EPK – Ivy Gardens – Death of Don Valley (2025)
Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
For fans of Acid Bath, Rush, King Crimson, Mastodon, Kyuss
Band: Ivy Gardens
Album Title: Death of Don Valley
Release Date: August 29, 2025
Label: Paper Cut Recordings
Facebook.com/ivygardensband | Instagram.com/ivygardensofficial | Youtube.com/@ivygardens420/
Ivygardens.bandcamp.com | Spotify
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Ivy Gardens – Live or Die Tour:
Aug 29 – St. Catharines, ON – Warehouse Concert Hall
Aug 30 – Toronto, ON – Monarch Tavern
Sept 5 – Kitchener, ON – The Golden Apple
Sept 12 – Windsor, ON – Phog Lounge
Sept 13 – Sarnia, ON – AJs Bar
Sept 14 – London, ON – Grogettes Living Room
Sept 18 – Halifax, NS – Radstorm
Sept 19 – Sydney, NS – Daniels Ale House
Sept 20 – Charlottetown, PEI – Babas Lounge
Sept 21 – Moncton, NB – Generator Show
Sept 25 – Woodstock, NB – Montieth Manor
Sept 26 – Montreal, QC – Turbo Haus
Sept 27 – Quebec City, QC – Sonum
Oct 9 – Barrie, ON – CW Coops
Oct 10 – Sudbury, ON – Townhouse Tavern
Oct 11 – Thunder Bay, ON – Black Pirates Pub
Oct 12 – Winnipeg, MB – Bulldog Event Center
Oct 16 – Regina, SK – The Cure Kitchen and Bar
Oct 17 – Saskatoon, SK – The Black Cat
Oct 18 – Calgary, AB – Palomino
Oct 19 – Edmonton, AB – Blak Bar
Oct 23 – Kelowna, BC – Dunnenzies
Oct 24 – Vancouver, BC – Black Alley
Oct 25 – Victoria, BC – Fernwood Community Center
“First of all, can we just give a lot of overdue appreciation to the fact that there are still hard-gigging bands out there that play with the kind of urgency as IVY GARDENS. You can damn AI music straight to fiery pits of hell; this is where the real sound and fury is at. Another thing I appreciate about Ivy Gardens is all the dark humor. You see it in their new music video, with its Red Fangish tongue-in-cheek adventure. This one features a vintage style videotaped car chase, which would play well off a viewing of V/H/S/94. …Fake blood ahead… We’re arrested right away by the powerful strumming of the guitar as “Eye Witness” opens. Drumming is crazy, a frenetic attack of Animal from The Muppets, chasing that beat all over the place… Of course, the classic organ-sound of the keyboards adds a certain kind of spookiness to it all, which can be at once cheeky, mysterious, and cool. I myself love this send-back to ‘60s rock, while respecting that Ivy Gardens brings us a sound that clearly feels “now.”” – Doom and Stoned
“With the premiere of the video for “Burden” below, Niagara Falls progressive sludge trio Ivy Gardens announce their second full-length, Death of Don Valley, will be out Aug. 29 through Paper Cut Recordings. The follow-up to the sans-bass three-piece’s well-received 2024 debut, Goon, is introduced with the lead single “Burden,” which you can find the band playing live in the video premiering below. This ethic would seem to be the crux of Death of Don Valley itself, hence “live off the floor sophomore album” in the headline below. “Burden” benefits from the lack of trickery behind it, from the visually-evidenced capacity on the part of guitarist/vocalist Andrew Blackborow, key-specialist/synthesist Sebastian Hogg and drummer/vocalist Joe Zandwyk, the latter two of whom are also responsible for samples on the record, and while one can hear a bit of Melvinsian do-rock-and-make-it-weird ethos underlying, “Burden” brings charge to coincide with its telltale rhythmic intricacy — not quite doing ‘math’ in the musical sense, but not far off. They say the album’s more complex than the last one, and even if it was tracked entirely live with no overdubs, “Burden” bears that out.” – The Obelisk
Reviews – Goon (2024):
The Canadian National College Radio – May 2024 – Top 20 Loud – #9 Ivy Gardens (Earshot)
The Canadian National College Radio Loud Chart – #8 Ivy Gardens (Earshot) – For the Week Ending: Tuesday, May 21, 2024
Goon – #38 on DoomCharts.com (April 2024)
“…the sonic equivalent of a panic attack.” – Canadian Beats
“Stoner metal, a little chilled sounding, but fast paced, cool stuff.” – Mosh Pit – WORT 89.9 FM (Madison, WI)
““Boner” has got a really cool groove, too, showing you what can happen when you’ve got a band that is truly possessed by the power of The Riff. It’s one of those grinding, motoriffic jobs in the spirit of Kyuss’ “Green Machine.” And it doesn’t take long before we, too, are caught under its sway. The retro organ sound from the keys provides a spooky touch to the chorus, which comes like a sigh of relief after the tense build-up of those guitar-driven verses. The drumming is swarmy and frenetic, and strikes with power at pivotal moments. The breakdown at 4 minutes is a headbanging oasis, made even cooler with the synthesizer’s late-’60s garage twist.” – Doomed and Stoned
