Just a few weeks ago, while scrolling around Bandcamp, I came across a band called Phrozen that won me over within a few minutes. Formed in 2018, Regina, Saskatchewan-based quartet specializes in a ripping style that reminds me of everything from the savage crossover of Power Trip to late '80s German thrash metal to Integrity.
"We didn’t jam or really talk about the band for over a year when the pandemic hit," Phrozen guitarist Brett told me in an email about their interrupted start. "In the summer of 2021, Riley (guitar) and I decided to write some new material and got into a groove. We’re all big fans of thrash/crossover so we leaned in that direction and the riffs kept coming. We also had a lineup change, losing Tristan and Ringo but adding Zack on vocals and bass. He had previously played in bands with Riley and Luke (drums)."
Last year saw the release of Phrozen's debut album, Questioning Society’s Secrets, and the band has been gigging in Western Canada since then:
Brett offered some insight on Phrozen's songwriting approach: "We like to bring different sounds together from across metal, punk, and hardcore. We love the ripping vibe of thrash and the dark, emotional aspects of old-school black metal.
"For influences, bands like Sodom, Razor, Bathory, and Darkthrone come to mind. Several of us have been involved in hardcore for many years so that naturally creeps into our sound as well. We admire recent crossover bands like Power Trip, Foreseen, and Prowl, and try to build on what they’ve done."
I asked the guitarist about the title Questioning Society’s Secrets, and the meaning behind it. "The idea started as a half joke while we were working on the demo in 2018. I got really deep into Egyptian history and the origins of human civilization, and we thought it would be funny to do a concept album about this.
"We ended up keeping the title and the overall vibe but went more political and existential with the lyrics. The lyrics criticize capitalism and colonialism, making the point that these forces are so present in our society that we almost don’t notice them, giving them an aspect of secrecy."
It's No Echo, so as expected, I asked Brett about what else is cooking in Phrozen's music community. "The scene in Regina is great at the moment. Lots of new people are coming to shows and a bunch of bands have popped up in the last couple years. It’s a small scene but we stick together and make cool things happen. Criminal Mind and Modern Decay are our favourites to see and play with right now.
"Western Canada in general is underrated for heavy music. Some more great bands in the area are Krash, Repair (Saskatoon), Serration (Calgary), A Mourning Star, Juice (Vancouver), and Dispösal (Victoria).
"It might be worth mentioning some of our others bands, a couple of which have been featured on No Echo before. We include members of Stepping Stone, Flash Back, and Altars of Grief among others." And no, I didn't know the previous No Echo connection!
***
Phrozen on social media: Instagram
Tagged: phrozen
