BeatRoute Magazine B.C. print e-edition - June 2016

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ASTRAKHAN finding purpose in the power of process by Devon Motz photo: Amy Ray Somebody, somewhere, at some point in time, probably said something about stopping to smell the roses. The boys in Vancouver metal outfit Astrakhan couldn’t agree more. Sitting in a sunny neighbourhood park, Dustan Toth (bass and vocals) and Rob Zawistowski (guitar and vocals) offered some insight into the themes surrounding their upcoming offering, such as Toth’s deep-rooted fear of computers and what he so poignantly describes as “loneliness, despair, regret… you know, metal stuff.” The aptly titled Reward In Purpose may be Astrakhan’s debut full length, but these melody makers are by no means newcomers to the metal scene. After releasing numerous EPs with Rain City Recorders’ Jesse Gander (who has worked with a number of notable acts including White Lung, Japandroids, and The Pack A.D.), and having spent several years battling it out in the trenches of Vancouver’s underground music scene, the band has carved out their own unique breed of heavy. With towering riffs and trademark harmonies, their preceding EP releases — The Pillarist and A Tapestry of Scabs and Skin — are both powerful examples of Astrakhan’s ability to create chaotic and complex songs, though Zawistowski feels they “Didn’t have the same unity and cohesion” of the new record. This is the first time the group have had the chance to create a fully realized body of work. Enter Reward In Purpose, which feels and sounds like an accumulation of years of work and sacrifices made. The album shimmers and ripples under the surface, effortlessly moving from swelling ambience to distorted fury. Drawing from the satisfaction they find in process and the clarity that comes with conviction, Reward In Purpose explores the gauntlet of emotion that comes with realizing what truly drives you. “We were going to call it Purpose,” whispers Toth, after a brief aside with Zawistowski, perhaps unsure whether to divulge the dirt, “before Biebs put out a record with the same name.” Who wore it best? Astrakhan will be bringing their own special brand of metal across the Great White North on a summer tour, kicking off with their second appearance at Calgary’s Sled Island Festival. Hopefully this time they can beat their Vancouver brethren to the artist’s lounge before the taps run dry. Astrakhan perform at Art Signified’s new venue Studio Vostok on June 10. THE MOUNTAIN MAN metal champs come out of the woodwork “I was in The Mountain Man before The Mountain Man,” says guitarist Tyson Tambellini when probed about musical endeavors preceding the band that, seemingly out of nowhere, tore onto the Vancouver metal scene. “It was just me, Jordan [Orr] and Ryan [McCreedy]. That was pre-Mountain Man.” Then with the addition of Tevyn Pacey (bass), and later Parker Lane (vocals), The Mountain Man arrived at their current lineup. The very same one that kicked ass and took names at the BC edition of the Wacken Metal Battle, a battle of the bands in which they secured a chance to compete at a national level on June 11 in Toronto; the grand prize being a slot at Germany’s world renowned Wacken Open Air, one of the biggest metal festivals in the world. The Mountain Man has done an exceptional job creating and maintaining their aesthetic, embracing their Vancouver surroundings and portraying themselves as the good outdoorsy BC boys that they are. Their sound can be described as groove metal, drawing inspiration from The Black Dahlia Murder, Lamb of God, Crowbar, and Gojira, to name a few. They credit their unique sound to varying individual music tastes. “We write cool music that doesn’t put us in some sort of niche category,” says Tambellini. “We pull from doom, death metal, a smattering of black metal, everything. There’s something for everybody.” Keeping in line with the Pacific Northwest motif, The Bloodlust EP has distinct grunge undertones. The Mountain Man cut their teeth in the metal scene, playing shows in their hometown of Maple Ridge and in the Fraser Valley. While they enjoy playing gigs out in the suburbs, they admit there’s a lack of opportunity and viable venues which can make it difficult to expand a following. Lane explained that they decided to do the Wacken Metal Battle simply for the opportunity to play for an audience at the Red Room. This summer is going to be a busy one for The Mountain Man. As BeatRoute spoke with the band, Lane was booking flights to Toronto for the final. Win or lose, whatever is in store for The Mountain Man, it’s certain to be one hell of a ride. The Mountain Man release The Bloodlust EP at the Astoria on June 18 and perform at Armstrong Metal Festival July 15 to 16. by Britt Hanly photo: Shimon Photo STUDIO VOSTOK Art Signified launches into an official space by Cait Lepla photo: Asia Fairbanks There’s a new show space in Vancouver and it’s out of this world. At least its namesake was at one point. Studio Vostok, named after the Russian Vostok spacecraft, the word refers to “a first venture, first man in space, and also to be out East,” co-founder Mitch Ray explains. “Taya Fraser and I run a kind-of promotion company, for lack of a better description, called Art Signified, and we’ve been doing that for just over 3 years.” Throughout that time Ray and Fraser have helped to facilitate approximately 300 shows. It’s one small step for Vostok, and one giant leap for Vankind. “Our goal from the start was to have a local venue,” Ray says. “If you want to do cool things with the setup, you can’t get in the night before, because there are other events, and you’re also paying room fees.” Taya expands, “This gives us so much more flexibility. We get the staff in we want, the sound staff, the bar staff… The best people we think we know!” They are still