KelownaNow wants to get to know the hard-working, up and coming artists who fill our city with music and we’re almost positive most of you do too!
Our Saturday Spotlight series that will feature a new, local act every other weekend, to better strengthen our scene and get to know the people behind the music.
Get to know: EdenEcho
Comprised of Matt Lazare (guitar and vocals,) Ty Gaudio (drums,) Eli Reid (guitar) and Dylan Vinci (bass) this melodic metal outfit will remind you of the finest metal titans of the past — think Rush meets Iron Maiden with a dash of gruelling gutturals just to keep you on your toes.
Having only joined forces in early 2018 this young group is quickly growing in popularity within Kelowna’s underground metal scene thanks to their unique sound, magical folklore imagery and all-around musical sorcery, these dudes certifiably RIP!
The group attributes their hard-peg-down sound to the influence of the “rock and metal gods” before them and the hunt they set out on to find an original sound that combined the members love of acts like Rush, Black Sabbath, Kamelot and Led Zeppelin.
“We play metal because it is raw, powerful and truthful,” said frontman Matt Lazare.
And while EdenEcho is still in its early stages, Lazare hopes one day their creation will have the same profound impact on somebody that music as a whole has had on him.
“I often say that music is my religion, at its best it is a profound and honest expression of the human experience, sometimes it’s escapism, sometimes it’s commentary or accompaniment,” he said.
Photo credit: NowMediaMatt Lazare
"At its peak music is pushing expression to its limits and it is awe-inspiring, when a song is connecting with you in the right way, at the right time, you become awash with wonder and emotion, you feel alive and the greatest musicians create and share that experience often — that's what I want to do someday.”
In April of 2019, the band released their debut EP Kingdom in the Shadow, an achievement Lazare claims to be their proudest to date.
“The creation and positive reception of our first EP has been our biggest accomplishment yet, it feels like the first step of many — we can't wait to create more and better music!”
Of the four-song EP the track “Mortal Wordsmith”, a nine and a half minute progressive and melodic journey that will have you head-banging and thrashing through its entirety, is by far the most unique and the group’s favourite.
“We feel this song best articulates what we are trying to create as a band, it draws from across our range of influences and it's the one we'll most likely continue to play well into the future,” said Lazare.
“This song went through many transformations before it was finally released and it hardly resembles its first iteration, but after many hours of trying, disagreeing, and frustration yield key spontaneous moments of inspiration and suddenly… we had it.”
With any newly formed group, it can take a while to find a place within an already established scene, however, EdenEcho seemingly carved out their cozy spot quite quickly — a feat they attribute to the supportive musicians and fans that surround them.
Photo credit: NowMedia
“Our experience with this community has been inspiring and to our continued astonishment it is brimming with real, active participants who care about supporting local bands,” said Lazare.
“People offer enthusiasm, honest feedback and loads of opportunities — we look forward to growing alongside it!”
In March of this year, the band’s prowess of their craft landed them a spot on the bill for Kelowna’s first-ever Wacken Metal Battle preliminary round, a competition that would see them perform against their comrades in metal and in front of a panel of esteemed judges.
Photo credit: NowMedia
“We are so pleased to have shared the stage with so many great friends and local titans like Death Machine, Arkenfire and Apollyon, it felt like a big moment for us, and even with all we learned from that night we feel it established our credibility in a meaningful way,” said Lazare.
With a bright future ahead of them, the guys behind Eden Echo are ones to watch. The guys are set to slay the stage at Muninn’s Post on Friday, September 6 alongside Seax, Hyperia and Warsenal.
Keep up to date with them through Facebook and listen to them on all major streaming platforms as well as Youtube.
Have an Okanagan musician you want to feature? Send an email to Savannah@KelownaNow.com
