It begins with an idea, on which a strong foundation is built. Whatever arrangement the foundation lends its strength to, a structure is formed and its presence is cultivated and established. The presence may be difficult to understand at first, but ultimately, its aesthetic beauty changes the inner-workings that make the perceiver—previously blind to the stunning final product—suddenly gifted with amazing sight.
Despite societal advances in the acceptance of difference, what deviates from an established “norm” can either be viewed as something detestable or—in extraordinary cases—it can create a flurry of momentous praise simply because it borders on awe-inspiring other-worldliness.
The musicians who constitute INTO ETERNITY are not of this earth. Anyone who loves music can clearly see this. They are carefully chosen, active, human conduits of non-conformity. They stand as heralds for hybridization, advocating that we dare ourselves to stare in a direction we were too afraid to peer into without the reassurance of seasoned confidence.
Sometimes the most incredible advances begin with the humblest of circumstances, and INTO ETERNITY begins, simply, with three friends in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada: Tim Roth, Scott Krall, and Jim Austin. All three show an early affinity for music making and first pick up their instruments during the very formative years of their early teens. While their tastes in music range from progressive, hardcore, and death metal in the vein of Rush, Dream Theater, Iron Maiden, Death, and Nevermore, they are determined to create music together, but can’t decide which style to play. Instead of following the often-traveled road of reaching a compromise (and sacrificing a bit of what each genre has to offer), the giant leap of faith is made in everyone’s talents to create their own path and combine all three.
Daniel Nargang, soon joined the nucleus, a self-taught stringed instrument specialist who began to take formal classical guitar training at the Royal Conservatory of Music and keyboardist Christopher McDougall soon followed, studying piano at the Academy of Music but ultimately abandoning the structured classroom environment to pursue his own theories. With such a young line-up, the mystery remains to be revealed of how such an experienced, infectious depth of sound could emanate from the combination of Roth’s and Nargang’s guitars. Ultimately, Dead Or Dreaming valiantly charts the astounding journey of disentanglement from society’s bland, expected normality and defiantly—yet invitingly--proclaims a usurped prerogative to create on one’s own terms.
Now boasting the addition of Chris Krall on death and clean vocals, and Jeff Storry on guitar, you’ll be intrigued by their music’s innate hostility yet you’ll revel at the beauty of their technical interludes, as demonstrated in “Selling God”; you’ll surrender to the emotional growls yet rejoice at the arrival of their three-part harmonies in “Shallow”; you will slip blissfully into the atmospheric realm they create (and proudly care take) in “Elysium Dream” and your epiphany as a privileged perceiver will be to realize that imagination and innovation have never been so innocently mathematical. INTO ETERNITY’s drive is a specific geometry; the strength of their musical bonds rival the chemical bonds of the rare earth metal Promethium (whose name is derived from the Greek god Prometheus, who stole fire from the sky and gave it to humankind); and theirs is a universal language of cartography of all that is possible in the realms & geographies of sound.
No more perfect symbiotic relationship could have been asked for and delivered at the right moment: just as you are about to resign yourself to the belief that it’s all been done, a new music theory emerges and feeds an audience so desperately yearning for something beyond the confines of this world that one must suspend all belief to accept it.
Musicians Tim Roth – Clean/Death Vocals & Guitar Chris Krall – Clean/Death Vocals Scott Krall – Bass & Backing Vocals Jeff Storry – Guitar Jim Austin – Drums & Backing Vocals
