Canadian independent metal warriors the Great Sabatini are used to moving mountains. Their do-it-yourself approach to touring and steering their musical career comes is a major theme on Matterhorn, released digitally and on vinyl via Winnipeg purveyors of noise No List Records on March 25.
On this latest record, the band's strength and determination are represented in Matterhorn's lyrics. Guitarist, vocalist and lyricist Sean Arsenian tells Exclaim! that he "had been watching Jodorowsky's Holy Mountain as a stimulus for the lyrics. I really like the idea that there are many 'holy mountains.' It's all about one's personal quest, whatever that may be."
The Great Sabatini have made it clear through their work ethic and drive that their "holy mountain" is their musical legacy. The band's relentless touring schedule has left a profound mark on the music they make.
"Our lives, for the past four years of touring, have been weird and that has affected the way we write, for sure. Most of our songs go through road tests before they get recorded. After we play a song live four million times, it'll be quite different from the demo we originally made," Arsenian explains.
The Great Sabatini are driven to create new music and share it, preferring to release a piece on their own rather than wait for outside help. As a result, Matterhorn is not the only recording that the Great Sabatini have just unleashed. A second EP, The Royal We (recorded with Topon Das of Canadian grindcore act Fuck the Facts) has been made available as a free digital download via their Bandcamp page.
Arsenian describes this EP as a "companion piece" to Matterhorn and explains that the band chose to release both works simultaneously as a result of their inexorable drive.
"We never really stop working; we're either touring, writing or recording. We decided to release The Royal We as a free digital EP around the same time as Matterhorn because we simply want people to hear it. We didn't want to sit on one thing till we, or a label, could afford to press it."
You can download The Royal We for free here. Also, Matterhorn is now streaming in full on the Exclaim! website over here.
On this latest record, the band's strength and determination are represented in Matterhorn's lyrics. Guitarist, vocalist and lyricist Sean Arsenian tells Exclaim! that he "had been watching Jodorowsky's Holy Mountain as a stimulus for the lyrics. I really like the idea that there are many 'holy mountains.' It's all about one's personal quest, whatever that may be."
The Great Sabatini have made it clear through their work ethic and drive that their "holy mountain" is their musical legacy. The band's relentless touring schedule has left a profound mark on the music they make.
"Our lives, for the past four years of touring, have been weird and that has affected the way we write, for sure. Most of our songs go through road tests before they get recorded. After we play a song live four million times, it'll be quite different from the demo we originally made," Arsenian explains.
The Great Sabatini are driven to create new music and share it, preferring to release a piece on their own rather than wait for outside help. As a result, Matterhorn is not the only recording that the Great Sabatini have just unleashed. A second EP, The Royal We (recorded with Topon Das of Canadian grindcore act Fuck the Facts) has been made available as a free digital download via their Bandcamp page.
Arsenian describes this EP as a "companion piece" to Matterhorn and explains that the band chose to release both works simultaneously as a result of their inexorable drive.
"We never really stop working; we're either touring, writing or recording. We decided to release The Royal We as a free digital EP around the same time as Matterhorn because we simply want people to hear it. We didn't want to sit on one thing till we, or a label, could afford to press it."
You can download The Royal We for free here. Also, Matterhorn is now streaming in full on the Exclaim! website over here.