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Category: The Judge The Juror

0 Out Now! Canada’s THE JUDGE THE JUROR Unleashes Genre-Bending PsyDeathTechProg EP “Primitive Minds” + Video “Your Vice is a Locked Door”

  • November 7, 2025
  • by Asher
  • · Music News · The Judge The Juror

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – November 7, 2025

Out Now! Canada’s THE JUDGE THE JUROR Unleashes Genre-Bending PsyDeathTechProg EP “Primitive Minds”

L-R: Blaise Marsh (Guitar), David Frontenac (Vocals / Synth), Scotty Oakes (Guitar), Nick Burpee (Drums), Merrick Fenton (Bass)

Photo Credit – Agnes Benson

Western Canada’s most electrifying metal experimenters, The Judge The Juror, have officially dropped their new EP, “Primitive Minds”, out today, November 7th, 2025. Alongside the release, the band has unveiled a crushing new music video for the opening track “Your Vice is a Locked Door”, offering fans a visual descent into their self-coined genre: PSYDEATHTECHPROG, a fusion of psychedelic, progressive, technical death metal that defies categorization and redefines sonic boundaries. The band invented the term PSYDEATHTECHPROG as both a descriptor and a tongue-in-cheek jab at metal’s obsession with micro-genres.

Watch the music video at https://youtu.be/wQKwsb62qHA

​
​“Primitive Minds” explores the paradox of modern humanity: how our ancient instincts clash with the hyper-digital world we inhabit. The EP’s three tracks, “Your Vice is a Locked Door,” “Helciconian Optivisior,” and “HYPERCUBE (Unfolding),” each dissect a different facet of this existential tension, from algorithmic manipulation to emotional fragmentation.
​
​“Your Vice is a Locked Door” delivers a punishing critique of social media’s commodification of identity. “Helciconian Optivisior” offers a mesmerizing sonic assault, reflecting the struggle to connect beyond distorted lenses, while “HYPERCUBE (Unfolding)” ventures into cosmic tech-death territory, exploring internal battles and societal exploitation.
​
The EP artwork, created by guitarist Scotty Oakes, is a painted psychedelic interpretation of the human mind, visually complementing the band’s cerebral themes.
​
Formed in Edmonton, AB by members of local acts Vespertine Battle Scene and Driven to Exile, The Judge The Juror consists of David (vocals/synth), Blaise (guitar), Scotty (guitar), Merrick (bass), and Nick (drums). Their collaborative writing process blends brutal riffage, experimental synths, and progressive structures into a sound that’s as weird as it is exhilarating.
​
Fans can expect two more EPs, “Medieval Institutions” (Early 2026) and “Godlike Technologies” (Mid-2026), completing the trilogy that chronicles the downfall of the human condition.
​
Influenced by genre giants like Meshuggah, Cynic, Between the Buried and Me, and VOLA, the band has carved out a niche for fans of Born of Osiris, The Browning, and Enter Shikari.

“Primitive Minds” is available now on all major platforms – https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thejudgethejuror/primitive-minds

​

Official Tour Footage Video – “Heliconian Optivisor” – https://youtu.be/zlqCXxESTlY

​

In additional news, The Judge The Juror will be unveiling “Primitive Minds” and more at their local EP Release show in Edmonton, AB on November 7th at Bunkers Live Pub (615 Hermitage RD NW) alongside Shackled To The Throne, Valley Of Despair, and Decrepitation. Event Info – https://www.facebook.com/events/1183563156934083/​

Track Listing:​
1. Your Vice is a Locked Door – (4:36)
2. Heliconian Optivisor – (3:40)
3. HYPERCUBE (Unfolding) – (2:59)
EP Length: 11:16

EP Recording Credits:​
• All songs written, performed, and produced by: The Judge The Juror
• Mixed and Mastered by: Alpha Core Studios
• EP Artwork by: Scotty Oakes
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
​
​EP and Live Band Line Up:​
Scotty Oakes – Guitar
David Frontenac – Vocals / Synth
Merrick Fenton – Bass
Nick Burpee – Drums
Blaise Marsh – Guitar

​
​More info: https://linktr.ee/thejudgethejurorofficial​

About:

Formed from the ashes of previous projects, The Judge The Juror (TJTJ) is a collaborative powerhouse born out of Edmonton’s vibrant metal scene. With members Scotty, Merrick, Nick, and David—formerly of Driven to Exile and Vespertine Battle Scene—the band draws from a wide spectrum of influences including Meshuggah, Cynic, Dance Gavin Dance, and VOLA to forge a genre entirely their own: PSYDEATHTECHPROG.
​
Amidst the vast landscape of tedious and semantic metal subgenres, TJTJ emerges to carve out a bold new niche. Their sound—described in five words as Psychedelic Progressive Techdeath—combines technical riffage, intricate drum grooves, and experimental synthesis to dazzle the mind. Their writing process is deeply collaborative, often sparked by singular musical ideas and built layer by layer into sonic journeys that challenge and captivate.
​
With a blistering high-energy live presence and a fearless commitment to pushing boundaries, The Judge The Juror is rapidly solidifying their place as one of Western Canada’s most innovative metal experimenters.

