So explains Greg Musgrave, bassist for Calgary quartet Exit Strategy. The three-year-old band has
been a driving force behind the local metal scene for over a decade through their work in acts
Thorazine, Caveat, Blacksky, Kilbourne, Section VII and Tosca. As Exit Strategy, they plan to
continue doing what they’ve perfected over the years: delivering brutal, pummeling metal for the
pissed-off masses.
Rounded out by guitarist Joe Sikorski, drummer Casey Rogers and vocalist Thérèse Lanz, Exit
Strategy plays what Musgrave describes as “music with a message.” Their first full-length release,
early 2008’s United State of Amnesia, is a blistering attack on the state of America, while their
upcoming untitled disc, which is about “75 to 80 per cent written,” will continue channeling the
band’s anger towards our southern neighbours.
“This new album is a natural segue, because the last album was about America destroying the world
with bombs,” starts Lanz. “This is about the legacy that is left in America with the religious
right, and how that is destroying the world with more insidious means by halting the progress and
education of the most powerful nation in the world, and all these massive negative repercussions
that are coming of it.”
The message is as heavy as the means through which it’s channeled.
“We are shooting for a really fast, mechanical kind of sound,” Rogers maintains. “Everything else
we’ve done has been a lot more melodic, and I think the goal in this band is to really bring it
down, keep it relatively simply and brutal as hell.”
“It’s the grind-est of the grind,” agrees Lanz. “There is always a really powerful melody and
strong groove coming through.”
Fittingly, their death-grind hybrid tunes regularly run into the three-minute range, allowing the
group to use the band as what Musgrave calls, “A vehicle for our opinions of events and things that
are happening around the world, to give our perspective and talk about these things.” Lanz adds,
“Atheism is a very, very strong lyrical platform for this band.”
“George Bush bad,” laughs Sikorski. “War bad! Supporting troops good! I am going to keep things
simple in mono-syllables here.”
Though the band acknowledges there is a lot to attack in the world, they are extremely pleased with
how strong the local music community is, and are jumping at the chance to play the Noctis Valkyries
Festival.
“(Calgary is) becoming somewhat of a cultural force,” says Lanz, who believes the success of the
festival is a fantastic reflection of how the city has grown and the reason she has stayed here to
continue playing. “Awesome festivals like Sled Island and Noctis are happening…. I feel like I made
a good choice!”
“It’s important that we have a tight-knit scene so we can attract better bands, better acts, and
more people,” elaborates Sikorski, who helps run AlbertaMetal.net with Musgrave. “It’s a positive
feedback loop.”
And what should we expect from Exit Strategy’s performance?
“We are going to throw in some oldies that have done very well for us in the past, like ‘Duality of
Man,’ ‘Divine Ignorance,’ ‘United State of Amnesia,’ ” says Musgrave.
“Expect to be a little sore in the ears after,” warns Rogers. “Expect us to play tight, fast,
heavy, loud and intense.”
