PYRES: Canadian Sludge/Hardcore Outfit To Release Long-Awaited YUN Full-Length March 7th Via Hypaethral Records; New Video/Single Now Playing + Preorders Available

Photo by Sam Carcasole

Canadian sludge/hardcore outfit PYRES will unleash their second full-length, YUN, on March 7th via Hypaethral Records. The record marks the bandâs first new output in over a decade and serves as the followup to their critically lauded Year Of Sleep debut.

Formed in 2010, PYRES began as the three-piece collaboration of Andrew Wilson, Devin Lamere, and Matt Sloetjes. Driven by a shared passion for uniting the crushing tonality of sludge and doom with the ferocity of hardcore punk, the band spent their first year shaping a sound built around drop B tunings and relentless experimentation.

As Wilsonâs songwriting evolved, harmonized, melodic guitar riffs increasingly became a hallmark of PYRES, prompting the addition of longtime friend and guitarist Marc Delparte. His influence helped expand the band’s dynamic range, contributing dual guitar harmonies reminiscent of Thin Lizzy while introducing progressive structures. By the time of their first Toronto show in 2011, PYRES had distilled their efforts into six powerful tracks that would form the core of their debut LP, Year Of Sleep.

Recorded with Greg Dawson at BWC Studios and mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side, Year Of Sleep was released in July 2013 to widespread acclaim. Hailed as a ânear-perfect debut,â the album earned praise from Decibel, NPR, PopMatters, Terrorizer, Rock-A-Rolla, Ghost Cult Mag, and Hellbound.ca. Critics lauded its potent fusion of High On Fireâs weight, Crowbarâs crushing intensity, and the melodic progression of Mastodon and Baroness.

However, tragedy struck shortly before the albumâs release. In April 2013, Wilsonâs sister was lost to a murder-suicide. His father passed away quietly, precisely one year later. The band continued to perform, but the momentum behind Year Of Sleep stalled under the weight of grief, depression, and anxiety. Although songwriting persisted, the drive to produce a follow-up album was overshadowed by Wilsonâs struggle to navigate trauma and loss.Â

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic silenced live music and brought another significant blow: the departure of founding drummer and visual artist Matt Sloetjes, who relocated cities to prioritize family. With unfinished material left behind and no clear path forward, PYRES quietly slipped into dormancy.

When live music returned post-pandemic, the band unexpectedly found new life. A chance introduction brought Wilson together with drummer Aleks Hara (Sarin). A few rehearsals confirmed the chemistry, and no further auditions were needed. PYRES had found their new drummer. Reinvigorated, the band set out to excavate unfinished material from their darkest period. Much of the music had been written in the aftermath of personal tragedy, compelling the band to confront old wounds and shape a cathartic narrative from the ruins of grief.Â

Wilson elaborates, âThese songs are autobiographical in nature, and Iâm grateful to finally scream out these traumas and exorcise these demons through this medium that I love. I hope that some can find their own meaning or feel some catharsis through the lyrics. We raised the bar for ourselves in terms of dynamics and composition. Thereâs a clarity-of-intent that is conveyed in my songwriting. Weâve continued the tradition of those Maiden/Lizzy guitar harmonies, as well as expanding further outward into doom, grunge, and post rock. This record features some of our fastest, and busiest material â inspired by our punk/HC roots. The songs tend towards shorter length, with an emphasis on lyrics, vocals, and narrative structure.â

In advance of the recordâs release, today the band presents âGranular Flow.â Offers Wilson on the recordâs lead single, âWe wrote âGranular Flowâ almost intentionally as a single. Itâs as neatly-structured as a PYRES song could be and an immediate sounding follow up to Year Of Sleep. The song suggests thereâs more to be discovered on the album, without giving away all the secrets. Fans of the band know we have a few tricks at our disposal, but we wanted to deliver a first single that felt instantly familiar, as if it were saying âthe band is back after all this time, and theyâre wasting no time getting back to business.â

Watch PYRES lyric video for âGranular Flowâ HERE.Â

YUN, the highly anticipated follow-up to Year Of Sleep was recorded, mixed and produced once more with Greg Dawson at BWC Studios (OLDE, Sons of Otis, Panzerfaust) over the Winter and Spring of 2024, with percussion tracked by Simon Larochette at The Sugar Shack in London, Ontario. Mastering for the album was handled, to crushing effect, by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Sleep, YOB, Corrosion of Conformity). The result showcases a band transformed. PYRESâ sound has evolved, embracing a broader palette that spans melodic sludge metal, hardcore, doom, grunge, and post-rock.

PYRESâ YUN will be released digitally and on digipack CD (limited to 300 copies) as well as vinyl in the following color variants: Shattered Bone (100 copies) and Black (100 copies).

Find preorders at the Hypaethral Records webshop HERE and Bandcamp HERE.

YUN Track Listing: