NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – March 20, 2024
PHAETON Announces First Shows (BC, AB) In Nearly Five Years In Support of Latest Album “Between Two Worlds”
L-R – Colin Righton – Drums & Percussion, Daniel Airth – Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Kevin Thiessen – Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Keyboards, Ferdy Belland – Electric & Fretless Bass
Photo by Julian Bueckert
Phaeton has been a noticeable force in the underground Canadian progressive metal scene since their debut self-titled album in 2018. The band has amassed a dedicated following for their instrumental attention-focused listening experience. One drenched in joy and wonder and the emotional, visceral release that only prog-metal can deliver. The lack of lyrical interference only allows the listener the better opportunity to let their imaginations run wild with the music, drifting emotionally away on the solar winds to wherever they wish to soar. Their second album “Between Two Worlds” was released in April 2023 and now they are ready to bring it to a live atmosphere with their first two shows since October 2019.
Phaeton‘s first show date will be on March 29th in Fernie, BC at the Fernie Elks Hall with Vancouver’s SVNEATR and Boise ID’s WEALD & WOE along with their other live performance on April 12th as a special guest opener for the Calgary Wacken Battle Final at Dickens.
Phaeton bassist Ferdy Belland adds about their upcoming performances:
“It’s beyond exciting for us to be playing live onstage for the first time since before the pandemic. We had the Between Two Worlds album completed, mixed, mastered, and ready for release, and what do you know – that was the first week of March 2020. Great timing or what? The whole wide world shut down the following week, and we had to wait, and wait, and wait, like everybody else did. And then, when the pandemic restrictions were gradually stumbling away, and we were all frothing at the mouth to get back to the abnormal we used to know, Colin got sick. There was no frustration over that – fuck the band, that was our friend who almost died. But he pulled through and got back into fighting shape again, and then we began to think of ourselves as a band again. So we released the album and watched in curiosity as the world tried to make sense of us if they could. Quite a few did, and they really got off on Between Two Worlds, which was so very gladdening for us. The positive reviews we received made the wait worth it. So now we had to remember what it was like to be a live act again. Our last live show was at Vern’s Pub in Calgary back in October of 2019, playing with Atavistia and Syryn. We only had maybe half a dozen shows under our belt when that gig happened, since we started off as a composing and recording project; after the first album was released we immediately started receiving requests to play live, so finally we just shrugged our shoulders and said ‘okay, let’s rehearse these things. And from our first show, we were always very well-received by excitable audiences. Not that I think we’re astonishing, but that certainly propelled us to seek out more shows. And then the pandemic erupted while we were making other plans. I suppose all good things come to those who wait. Looking so forward to getting back onstage, and staying onstage for a while. See you soon!”
Event details for both events can be found below.
March 29 – Fernie, BC – Fernie Elks Hall – info here.
April 12 – Calgary, AB – Dickens – info here.
The members of Phaeton are fascinated with astronomy, and the idea of life itself, in all its beauty and wonder and majesty, emerging from an instant of catastrophic cosmic violence intrigued us conceptually. This is reflected in their dramatic music which emerges from the void in thrilling bursts and unexpected turns.
“Between Two Worlds” was released on April 21st, 2023, and is available at Phaetonband.bandcamp.com, Spotify.
Band Playthrough – Monsoon – https://youtu.be/-sRzrejyHuA
Band Playthrough – Australis – https://youtu.be/xkrHkmmY6xM
Track Listing:
1. Predestination – 4:57
2. Oceans of Time – 6:44
3. Terra Australis – 4:42
4. Monsoon – 6:06
5. Refraction – 4:48
6. Geomorphic – 4:51
7. Magma Chamber – 6:09
8. Between Two Worlds – 9:21
Album Length: 47:40
For more info: Facebook.com/Phaetonband | Instagram.com/phaetonband | Twitter.com/phaetonband
About: PHAETON was formed in Kimberley, BC in March 2017 by Kevin Thiessen (lead & rhythm guitar), Daniel Airth (lead & rhythm guitar), Colin Righton (drums & percussion), and Ferdy Belland (electric & fretless bass). Combining technically ferocious compositions of modern metal with the ambitious song-arrangement mindset of classic prog-rock, PHAETON (named for the theoretical proto-planet that collided with Ancient Earth during the Primordial Era) stands alone in the wilderness of British Columbia with their unique approach to instrumental prog-metal.
