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Taking
their name from the shadowy secret society
purported to control the world, in only one short
year THE ILLUMINATI have risen to accolades
from fans, critics and artists alike. Formed in the
fall of 2002, the Toronto trio have honed their
unique brand of psychedelic hard rock, supporting
A-list international artists such as ALICE COOPER,
ANDREW W.K., UK superstars THE DARKNESS,
and NASHVILLE PUSSY.
When guitarist Les Godfrey and bassist Nick Sewell left their previous
project TCHORT in August of 2002, the garage-metal band of nearly
10 years had played with practically every heavy band that came through
town - from the trippy sludge of KYUSS, to the shrieking metal
fury of KING DIAMOND - and everyone in between. Born a week apart
apart in December of 1975, Godfrey and Sewell had a vision for
the new band they wished to form. Citing what would later become a
mantra for the project - Godfrey coined the phrase 'Instant
Gratification' to describe the band's desire to embrace musical exploration
but with a simple and understandble delievery that was free
of 'prog' indulgence. Completing the line-up for the new project was
long time friend and colleague Jim Gering on drums. Having shared
a stage with the likes of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and CLUTCH drumming
for feline rockers Nice Cat, Gering's manic stomp completed
the band's look and sound. This was to be a band of ILLUMINATI, the
enlightened, the initiated. It would be a forum for players who
were just as sick of lame stage shows as they were of late 90's stoner-rock
ambivalence.
Wasting no time, THE ILLUMINATI exploded on to the scene with what
Now Magazine called a "blistering" 16 minute EP recorded
by noted producer Ian Blurton (The Weakerthans, Lowest Of The Low, Tricky
Woo). The 6 song affair garnered critical praise to match their
fierce reputation as a live band, causing the Montreal Mirror to dub
them 'the rock kings from T-Dot.' The self-titled offering will be
re-released April 20th, 2004 with bonus live material via Indiestructable
Records/Maple/Universal in Canada and available in Europe
through Dogbreath/Sound Pollution.
But just as their self-titled debut will be hitting stores, THE ILLUMINATI
are ready to unleash the best Canadian guitar record in years -
THE ILLUMINATI: ON BORROWED TIME. The 12 song opus finds the ILLUMINATI
doctrine of musicality fully realized - profound and melodic
compositions hurled headlong into visceral, sleazy 3 minute rock epics.
Having completed production (again with Blurton at Chemical
Sound), the band is currently shopping ON BORROWED TIME for a summer
release.
Given the esoteric origins of their name, it's fair to say that symbolism
has been a powerful force for THE ILLUMINATI. For starters,
everyone in the band is left-handed. Even stranger, all three members
play their instruments 'right-handed'. Consider the sacred,
equilateral geometry of a pyramid implied by the band's three members.
Even the musical influences at play read like a conspiracy
novel, a multi-layered political intrigue drawing parallels at each
turn.
Melodic and exploratory, yet fast and mean, THE ILLUMINATI offer a
refreshing return to musical virtuosity - conjuring wild specters
of rock ?n roll's greatest legacies. Sneaky details like moments of metal-blues
fusion and impeccably written noodley jazz codas recall a
time before today's genre-bound constraints. As any mystic will tell
you, there are no coincidences. It is time to return to a sense of
wonder. It is time for THE ILLUMINATI.
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"The best band in Canada"
-Danko Jones
"Fucking amazing"
-Andrew W.K.
“…damned if the band didn't blow minds…”
“We may all be Illuminati converts before the year is over.”
-Now Magazine
"The Illuminati are hands down the rock kings..."
Disc of the Week - 9/10
-Montreal Mirror |
"(they) belt 'em out in blaring 70's boogie rock
fashion.
…one of Toronto's few professional and fuckin' cool bands.”
-ChartAttack.com
"Ferocious roadhouse prog..."
-Eye Weekly
"flawless performances of super human instrumental gymnastics'
-UmbrellaMusic.com
"Snap it up now, or wait patiently to jump on the bandwagon
when their full-length is released."
-Exclaim!
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