Illyrian

Spawned forth from chasmic depths and armed with sonic weaponry, Canada’s ILLYRIAN bring the pain with crushing rhythms, ravaging lead work, and a shield wall of devastating vocals. Forged in the smoldering embers of a thrash and death metal crucible, the group have honed their blades into a singular weapon of ruinous destruction which it wields to carve a path of its own through the modern metal battlefield. Fans can expect an energizing and invigorating performance that masterfully walks the line between virtuoso caliber musicianship and blood-pumpin’, mosh-pittin’ riffage you can’t help but bang your head to.

Jeff Perry – Bass, Vocals

Formed in late 2011 under the name Hellborn Death Engines in Calgary, Alberta, founders Scott Onofrychuk and Brandon McNeil set to work on what would become their debut offering, 2014’s Welcome to the Hellmouth. Written and recorded with bassist Shaun Paulson and drummer Brandon Morrison, Hellborn began carving out a name for themselves in the Calgary metal scene, laying the foundation for an evolution into something further.

In early 2015, Paulson and Morrison exited the band and were replaced by scene cohorts, Jeff Perry and Darren May. The change in rhythm section marked a shift in creative direction and process, and prompted the unit to take on a new name – Illyrian.

With the majority of a new record already written, the group found their footing quickly and were able to continue the momentum Hellborn had sparked. 2016 saw the release of the band’s next offering, and the first under their new name – Round 2: Fight!

Darren May – Drums

Commencing on a multi-week Western Canadian tour shortly after the album’s release, Illyrian found traction with new audiences and garnered a reputation for themselves outside of their home town. The group continued to be active in the Western Canadian scene in the years following, playing several festivals in addition to frequent appearances both home and away.

In late 2018, McNeil departed the band. After his departure, the group shifted gears with Onofrychuk covering both guitar parts, and with Perry stepping in to fill vocal and lyric duties. Adventuring out from their prototypical thrash metal roots while embracing the energy and drive from the genre, their sound further evolved into a more focused and precise vision, injecting elements of death metal and less conventional textures such as world percussion and traditional folk instruments into their music.

2019 marked the release of Illyrian’s sophomore recording, The Entity, Unknown. Recorded and released as a three-piece, the album solidified the band’s approach to the metal genre, blending elements of death and thrash metal with technical and melodic composition. Entity also debuted Perry in a more prominent vocal role, with May and Onofrychuk pushing for a more complex and engaging approach to the album’s musicality and song writing.