“This Canadian trio are promising us a debut album that is “a relentless onslaught of vulgar, belligerent punk, sludge and sweat” when it is released in April. If this lead single is anything to go by, things are going to get very belligerent and sweaty when the full-lengther finally hits our death decks.” – Uber Rock
“GOON is an action packed and turbocharged release powered by Pissed Off grooves and a snarling Punk Rock Attitude which allows IVY GARDENS to deliver a devastating FREAKY slice of Psychedelic Sludge/Stoner Metal.” – Outlaws of The Sun
“Nothing about Ontario’s Ivy Gardens is predictable. Describing it is just going to sound trite. I love it when I know I’m going to miss the mark no matter what I write. But here’s my take: take some awesome keyboard parts from 1967, link them to 80’s New Romantic Synth parts played on guitar, add equal parts Stoner, Punk and Post-Metal. I mean, these guys drank the wrong whiskey and mixed it with the wrong drug while listening to the Clash, and then came down listening to Elvis Costello and early Queens of the Stone Age. Someone somewhere was blasting the B-52’s and the Stooges. It’s a heady mix that when mashed together is cohesive, fresh and original.” – Clean And Sober Stoner
““Goon” by IVY GARDENS. Pretty cool stuff. I like the inventiveness of it. Not something you’ll find carbon copies of. I also like the Stoner edge. Definitely worth checking out.” – Metal-Temple
“Alright, folks, if you haven’t already been swept up by Ivy Gardens, now’s the time. The Niagara, Ontario crew—masters of raw, unfiltered punk and sludge—delivered their first full-length album, Goon, back in April 2024. And let me tell you, it’s an auditory onslaught like no other… Goon is more than just a debut album; it’s a setlist Ivy Gardens fans have been craving. Since their thunderous arrival on the scene in 2021, they’ve been wreaking havoc across Canada’s east coast. And with a summer tour already in the works, this runaway train isn’t slowing down. Ready to dive in? The volume’s punishing, the intensity’s relentless, and there’s zero room to catch your breath—it’s like a panic attack in musical form. Ivy Gardens is daring you to join their world, where the mosh pit never ends, and the ringing in your ears is the only encore you’ll get. If you’re into Kyuss, Truckfighters, or Queens of the Stone Age, then Goon is about to become your new favorite album.” – Papy Jeff Metal
[Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics]
Band: Ivy Gardens
Album Title: Death of Don Valley
Release Date: August 29, 2025
Label: Paper Cut Recordings
Track Listing:
1. Burn For Murder – 2:02
2. Eye Witness – 2:50
3. Burden – 3:08
4. Guiding Hand – 6:18
5. Frozen Limbs – 5:15
6. Gearth – 2:29
7. Astray – 4:56
8. Bliss – 8:59
9. Golden – 7:07
Album Length: 43:08
Album Credits:
All songs written and performed by Ivy Gardens
Produced by Ivy Gardens
Recorded and mixed by Frank Ditillio
Mastered by Cameron Lee
Album Artwork by Ivy Gardens
Death of Don Valley is Canadian Content (MAPL)
Recording and Live Lineup:
Joe Zandwyk: Drums, Vocals, Samples
Sebastian Hogg: Organ, Piano, Synth, Samples
Andrew Blackborow: Guitar, Vocals
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About The Album Artwork:
A corpse lies between the banks of the flooded Don Valley River, circa 1908.
The artwork anthropomorphizes the river itself. A river that once formed a foundation for life in the area, slowly killed until nothing but mud and toxicity remains.
About the album as a whole (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY):
The record is about death. The unstoppable decay of oneself and the world around them.
The life and death of the Don River encapsulates this.
Track by Track (LYRICALLY & MUSICALLY)
1. BURN FOR MURDER
“I hear they burn for murder…. Well, they say it just takes a second to die.” This is a quote from Lee Harvey Oswald, hours after having successfully assassinated the President of the United States. The lyrics are as violent and impulsive as the music. Frenetic, aggressive, murderous.
2. EYE WITNESS
Pure fiction from two perspectives. One commits an act of violence. The other experiences it on the receiving end. This instrumental is incredibly intricate by our standards. This is a piece we kept cramming with ideas until it was one of the most dense pieces of music on the record.
3. BURDEN
An almost satirical take on the nihilist’s dream. Musically, Burden is perhaps the most straightforward track on the record. Quick and succinct.
