Started in 2009 by Ahmed Ali as an outlet for some seriously kickass death metal, Xyphos started slowly, but began to pick up speed when he met drummer Brody Overfalle and guitarist George Larin. With this lineup they started searching for a bassist and a vocalist, all the while working hard at creating death metal that would play to each of their diverse interests. 

Shortly after, they met and auditioned bassist/vocalist Rory Kennedy of Serene Molestation. He was a perfect fit, his playing style and musical interests fitting the band well, and they started to write in earnest. Soon after, the band had almost a full set of material written, but were sadly forced to part ways with guitarist George Larin due to musical differences. 

This allowed the band to bring in guitarist/vocalist Andrew Power, also of Serene Molestation. His addition thickened up the sound, and his guttural vocal style added a whole new level of brutality. It was with this lineup that Xyphos entered the studio with Geoff Hodsman (Creep Colony, Envenomation, Dimensions Divide) in July 2010 to record the debut EP, "What Comes Before". 

The Xyphos sound is a combination of influences, ranging from brutal death metal to progressive rock. The sound comes together as a heavy, groovy and mildly progressive form of death metal. Bands that influenced the music range from Gorguts, Death, Immolation, Deicide, and even more death metal bands, to progressive acts such as Athiest, Cynic, and more. 

We are very proud of what we've done on "What Comes Before", and feel that if we like it, so will at least one other people. Anyone who shares our tastes will enjoy what we do. That is the hope, anyways.

"What Comes Before" is our first release, released March 5th 2011. So far the response is very good, but we are hoping to spread the word and get opinions from more than just the local Toronto scene. 

We've just played one show, which was a double CD release show with ourselves and Saprophyte, a local Toronto progressive death metal band. But we are planning a very busy 2011 on stage, with 4 shows booked through to the summer, and plans for touring in August. 

We are dedicated to what we do and have a passion for it. Not that this alone sets us apart, but we put everything we have into our music, and we feel that it shows. 

Aside from a small Ontario/Quebec tour in August that we're working on planning, we are working towards the recording of a full length CD. We have almost the whole thing written already, now the task is learning the songs well enough to enter the studio, and polishing what we have written in order to be as happy with the final result as possible. 

You can listen to us at www.myspace.com/xyphosmetal, and you can buy our stuff at xyphos.bigcartel.com!

March 2011