-30-

​

—
ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 EPK – The Judge The Juror – Primitive Minds (2025)

  • October 28, 2025
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · The Judge The Juror

EPK – The Judge The Juror – Primitive Minds (2025)

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

“We hope fans will be blown away by the way we’re taking our PSYDEATHTECHPROG to whole new places. Primitive Minds represent to us the fully realized version of our sound. A journey into a new soundscape in techdeath, the experience of finding a brand new and super unique sound, and the joy it brings.” – The Judge The Juror

For fans of Between the Buried and Me, Born of Osiris, Meshuggah, The Browning, Enter Shikari

Band: The Judge, The Juror
EP Title: Primitive Minds
Release Date: November 7, 2025
Label: Self-Release
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Genre: PsyDeathTechProg

Thejudgethejuror.com | Facebook.com/thejudgethejuror | Instagram.com/thejudgethejurorofficial | Thejudgethejuror.bandcamp.com

Spotify – https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thejudgethejuror/heliconian-optivisor

[Download EP Cover | Download EP Lyrics]

 

Band: The Judge, The Juror
EP Title: Primitive Minds
Release Date: November 7, 2025
Label: Self-Release
Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada
Genre: PsyDeathTechProg
Track Listing:
1. Your Vice is a Locked Door – (4:36)
2. Heliconian Optivisor – (3:40)
3. HYPERCUBE (Unfolding) – (2:59)
EP Length: 11:16
EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: The Judge The Juror
• All songs written by: The Judge The Juror
• Produced by: The Judge The Juror
• Mixed by: Alpha Core Studios
• Mastered by: Alpha Core Studios
• EP Artwork by: Scotty Oakes
• Canadian Content (MAPL)

EP and Live Band Line Up:
Scotty Oakes – Guitar
David Frontenac – Vocals / Synth
Merrick Fenton – Bass
Nick Burpee – Drums
Blaise Marsh – Guitar

=========================================================

About The EP Artwork:

A painted psychedelic interpretation of the human mind.

About The EP:

This EP is conceptual around the idea of how we as humans are cursed with having a primitive mind in a modern world, and the dichotomy of this reality.

Track by Track:

1. “Your Vice is a Locked Door” – punishing and unrelenting musically, a reflection of what the algorithmic social media landscape is doing to our humanity. Commoditizing us while dividing us and sublimating our base instincts.

2. “Helciconian Optivisior” – the song creates a mesmerizing, fast-paced assault of sonic force, helping to underpin the lyrical. The idea of being trapped behind viewing the world through red lenses, while trying to break through to some sense of true human connection.

3. “HYPERCUBE (Unfolding)” – jarring yet entrancing, techy-death that feels like it might have come from outer space. An exploration of human emotion and how it doesn’t always work in our best interests. Reflecting the internal battles we have within us that create a mental push and pull, which is being exploited by the “powers-that-be” of our society.

===========================================

FUN FACTS:

1. We made up a genre (PSYDEATHTECHPROG) to be both descriptive of our unique sound, and a tongue-in-cheek joke about how niche metal has become (“it’s not death metal, it’s blackened tech sludge!” 🡨 We’ve all heard something like this, lol).

2. Merrick has been playing bagpipes with a Scottish Highlands band since the age of 5, and we plan to have a bagpipe feature on our next EP.

3. We’re going on our second-ever tour starting Aug 21, 2025, with The Hallowed Catharsis and Plague Doctor, and we plan to be on the road even more in 2026.

4. David introduced the synth element to the band in late 2023, and it has now become part of our signature sound. He always comes up with unique/weird synth tones because he is equally weird.

5. One time, while on the road with our friends Kelevra, we found out their guitarist, Brett, was feeling under the weather, so we went to the local pharmacy, made him a care package, and presented it to him at the next venue. This was all video documented and can be viewed on our social media.

L-R: Blaise Marsh (Guitar), David Frontenac (Vocals / Synth), Scotty Oakes (Guitar), Nick Burpee (Drums), Merrick Fenton (Bass)

Photo Credit – Agnes Benson

Amidst the vast landscape of tedious and semantic metal subgenres, The Judge The Juror emerges to carve out the latest niche: PSYDEATHTECHPROG.

Combining technical metal riffage, intricate drum grooves, and experimental synthesis elements to dazzle the mind, along with a blistering high-energy live presence, The Judge The Juror is making moves to solidify themselves as a leader in Western Canadian Metal experimenters.

