EPK – Maitreya – Hyper Reels (2021)
Publicist – Jon Asher – asher[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
For fans of The Contortionist, Between the Buried and Me, Protest the Hero, Periphery
Album Title: Hyper Reels
Release Date: June 25, 2021
Label: Self-Release
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“Their musical abilities were astounding, and I believe they could have been each individually the most technically capable with their instruments of those performing that night.” – Metal Master Kingdom
“Lead-heavy, yet at the same time musically complex, Maitreya’s music is sonic baptism, taking the listener from the fire pits to the icy peaks. The band’s self-titled album weaves an intricate melodic narrative, where both headbanging metal-heavy riffs and reflective vocal lines co-exist in the vortex of sonic alchemy, presented to the listener in its raw, unfiltered elemental form.” – Dentata Music
BAND STORY ANGLES / FUN FACTS
1. The band met their vocalist at a chance encounter at a grocery store because of an Intervals band t-shirt. The group existed as an instrumental project for a couple of years prior to rebranding with the addition of vocals. Guitarist Matt McCabe & Drummer Steve McMillan went out to grab some groceries when vocalist Matt Cutrara stirred up some conversation over a band t-shirt they were wearing. Not long after Matt came out to a rehearsal and the rest is history
2. All the songs on Hyper Reels are the original demo titles. After so long of calling them by those titles they just stuck.
3. In the early years, the band learned approximately 100 cover songs to take gigs as a cover band. The process of learning rock & metal hit songs helped teach the band valuable lessons in crafting songs.
4. The rhythm section of the band all went to the same high school. The band started in 2011 as an instrumental project. The project went on hiatus while Mark was studying music abroad. The band formed as Maitreya with the addition of vocalist Matt Cutrara in 2016.
5. 2 weeks prior to the band performing at the first round of Toronto’s Wacken Metal Battle, guitarist Mark Wylie underwent surgery for oral cancer.
Download Album Cover | Download Album Lyrics
Album Title: Hyper Reels
Release Date: June 25, 2021
Label: Self-Release
Track Listing:
1. Catalyst (7:23)
2. Departed (6:04)
3. Radical (5:31)
4. Summit (4:31)
5. Invaders (6:18)
6. Bloom (4:26)
7. Pilgrim (4:44)
8. Flesh Engine (4:31)
9. Hyper Reels (0:57)
10. Iswara (4:27)
Album Length: 48:56
Album Credits:
• All songs performed by: Maitreya
• All songs written by: Maitreya
• Produced by: Maitreya
• Mixed by: Zane Hawley
• Mastered by: Phillip Self
• Album Artwork by: Justin Totemical
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
Album and Live Band Line Up:
Matt McCabe – Guitar
Steve McMillan – Drums
Matt Cutrara – Vocals
Lyam Morrison – Bass
Mark Wylie – Guitar
About The Album:
Hyper Reels is a collection of dialogues exploring parallels between human consciousness and technological advancement. The music peaks and valleys to the polarities of turbulent and serene emotions of the human psyche. Cues throughout the record reflect the integration of man and machine.
Track by track explained by the band:
1. Catalyst: Catalyst was the last song we wrote for the album and became an instant favourite. We believe it shows the full array of sounds in one song. Catalyst features signature Maitreya song devices like; riff-heavy sections, clean-ambient moments, big breakdowns, melodic lead passages, anthemic chorus vocals, a drum solo and progressive exploratory song structure. We wrote this song about Mark and his catalyzing role in bringing the band together, Mark’s dedication to the band in being able to organize various elements of writing, recording, and performance cannot be understated. In the same spirit, this is a song that has a very grateful and optimistic tone.
2. Departed: Departed keeps the energy high and is the most technically complex song on the record. Departed borrows some operatic influence and is one of the more progressive songs. The lyrical ideas stem from AI fiction such as Westworld, The Matrix, and Blade Runner, with themes of questioning consciousness and revelations about the nature of truth.
3. Radical: Radical is about a human who integrates his body and mind with technological upgrades, then regrets his decisions after the artificial intelligence takes control of his consciousness. Radical showcases our signature spin on the traditional metalcore sound. Utilizing the archetypal story of someone getting what they wish for in a more negative way than they had imagined, like a genie, or the Twilight Zone. This song has a more angry and oppressive tone to reflect the struggle of the character getting consumed by his own technological greed.
4. Summit: Summit is an exploration of the concept of spiritual value, and the way that giving time and attention to things gives them power. At times we give this power to things or concepts which do not add positivity to our lives but instead hollow and degrade our existence. Inspired by the novel American Gods by Neil Gaiman and the show of the same name. The song also touches on the themes of tradition versus postmodernism; Do we trust in the concrete past or look to the future, free from constraint?
5. Invaders: Invaders is a song questioning the place and impact of technology in our world. Do things that make life easier make us better as a whole society? Does the ability to distract ourselves from our lives with an ever-growing industry of media help us, or does it make the very things we’re distracted from grow and ultimately hinder our personal growth? Is there a way back to the way life was before, or are we stuck now with the culture of dissociation and distraction. The impact of technology has had is viscerally felt by the band, having been part of the last generation to grow up without it for the majority of childhood. No one on the planet can predict how technology will affect humanity as a whole, for the better or for the worse. Technology has been so useful in creating connection and intimacy, while also encouraging distraction and apathy. We name drop Black Mirror in this song as a snarky reference to the show that encompasses the more pessimistic side of this technological commentary.