navigating the possibilities of what could exist, both feasibly and legally, but are hoping to eventually keep it open throughout the week as a constant creative hub, including gallery exhibitions, pop-up shops, band merch sales and perhaps even creating their own small company to better facilitate fuller business hours. “We’ve already booked a bunch of art shows for the next few months.” The first will be June 11, featuring April Lee Rivera Johnson, a close friend and talented artist who can also be seen and heard on drumming in the tightly wound post-punk duo, Passive. There will be approximately two alcohol-serving shows per month, and the first is an album launch for Astrakhan on June 10. “They’re a pretty established local metal band, starting to get more of a reputation. I went to high school with one of the guitarists; I’ve known him over 15 years,” says Ray. Also on the bill is Mendozza, from Victoria. “It’s actually the first time we’ve done a show with them, which is crazy.” They had broken up briefly but are now starting to play shows again. Members in this band collaborate with Art Signified on organizing Burger Fest, this year at Waldorf and Vancouver Psych Fest. We sit in a spacious gutted room, with bags of broken tile lining the walls, and large windows looking out at street level. When asked what the space was before, Taya jokes to Mitch, “human trafficking?” Only a couple weeks prior, it had been a fully functional dollar and hardware store. In the grimy Chinatown basement, there is evidence of an old restaurant. The main level will be public, with a wall mural and signage by April, and window panels showcasing the work of approximately 12 different artists. To quote Elon Musk, “It’s a fixer-upper of a planet, but we can make it work.” And with the launch of Studio Vostok, it shows great prospects for otherworldly creative orbits of the friendly Vancouverite population. Studio Vostok is located at 246 Keefer. 14 THE SKINNY June 2016
SUBCULTURE notes from the underground As a person who has no desire to consort with hordes of people, I will improvise with information to write a column on BeatRoute’s desired subject matter for this issue — music festivals. I can barely remember the last time I was at one because I am always ball and chained to running local shows on weekends with my job. I suppose the last music festival I was at was Naughty Camp II in the early 2000s. That was the time LeBlanc, Dave May and I rented an RV camper as travel and sleeping quarters after the cowpie tent fiasco the year before and, well that’s a whole other story. I’ll just say this, if you rent an RV, don’t let anyone use the fucking bathroom in it to take a shit. That had to be the worst commute from Pemberton back to the city ever. Between the gruelling hangover after two days and the putrid odour emanating from the bathroom, vomit wasn’t far from projecting. From the ancient ashes of NorthWest Metal Fest, there are some killer people undertaking metal festivals these days in B.C. and Alberta, which is stellar. I remember making a meme last year which demonstrated how clean metalhead’s camping skills are compared to mainstreamers. I think it is a really cool element that metalheads are perceived by society as heathens, when they actually are more environmentally friendly than the general public that attends the trendy pop events. In my eyes a music festival is one that requires camping in the wilderness, not a multi-venue city event. Here are some of the standout metal music festivals this summer. Armstrong Metal Fest VIII – Jesse from Odinfist is one of the co-founders. 30+ bands. July 15 to 17, Armstrong B.C. Info – armstrongmetalfest.ca. Metallion Festival 3 – The boys from Deveined are involved with this. 25+ bands. August 12 to 14, west of Prince George, B.C. at Brookside. Free camping! Search on Facebook. Loud as Hell Metal Festival – 30+ bands. Aug 29 – Sept 1, Drumheller, AB. Info by Wendy13 – loudashell.com I get that festivals are the most bang for your buck for seeing plenty of bands but that only happens if everything isn’t cross-booked to shit, especially in the city style ‘Festival’ atmosphere. So without further ado here are some city events for Vancouver. Covenant festival II – Cvlt as fuck. June 16 to 18. Hindenburg. Only the grimmest shit and a killer headliner. Wear black or be mocked with crossed arms and death stares. No apparent website so search on Facebook. If punk is your thing check out ‘Have a Good Laugh’ that is being thrown by the crustier folks in Vancity. Various venues with lots of roadpopping, studded vests and obscure punk patches. June 9 to 12. Info – thoughtdecay.com Music Waste 2016 – June 2 – 5. A far cry from the vision Brian Salmi had back in the day. If you’re indie and trendy enough, don your sweater vest or mom jeans and have a peep through your over-sized glasses. Various Vancity venues. Info – musicwaste.ca. Tacofest II. - 20 bands. Tacos. Lots of rock. Swangard stadium. Sat July 16. Info –apocalypsesunrise.com. Burgerfest VI – 18 bands. Burgers. Heavy. Sat Aug 13. Waldorf. Johnny has stepped aside on this one so contact the folks at Art Signified for more info or search on Facebook. Overused word of the decade – Festival. Finally, a word on Facebook etiquette: I wouldn’t think about posting my shows at Funky’s to the Rickshaw’s Facebook page. I don’t understand why newbie promoters or band guys would do that to my pages. So I’ll just continue to delete them. The point of a venue having a page or group is to advertise their shows. Sure, some of those same bands have played here before but advertise your show on the appropriate venue’s page. I didn’t create these designated spaces so you can laze your way as a promoter. As always, lots of shit to do here in Vancity. Carry on. June 2016 THE SKINNY 15
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