on the Agonist’s latest tour to support their new album, Lullabies for the Dormant Mind.

We had a chance to catch up with the guys and get to know a little more about them from their label prospects to their opinion of the metal scene in Canada. Read on for the inside scoop and discover even more great Canadian metal bands:

OurStage: How is the situation with the label (or lack of one) coming along?
Derelict: We actually have been signed just recently. I can’t yet release the information, but there will be an official announcement soon. We’re very happy to have support and backing, but that’s all I can say for now.

OurStage: How has OurStage contributed to your fan base?
Derelict: OurStage has probably helped targeting fans who are into really scrutinizing and judging music. This pays off for us because there are a lot of intricacies in our music so in-depth listeners will often like it!

OurStage: Are you touring the US soon?
Derelict: No, not yet unfortunately. The cost of getting working visas right now is way too high. You have to join a guild which costs almost $1000 per person, so right there we’re talking $5000 to invest before our first US tour. There are a lot of Canadian markets we haven’t exploited yet so we’re working on those.

OurStage: What artists have influenced you the most?
Derelict: That’s hard to say for the whole band, but there is definitely some Strapping Young Lad in our sound, some Martyr, some Cryptopsy, some death, and a big mix of thrash, death, and black metal bands.

OurStage: What Canadian metal bands have influenced you the most?
Derelict: Same ones as [the previous question], plus our local heroes and friends such as Endast, Synastry, and many more.

OurStage: What is your take on the metal scene in Canada?
Derelict: The metal scene in Canada is very strong, but because of the low population versus the size of the country, it makes touring hard sometimes. For example, the three biggest cities in Canada by American standards are Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. Vancouver is on the West Coast, almost 48 hours drive from Toronto, and then Montreal is another 5 hours East of there. We end up having to target a lot of smaller towns, which can be really cool in the end, but it’s very different from the US where every hour or two of driving you have a main city.

OurStage: Any plans for the future other than the obvious tour dates listed on your MySpace?
Derelict: We’re doing a Western Canada tour in May, and we’re trying to play as many Fridays and Saturdays as we can anywhere and everywhere to promote the new album. We’re working on new stuff all the time as well so we’ll be recording eventually.

The guys in Derelict are working as hard as ever, and it seems like things are really starting to go their way. Who knows where they might be come next year. If you want more information about their full Canadian Tour, head over to the band’s MySpace page. Want more Canadian metal? There’s plenty to discover at OurStage… now get to head-banging.

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