Phaeton is:
Kevin Thiessen – Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Keyboards
Daniel Airth – Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Ferdy Belland – Electric & Fretless Bass
Colin Righton – Drums & Percussion
Discography
2018 – Self Titled – LP
2023 – Between Two Worlds – LP
– 30 –
“An instrumental quartet from Kimberley, British Columbia, Phaeton are skillfully blurring the boundaries between old- and new-school prog metal. Their second album, Between Two Worlds, covers a vast amount of ground, from intricate post-djent riffing, to indulgent prog pomp, and no single outstays its welcome. The nine-minute title track is a particularly impressive display of showboating and smart songwriting.” – Prog Mag – Dom Lawson
It’s Prog Mag’s brand new Tracks Of The Week! (April 21, 2023) – “Hailing from Columbia, Canada’s Phaeton are an interplanetary instrumental heavy prog metal quartet and as their name suggests, they are fascinated with astronomy, and the idea of life itself, in all its beauty and wonder and majesty, emerging from an instant of catastrophic cosmic violence. The epic Between Two Worlds is the title track of the band’s latest album.”
“Phaeton are relatively unknown, especially compared to the above mentioned bands (scale The Summit, Animals as Leaders), but they definitely hold their own on Between Two Worlds. All members absolutely kill it on their instruments, the songs are wonderfully arranged and produced, and there’s plenty of variety here to hold our attention. Instrumental prog might be a little talked about genre, but Phaeton belong in the conversation.” – Heavy Music Headquarters
““Between Two Worlds,’ the song, is the magnum opus of Phaeton: a progressive instrumental metal rollercoaster, almost second to none. This impressive track is filled with power chords galore, outstanding melodies, neck breaking riffs, almost inimitable solos and lots of tempo changes and variety; in other words, you never get bored here, even as the song clocks in over the nine minutes mark!” – Rock United
“…a killer album indeed, wonderfully arranged and produced; a superb prog metal opus where the music almost makes you dizzy, but most of all longing for more indeed. “Between Two Worlds” to me is one of the absolute highlights of this year, a unique twist and rollercoaster of progressive, instrumental metal, highly recommended indeed: especially suitable for fans of Rush, Dream Theater and Liquid Tension Experiment. Play it LOUD and you will be hooked, listening tip: “Monsoon.”” – Rock United
“All metal influences flow into the respective songs and riffs and power chords are widely spread. The sound of the opener “Predestination” is very reminiscent of GHOST.” – Hellfire Magazin
“”Between Two World” was very competently arranged and recorded by PHAETON. Prog fans, who like sounds and virtuosity above all, will be well served with the disc.” – PowerMetal.de
“PHAETON releases an instrumental album in which the voice is not lacking; a nervous, boosted opus where the frank and limpid musicality makes you dizzy, where the notes invite you to travel in space to another dimension, where harmony is combined with controlled djent power; innovative music, on modern math metal-prog.” – Profil Prog
“If you’re open minded in your choice of Metal genres, you should feel free to let this instrumental work slip through your ears. It takes a little getting used to, so completely without singing. But if you get involved and listen carefully, one or the other will surely like something. The whole thing should appeal to fans of RUSH or DREAM THEATER.” – Hellfire Magazine
“Top-tier instrumental prog-metal-math music from the East Kootenay region performed by a quartet of veteran musicians.” – Stuart Derdeyn (The Vancouver Sun)
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