Discography:
2025 – Primitive Minds – EP
2024 – Harmony in Discord – EP

Shared Stage with: Alleageon, Art of Attrition, Beguiler, Into Enternity, Kelevra, Opal in Sky, Forsaken Rite, Age of Ashes, Our Last Crusade, Victoria Lies, Floodgate, Supermodel Taxidermy

Tours and Festivals:
2025 (Upcoming Aug 21) – Insanity in the Interior Tour w/ The Hallowed Catharsis and Plague Doctor
2025 – Alternative Waves Music Festival – Medicine Hat, AB
2024 – Party in the Park – Ft McMurray, AB
2024 – May Long Mini Tour – Edmonton, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Calgary

0 Canadian PsyDeathTechProg THE JUDGE THE JUROR’s New Single “Heliconian Optivisor” Is Metal Alchemy At Its Finest + New EP “Primitive Minds” Out Fall 2025

  • August 15, 2025
  • by Asher
  • · Music News · The Judge The Juror

NEWS RELEASE

Montreal, QC – August 15, 2025

Canadian PsyDeathTechProg THE JUDGE THE JUROR’s New Single “Heliconian Optivisor” Is Metal Alchemy At Its Finest

New EP “Primitive Minds” Out Fall 2025

L-R – Scotty Oakes (Guitar), David W Frontenac (Vocals/Synth/Programming), Nick Burpee (Drums), Merrick Fenton (bass)

Photo by Agnes Benson

Edmonton, Canada’s most electrifying new metal force, The Judge The Juror (TJTJ), has dropped their blistering new single, “Heliconian Optivisor,” the first taste of their upcoming conceptual EP, “Primitive Minds,” set to release on November 7th, 2025. This marks the beginning of an ambitious trilogy of EPs that will unfold over the next eight months, each exploring the collapse of the human condition through the band’s self-forged genre: PSYDEATHTECHPROG.
​
A mesmerizing, fast-paced assault of sonic force, “Heliconian Optivisor” dives deep into the psychological tension of viewing the world through distorted lenses, red flags we fail to see until it’s too late. The track blends blistering tech-death precision with psychedelic synths and progressive structures, reflecting the band’s desire to find authentic community without compromising identity.

“What happens when you realize that you may have been viewing parts of your life through a lens you didn’t create? This song speaks of our human desire to find community and belonging that doesn’t come at the cost of selling our souls to fit in. This sentiment has been an ongoing discussion for the band members, as we try to carve a new, unique, and niche sound. We don’t always know where we fit into the metal scene, but we know we want to be authentic and stay true to what we believe without compromising. This balancing creates a push and pull of emotions that the musical structure of the song builds on,” says David W Frontenac (Vocals/Synth/Programming).​
​
Listen to “Heliconian Optivisor”:

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C2WhOCsDXM

​Add to your Spotify Playlist – https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thejudgethejuror/heliconian-optivisor

​

The first of three conceptually linked EPs, “Primitive Minds” explores the paradox of modern humans trapped in ancient mental frameworks. Lyrically and musically, it’s a psychedelic futurist journey, equal parts brutal and introspective. TJTJ‘s release plans for the EPs will be November 7th, 2025, “Primitive Minds”, early 2026 “Medieval Institutions”, and mid-2026 “Godlike Technologies”. Each release will build on the last, culminating in a sweeping narrative about societal collapse, technological alienation, and the search for meaning.
​
​More info: https://linktr.ee/thejudgethejurorofficial​

About: Formed from the ashes of previous projects, The Judge The Juror (TJTJ) is a collaborative powerhouse born out of Edmonton’s vibrant metal scene. With members Scotty, Merrick, Nick, and David—formerly of Driven to Exile and Vespertine Battle Scene—the band draws from a wide spectrum of influences including Meshuggah, Cynic, Dance Gavin Dance, and VOLA to forge a genre entirely their own: PSYDEATHTECHPROG.
​
Amidst the vast landscape of tedious and semantic metal subgenres, TJTJ emerges to carve out a bold new niche. Their sound—described in five words as Psychedelic Progressive Techdeath—combines technical riffage, intricate drum grooves, and experimental synthesis to dazzle the mind. Their writing process is deeply collaborative, often sparked by singular musical ideas and built layer by layer into sonic journeys that challenge and captivate.
​
With a blistering high-energy live presence and a fearless commitment to pushing boundaries, The Judge The Juror is rapidly solidifying their place as one of Western Canada’s most innovative metal experimenters.

