With the release of their second full-length album, The Hunting Ground, Halifax progressive metal four-piece Shadow of Everest have become louder and more experimental than ever. Five years into their bandhood and two years into their current formation, the group are hitting their stride.
After adding guitarist Andrew Welsman to the mix in May of 2017, the band have been coming together better than ever before.
“He was a fantastic fit right from the start. He was into the riffs and he’s got shredding chops coming out the whazoo, so he had the job in the first five seconds of his audition. It was love at first shred,” says songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Johnathan Vriend.
Playing more with different sounds in The Hunting Ground than in their debut release, Idle Hands, the band lets influences like big leagues Mastodon, Machine Head and even Tool shine through. The heavily progressive and alternative riffs and shreds are met with stoner- and sludge-rock undertones that give their sound a deeper feel than that of your average progressive-metal band. This is especially apparent in tracks “Dark Spiral” and “Castle in the Sky.”
Where Shadow of Everest show their Tool influence, however, is more so apparent in concept than it is immediately noticeable audible similarities. The band play in varied time signatures and playing styles but do still remain fairly squarely within the progressive and alternative realms.
Another facet of that influence, however, is the lyrical method. As any fan of Tool could tell you, their lyrics touch on hard, uncomfortable and real topics that often lean towards politics, discovery and self-identity. Like the lyrics of Maynard James Keenan, those of Johnathan Vriend encourage listeners to apply their own interpretation and spark self-reflection.
“From a lyrical perspective I focus on personal growth and self discovery. I spend a lot of time thinking about the ‘true meaning of life’ and where we fit in the grand scheme of the Universe. Sometimes it’s fun to write about mythical creatures or places,” says Vriend.
“I try to avoid including too much of myself in my lyrics but it does slip out. I wrote parts of ‘Castle in the Sky’ . . . about some of my personal struggles and mental health issues. I make a point of avoiding it as much as I can though . . . to maintain a degree of privacy, and I also want to avoid being too narrowly focused on any subject. Personal experience is great, but my perspective isn’t the only perspective. I want a wide audience to be able to relate to our music and let people find their own meanings in the words.”
This can be exemplified, among many places, in track “Fifty Four” with lyrics, “Substituting for a lack of stimulation, seeking out the offspring of my mind, beneath consciousness there’s desperation that fits nicely into my design.” Though it is a commentary on the current state of society, listeners are invited to interpret it and apply it to their own lives however they see fit.
A notable difference between The Hunting Ground and Idle Hands is that the former has much-improved production quality. The instruments meld together in clean and polished harmony while still remaining deep and heavy.
And though we hear some influences in their work, the band take those elements of the greats and use them in the creation of a sound that is distinctly their own. They are not trying to be anything more than who they are, and they come together smoothly in creating music that goes down easily but still packs a loud and heavy punch.
“I think we really found our stride and a method of making music that works for us. We’re more than just a group of musicians now; we have cohesion now. We can feed off of each other, and it not only helps our creative process but makes our live performances more consistent and ultimately more fun.”
Tour Dates:
04.11.19 – Halifax, NS @ Gus’ Pub & Grill
04.19.19 – Dartmouth, NS @ Montes Showbar Grill
07.05-06.19 – Windsor, NS @ Maritime Metal & Hard Rock Festival