Creature//Conspire

Formed in 2022 by Byron Ellis, Creature//Conspire builds on Edmonton’s heritage of assertive, passionate music, with unexpected subtlety. After generating a handful of song ideas, Ellis brought together seasoned and inspired musicians from the Edmonton scene to craft the songs into Creature//Conspire’s first EP, False Face.

False Face leads the listener through a soundscape, at times whispering dark fears to the backdrop of a haunting melody, at times smashing its way forward with satisfying crunch. Ellis’ vocals are an ever present guide.. His soaring melodies and tortured growls deliver a lament on the predatory nature of modern society. On guitar, Shawn Kilgrain meets Ellis’ metalcore intuition with a galaxy of shoegaze textures and experimentation. Sean McCalder fills out Creature//Conspire’s guitar sound with fervent riffs that are equal parts profound, equal parts shred. The structure and intensity of Creature//Conspire would work in any style, but with Kevin Meleskie (drums) and Matthew Urlacher (bass) forming the rhythm section, it comes across in a technical blaze of dynamics and punch.

Live, Creature//Conspire do not disappoint. Their earnest and heartfelt music shines in a captivating live show that showcases their technical prowess and single-minded purpose, which has set Edmonton’s metal and hardcore scene ablaze. After hitting the road for multiple shows across Western Canada, opening for Misery Signals and Trench, and with a new EP, written, recorded and ready to drop, 2026 will doubtless be a breakthrough year for Creature//Conspire. For fans of 7 Angel 7 Plagues, Hopesfall and Saosin, Creature//Conspire reveals the heights and wonder of what aggressive, ardent music can do.