The Judge The Juror Lineup:
David W Frontenac – Vocals / Synth / Programming
Scotty Oakes – Guitar
Merrick Fenton – Bass
Nick Burpee – Drums

-30-

​

—
ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia

0 EPK – The Judge The Juror – Heliconian Optivisor (single) (2025) Off Upcoming EP “Primitive Minds”

  • August 14, 2025
  • by Asher
  • · EPKs · The Judge The Juror

EPK – The Judge The Juror – Heliconian Optivisor (single) (2025) Off Upcoming EP “Primitive Minds”

Publicist – Jon Asher – jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com

“What happens when you realize that you may have been viewing parts of your life through a lens you didn’t create? This song speaks of our human desire to find community and belonging that doesn’t come at the cost of selling our souls to fit in. This sentiment has been an ongoing discussion for the band members, as we try to carve a new unique and niche sound. We don’t always know where we fit into the metal scene, but we know we want to be authentic and stay true to what we believe without compromising. This balancing creates a push and pull of emotions that the musical structure of the song builds on.” – The Judge The Juror

For fans of Between the Buried and Me, Born of Osiris, Meshuggah, The Browning, Enter Shikari

Thejudgethejuror.com | Facebook.com/thejudgethejuror | Instagram.com/thejudgethejurorofficial

Spotify – https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thejudgethejuror/heliconian-optivisor

Tour Dates – The Judge The Juror w/ **The Hallowed Catharsis & Plague Doctor
Aug 21 – Kelowna, BC – Jackknife Brewing**
Aug 22 – Kamloops, BC – Bridgeview Theatre** (UGEFEST)
Aug 23 – Salmon Arm, BC – Solid Urban Studios**
Aug 24 – Abbotsford, BC – Heavy Metal BBQ**
Sept 13 – Red Deer, AB – The Vat

Band: The Judge, The Juror
Single Title: Heliconian Optivisor
Single Length: 3:40
Release Date: August 15, 2025
Label: Self-Release

Single Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by: The Judge The Juror
• All songs written by: The Judge The Juror
• Produced by: The Judge The Juror, SL2 Productions
• Mixed by: Alpha Core Studios
• Mastered by: Alpha Core Studios
• Album Artwork by: Agnes Benson
• Canadian Content (MAPL)

Band Lineup:
David W Frontenac – Vocals / Synth / Programming
Scotty Oakes – Guitar
Merrick Fenton – Bass
Nick Burpee – Drums

=========================================================

About The Single Artwork:

A psychedelic futurist looks at the human mind.

About The Single:

“Heliconian Optivisor” – the song creates a mesmerizing, fast-paced assault of sonic force, helping to underpin the lyrical idea of being trapped behind viewing the world through red lenses, while trying to break through to some sense of true human connection.

===========================================

FUN FACTS:

1. We made up a genre (PSYDEATHTECHPROG) to be both descriptive of our unique sound, and a tongue-in-cheek joke about how niche metal has become (“it’s not death metal, it’s blackened tech sludge!” 🡨 we’ve all heard something like this, lol)

2. Merrick has been playing bagpipes with a Scottish Highlands band since the age of 5, and we plan to have a bagpipe feature on our next EP

2. We’re going on our second-ever tour starting Aug 21, 2025, with The Hallowed Catharsis and Plague Doctor, and we plan to be on the road even more in 2026

3. David introduced the synth element to the band in late 2023, and it has now become part of our signature sound. He always comes up with unique/weird synth tones because he is equally weird.

4. One time while on the road with our friends Kelevra, we found out their guitarist, Brett, was feeling under the weather, so we went to the local pharmacy, made him a care packag,e and presented it to him at the next venue. This was all video documented and can be viewed on our social media.

L-R – Scotty Oakes (Guitar), David W Frontenac (Vocals/Synth/Programming), Nick Burpee (Drums), Merrick Fenton (bass)

Photo by Agnes Benson

Amidst the vast landscape of tedious and semantic metal subgenres, 

The Judge The Juror  emerges to carve out the latest niche: PSYDEATHTECHPROG

Combining technical metal riffage, intricate drum grooves, and experimental synthesis elements to dazzle the mind, along with a blistering high-energy live presence, The Judge The Juror is making moves to solidify themselves as a leader in Western Canadian Metal experimenters.

Discography:
2025 – Heliconian Optivisor – Single
2024 – Harmony in Discord – EP

Shared Stage with: Alleageon, Art of Attrition, Beguiler, Into Enternity, Kelevra, Opal in Sky, Forsaken Rite, Age of Ashes, Our Last Crusade, Victoria Lies, Floodgate, Supermodel Taxidermy

Tours and Festivals:
2025 (Upcoming Aug 21) – Insanity in the Interior Tour w/ The Hallowed Catharsis and Plague Doctor
2025 – Alternative Waves Music Festival – Medicine Hat, AB
2024 – Party in the Park – Ft McMurray, AB
2024 – May Long Mini Tour – Edmonton, Prince Albert, Saskatoon, Calgary

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