Canvas Solaris
Encyclopedia
Canvas Solaris were an American progressive metal
band from Statesboro, Georgia
, formed in 1999, and disbanded in 2011. Though they first played with vocals, they moved on to instrumental, drawing influence from bands as diverse as Cynic
, Rush
, King Crimson
, Death, Watchtower
, and The Mars Volta
.
and Carcass
. They recorded two untitled demos of four songs each and toured in South Carolina for several years before Jeffcoat and McCall both left the band. Ben Simpkins joined as a second guitarist, bassist, and keyboardist, the band decided to drop vocals entirely, and they put out the EP Spatial/Design
in 2003 on Tribunal Records. A year later, in 2004, they released their first full-length album, Sublimation
.
In February 2005, the band signed onto Sensory Records, where they remain today, and put out their second full-length album, Penumbra Diffuse
in 2006. Their next album, 2007's Cortical Tectonics
, would be the last to feature Ben Simpkins on guitar, bass, and keyboards. Chris Rushing, Donnie Smith, and Gael Pirlot joined on guitar, keys, and bass respectively, and the band put out their most recent album, The Atomized Dream
, in 2008. Following its release, they toured with Dysrhythmia and Behold... The Arctopus
.
Since disbanding in 2011, the band have formed The Burden of Existence with vocalist Narissa Wolke, and released a self-titled album.
Former Members
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band from Statesboro, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, formed in 1999, and disbanded in 2011. Though they first played with vocals, they moved on to instrumental, drawing influence from bands as diverse as Cynic
Cynic (band)
Cynic is an American progressive rock band, incorporating experimental music, alternative, metal and jazz fusion elements, founded in Miami, Florida and currently based in Los Angeles, California. Their first album, Focus, released on September 14, 1993, is widely regarded as a landmark release of...
, Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, King Crimson
King Crimson
King Crimson are a rock band founded in London, England in 1969. Often categorised as a foundational progressive rock group, the band have incorporated diverse influences and instrumentation during their history...
, Death, Watchtower
Watchtower (band)
WatchTower is an American progressive metal band based in Austin, Texas. The band were influenced by late 1970s progressive rock and acts such as Rush and UK as well as the burgeoning New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
, and The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta
The Mars Volta is a Grammy award winning American progressive rock band from El Paso, Texas. Founded in 2001 by guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López and vocalist Cedric Bixler-Zavala, the band incorporates various influences including progressive rock, krautrock, jazz fusion, Latin American music, and...
.
Biography
Hunter Ginn (drums), Nathan Sapp (guitar), and Jimmy McCall (bass) formed Canvas Solaris in 1999 in Statesboro, Georgia. Brad Jeffcoat joined the band to serve as a vocalist. At this point, the band was playing mainly technical death metal, influenced by bands like VoivodVoivod (band)
Voivod are a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Quebec, Canada. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s...
and Carcass
Carcass (band)
Carcass are an extreme metal band from England, who formed in 1985 and disbanded in 1995. A reunion was enacted in 2008 without one of its original members, drummer Ken Owen, due to health reasons....
. They recorded two untitled demos of four songs each and toured in South Carolina for several years before Jeffcoat and McCall both left the band. Ben Simpkins joined as a second guitarist, bassist, and keyboardist, the band decided to drop vocals entirely, and they put out the EP Spatial/Design
Spatial/Design
Spatial/Design is the first EP by American progressive metal band Canvas Solaris. It was released in 2003.-Track listing:#"Camera Obscura" - 6:15#"Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation" - 7:18 #"The Non-Terminating Integer" - 6:15...
in 2003 on Tribunal Records. A year later, in 2004, they released their first full-length album, Sublimation
Sublimation (album)
Sublimation is the first studio album by American progressive metal band Canvas Solaris. It was released in 2004.-Track listing:#"Cosmopolysyndeton" - 3:22#"Spheres in Design" - 4:28 #"When Solar Winds Collide" - 7:33#"Cyclotron Emission" - 3:51...
.
In February 2005, the band signed onto Sensory Records, where they remain today, and put out their second full-length album, Penumbra Diffuse
Penumbra Diffuse
Penumbra Diffuse is the second studio album by American progressive metal band Canvas Solaris. It was released in 2006.-Track listing:#"Panoramic Long-Range Vertigo" - 3:54#"Horizontal Radiant" - 11:24 #"Accidents in Mutual Silence" - 4:18...
in 2006. Their next album, 2007's Cortical Tectonics
Cortical Tectonics
Cortical Tectonics is the third studio album by American progressive metal band Canvas Solaris. It was released in 2007.-Track listing:#"Berserker Hypothesis" - 3:55#"Sinusoid Mirage" - 6:58 #"Interface" - 5:41#"Gamma Knife" - 8:02#"Rhizome" - 4:19...
, would be the last to feature Ben Simpkins on guitar, bass, and keyboards. Chris Rushing, Donnie Smith, and Gael Pirlot joined on guitar, keys, and bass respectively, and the band put out their most recent album, The Atomized Dream
The Atomized Dream
The Atomized Dream is the fourth studio album by American progressive metal band Canvas Solaris. It was released in 2008.-Track listing:#"The Binaural Beat" - 5:09#"Reflections Carried To Mirror" - 4:20 #"Chromatic Dusk" - 3:53...
, in 2008. Following its release, they toured with Dysrhythmia and Behold... The Arctopus
Behold... The Arctopus
Behold... The Arctopus is an experimental metal band from Brooklyn, New York, United States.-Biography:Behold... The Arctopus was formed by Colin Marston and Mike Lerner, who had been playing guitar together for over a year-and-a-half by the time they found a drummer. Their demo We Need a Drummer ...
.
Since disbanding in 2011, the band have formed The Burden of Existence with vocalist Narissa Wolke, and released a self-titled album.
Band members
Most Recent Line-up- Nathan Sapp - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals (1999- ) - Hunter Ginn - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
(1999- ) - Chris Rushing - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
(2008- ) - Donnie Smith - keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(2008- ) - Gael Pirlot - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(2008- )
Former Members
- Ben Simpkins - guitar, bass, keyboards (2002–2007)
- Brad Jeffcoat - vocals (1999–2002)
- Jimmy McCall - bass (1999–2002)
Studio albums
- 2004 - SublimationSublimation (album)Sublimation is the first studio album by American progressive metal band Canvas Solaris. It was released in 2004.-Track listing:#"Cosmopolysyndeton" - 3:22#"Spheres in Design" - 4:28 #"When Solar Winds Collide" - 7:33#"Cyclotron Emission" - 3:51...
- 2006 - Penumbra DiffusePenumbra DiffusePenumbra Diffuse is the second studio album by American progressive metal band Canvas Solaris. It was released in 2006.-Track listing:#"Panoramic Long-Range Vertigo" - 3:54#"Horizontal Radiant" - 11:24 #"Accidents in Mutual Silence" - 4:18...
- 2007 - Cortical TectonicsCortical TectonicsCortical Tectonics is the third studio album by American progressive metal band Canvas Solaris. It was released in 2007.-Track listing:#"Berserker Hypothesis" - 3:55#"Sinusoid Mirage" - 6:58 #"Interface" - 5:41#"Gamma Knife" - 8:02#"Rhizome" - 4:19...
- 2008 - The Atomized DreamThe Atomized DreamThe Atomized Dream is the fourth studio album by American progressive metal band Canvas Solaris. It was released in 2008.-Track listing:#"The Binaural Beat" - 5:09#"Reflections Carried To Mirror" - 4:20 #"Chromatic Dusk" - 3:53...
- 2010 - Irradiance