Exotopia

Exotopia is a progressive technical death metal band from North Carolina, USA. So far they have an album, an EP and a single, and they used to be an instrumental band, and all their recordings thus far have been instrumental.

That is not case anymore, though. They have a vocalist now, and they say that they are working on new music that will feature vocals.

Learn more about the band below.

Biography: Exotopia was founded by guitarist Michael McDowell and drummer Jake Lilje in the fall of 2011 when the two were merely high school freshmen. From that time, the two began writing their debut album The Ascension, which would end up being released a few years later. During the summer of 2013, Michael and Jake began recording their debut LP at “Roland Professional Sound” in Winston Salem North Carolina. The Ascension was released on October 10th, 2013 (the band was in their junior year of high school at the time).

In the fall of 2013, the band began to compose the most intense, crazy material they had ever written. Straying away from the more straightforward, easier listen material of The Ascension, the band began writing their follow-up EP which would then be titled Constant Digression. The material being written was unlike anything ever explored in modern metal music. Taking on a pseudo-progressive musical approach, things such as accordions, alien noises, crying baby sounds, an eagle screech, clique eighties sounding drum fills, packman noises, whistles, clapping, Back To The Future clips, and even a whole section dedicated to the 2006 comedy Talladega Nights, made its way into the fifteen minute three part movement.

In July of 2014, the popular progressive metal page “ItDjents” featured the band’s song Animation from the upcoming Constant Digression EP. The song received extremely positive feedback citing the tastefully humorous themes within the track. One listener even compared the song to “Frank Zappa on crystal meth.” The entire EP was released on August 10th, 2014 and is without a doubt the height of the band’s career.

Moving into 2015, the band shot both guitar and drum playthroughs for their song Animation. During the springtime of 2015, the band decided to call it quits and went on a two year hiatus.

In February of 2017, Jake and bassist/guitarist/composer Aaron Bennett left their band Masamura. That same month, Jake and Michael decided to resurrect Exotopia with Aaron (taking the role of bass) being the only other member to ever join the band. Exotopia's brand new song, "The Emancipation Of Dissonance," came out May 26th 2017.

While working on new material in the summer of 2017, Aaron’s role in the band changed from bassist to vocalist. The band has never had any vocals in their music up until now.

In December of 2017, the band announced that Canadian bassist Dave Tremblay would be joining the band.

At the very beginning of 2018, the band entered their second hiatus where they currently reside.

exotopianc.bandcamp.com