6. Bloom: Dreams are something we all share, whether it’s a pleasant walk through a garden with a long lost friend, a surreal inversion of mundane life, or a horrific run in with an unknowable evil, we all have them at some time. As universal as dreams themselves is the wish to control these experiences. Bloom explores this idea, through the eyes of a dreamer who finds themselves tormented until they gain control. Inspired by the concept of lucid dreaming, and the imaginative power that dreams hold. Drowning in your own consciousness can be quite scary, and we try to capture some of that energy in a creative way.
7. Pilgrim: Pilgrim has one of the more broad scoped lyrics concepts in the album. It talks about social trends and the kind of philosophy which organizes our society. Our society is organized in a way that leads many to feel imprisoned and trapped within the social norms and systemic structures that exist. This song seeks to emulate both the feelings of imprisonment, as well as a more positive vision for our collective societal future.
8. Flesh Engine: The original inspiration for Flesh Engine came after seeing Meshuggah live while tripping on acid. The moshpit seemed to engulf the entire room, the band was like a mechanical engine that churned all the bodies into the room into a massive turbine. Flesh Engine is a big ol’ love letter to identity philosophy as well as a lil sprinkling of cartesian dualism. Commenting on how identity can be defined as the sum of one’s memories and experiences. The song also comments on how prevalent overthinking is and also representing negative thought spirals that are an unproductive waste of thought. The energy of the song feels frustrated, the frustration of figuring out one’s identity, as well as one’s own mind.
9. Hyper Reels: A manifesto compilation of seed messages from songs spanning our discography.
10. Iswara: Similar to Pilgrim, Iswara deals in a broad societal commentary. This time specifically reflecting on the culture of fear that exists and rules most of the world. At a time when capitalism and consumerism are dominant powers, our spiritual selves are left starving for genuine meaning and purpose. This song reflects the plight of the average soul, trying to live without fear, and focusing on the things we do have, rather than what is absent.
L-R: Matt McCabe (Guitar), Steve McMillan (Drums), Matt Cutrara (Vocals), Lyam Morrison (Bass), Mark Wylie (Guitar)
Photo Credit – Jon Butler
Maitreya (may-trey-ah)
Maitreya is a progressive-metalcore band located in Whitby, Ontario. Maitreya has been active in the Oshawa metal scene since 2016. In the early days, they took up residency at a local pub, and they have built a solid regional following through live performance. They are currently focused on expanding their reach online.
The self-titled debut album – released August 2017 – provided the band opportunities to reach new markets across the GTA with a well-received product that sold out in off-stage sales. Maitreya showcased at Kitchener Metalfest, Wacken Metal Battle Toronto, 5/4 Fest as well as supporting the successful challenge for the Guinness World Record for Longest Concert (Stouffville, 2017). The band has leveraged their voice on stage raising funds for Sick Kids Hospital, Grand River Regional Cancer Centre, and United Way Toronto.
Maitreya’s polished sound reflects the unitive chemistry and evolution of the group. With wall-of-sound, riff-heavy through-composed works, guitarists/songwriters Mark Wylie & Matt McCabe include textural and harmonic palettes to create a wide sonic soundscape in the genre. Bassist, Lyam Morrison, and drummer, Steve McMillan, carve out space for groove-centric drum and bass interplay deftly navigating metric modulations, tempo changes, and polyrhythmic maneuvers. New works feature a dramatic and theatrical approach to the delivery of Matt Cutrara’s vocal performance. The lore of futuristic/hyperreal themes in sci-fi TV shows like Black Mirror & Westworld shape thematic commentaries on the impact and aftereffects of technological integration with human consciousness.
Maitreya is a brotherhood; a collaborative expression of the human experience. The music acts as a mirror reflecting the dualistic states of nature contrasting loving, blissful, and uplifting vibrations and the dark, turbulent inertia of ones’ deepest fears. Maitreya doesn’t shy away from these emotions, instead uses them to catapult the music into expansive themes and new territories that expand the listener’s perspective of metal-genre boundaries.
Maitreya originates from Sanskrit, translating to future buddha. Through this bodhisattva character, the band anthropomorphizes metaphysical concepts, spirituality & mysticism, science fiction aspects, and entheogenic experiences present in their music.
Recording and production for the sophomore album, Hyper Reels, is currently in its completion stage and set for release in 2021.
Album and Live Band Line Up:
Matt McCabe – Guitar
Steve McMillan – Drums
Matt Cutrara – Vocals
Lyam Morrison – Bass
Mark Wylie – Guitar
Discography:
2017 – Self-Titled LP
2019 – Colonize – Single
2021 – Hyper Reels LP
Shared Stage with:
Arkona, Valfreya, Throne to the Wolves, Creatures, Vodnik, Atria, Raider, Lutharo, AEpoch, Vesperia, Sanguine Glacialis, Fallen Legion, The Divided Line, Devouring Saturn, Pillars of Autumn, The Frame Defect, Mount Abora, The Dead Centuries, Pantomime, Bodhi Jar, Kraign, Kavara, Decatur, Kohlit, Adversus, Please Stand By, God Helmet, Rolodex Darko, Kozen, Sixteen Loko, The Animist, Telomere, Her Majesty the King, and more
Tour and Festivals:
2017 – 5/4 fest – Toronto, ON
2018 – Wacken Metal Battle – Toronto, ON
2018 – Kitchener Metalfest – Kitchener, ON