4. GUIDING HAND
A song about being pushed forward by a higher power. This was the first song we wrote for the album. It is an exercise in repetition, improvisation, and variations on a theme. At the time, it was the longest song we had ever written, and it was quickly dwarfed by even bigger pieces.
5. FROZEN LIMBS
Martin Hartwell was a bush pilot in the Canadian Arctic. In 1972, his plane crashed. After 31 days, he was found alive, but only after having consumed the flesh of a passenger who didn’t make it. This track is one of the most intricate compositions on the record. It builds to perhaps the heaviest moment in our discography.
6. GEARTH
A moment of peace. Mostly improvised, relaxed, and completely instrumental.
7. ASTRAY
The song is about Sarnia’s “Chemical Valley” and the consequences of unchecked industrial pollution. Musically, Astray establishes its core rhythms and grows naturally with improvisation and variations on its themes.
8. BLISS
Our biggest arrangement to date. Ultimate encapsulation of everything we were trying to do as musicians on this record, as well as finally reaching the sound we’ve been hunting for all these years.
9. GOLDEN
Finally wrote a song about the sun exploding. Ultimate ecological destruction.
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Fun Facts – Story Angles:
1. In one of our last music videos, we filmed a very bloody and very gory murder in a shower stall with a hockey skate. Lots of fake blood, ground beef, and guts everywhere. Fake scalp covered in blood. Real horror show. We kept filming as long as nobody was around and only started cleaning the guts when we heard a bunch of kids lining up to use the change room at the local arena where we were filming.
2. At our last release show in St Catharines, I met two very young kids in the front row right before we were about to start. They were pretty pumped for the show and I told them to wear some earplugs cause this was gonna be insanely loud. Myself and Andrew both brought double the cabs we usually bring, we were absolutely deafening up there.
After the show I meet the kids again, thank them for coming out, they seemed pretty bewildered but absolutely into it. I ask them if they wore earplugs, and I don’t think either of them did. One kid asks me “when does it stop?” I think that little dudes ears were ringing like crazy. What an icon.
L-R – Andrew Blackborow (Guitar, Vocals), Joe Zandwyk (Drums, Vocals), Sebastian Hogg (Keyboards)
Photo Credit by Luka Kartveli
Formed in the parking lot of Princess Auto, Ivy Gardens’ journey began with a mutual love for covering Rush instrumentals and an obsession with heavy, sludge-infused sound. From those humble beginnings, the band’s unique chemistry and vision have led to the creation of their most ambitious and thematically focused album yet.
“Death of Don Valley” is a concept album, exploring the themes of death, decay, and the unstoppable erosion of life and the environment. The concept is rooted in the history of the Don Valley River, a once-thriving waterway now plagued by pollution and degradation. The album’s artwork reflects this with the haunting image of a corpse between the banks of the flooded river, anthropomorphizing the water itself as it becomes a symbol of death and decay.
The material on “Death of Don Valley” was designed to be heard live, with massive stacks of amplifiers and a commitment to delivering the music in all its raw, unfiltered glory. It marks a bold new direction for Ivy Gardens; the band has no plans of slowing down. Their dedication to the project is evident in every note they play and every lyric they write as they continue to push musical boundaries and explore new sonic territories. Lyrically, the record draws from a mix of historical events, such as the tragic story of Canadian bush pilot Martin Hartwell, and fictional narratives, creating a dark and gripping atmosphere. The songs explore everything from violence, death, and survival to environmental destruction and existential dread. As the band explains:
“Death of Don Valley is the natural progression of their sound, with more complexity and a deliberate thematic structure. Musically, it marks a shift in Ivy Gardens’ approach. This album is darker, more experimental, and more intricate than our previous work on 2024’s Goon. While Goon carried a more positive, energetic vibe, this LP is more about confronting the darker aspects of life, and it reflects a deeper exploration into musical and thematic complexity.”
Ivy Gardens’ influences are vast, ranging from progressive icons like Rush, Yes, and King Crimson to sludge pioneers like EYEHATEGOD and Iron Monkey. Their sound blends elements of stoner metal, sludge, math rock, and progressive rock, creating an unpredictable listening experience that takes the listener through a series of emotional and sonic landscapes.
Fans of Ivy Gardens can expect an intense live performance soon, as the band does plan to tour in support of the new album this coming September. Stay tuned for dates to be announced, and Ivy Gardens are bringing their thunderous sound to stages nationwide. Expect a live show that will test the limits of your ears and your emotions.
“Death of Don Valley” (out August 29th) is available for pre-order at https://ivygardens.bandcamp.com/
2022 – Ivy Gardens – EP
2022 – Walk Like an Egyptian (single)
2024 – Goon – LP
2025 – Death of Don Valley – LP
Tours and Festivals:
2024 – NXNE – Toronto, ON
2025 – Rhune Mountain Festival, Dunnville, ON
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