Eukaryst

Eukaryst is metal as fuck. Formed in San Diego in 2009, the death metal band came together in the interest of breathing some new life into a metal landscape that appeared to be growing weary and trite. This band isn’t interested in rehashing the tried-and-true riffs and chugs of decades past. Eukaryst plays metal on their own terms — gnarly and intense, but with an emphasis on strong musicianship, melodic sophistication and intricate songwriting. This is a band with a clear vision, and they’ve expended a half-decade’s worth of blood and sweat to see it to fruition.

In 2014, Eukaryst self-released — and self-financed — their debut album Dreams In the Witch House, which found the band finally capturing a document of their versatile, melodic death metal while retaining all of its visceral intensity. From the thrashy assault of “Born of Blood” to the dizzyingly melodic riff spirals of “Inquisition,” the album is a journey through extreme metal that allows ample room for texture and nuance. After its release, Eukaryst shared stages with the likes of crossover thrash heroes Municipal Waste and San Diego psych-rockers The Burning of Rome, reinforcing their appeal to both dyed-in-the-wool metalheads and more traditional rock audiences alike.

Between the release of their debut album and a two-week west coast tour, 2014 found Eukaryst being honored with a San Diego Music Awards nomination for Best Hard Rock Album. That same year also saw the continued success of the band’s own beer, “Eukaryst Sinister Imperial Stout” originally released by Pizza Port Ocean Beach in 2013. Armed with accolades and a loyal local following, the band embarked on a month-long US tour in the fall of 2015 to a receptive audience across the country. Later that year, they hit the studio to record a three-song EP featuring a more refined and intricately composed sound than their first release.