Old World Vulture formed as a band in November of 2008. Up until that point, the Toronto-based outfit was nothing more than an occasional gathering of four friends at a Midtown rehearsal space. Expectations were low; volume was high. Initially, the band saw the new outlet as a way to breathe life back into old songs from previous projects, but the focus quickly shifted. They did away with vocals and new songs were written.
Mike Costanzo (guitar, loops, sampling), Devin Hughes (synthesizers), Jamie Hunter (drums) and Anthony Perri (bass) created a sound that critics deem a refreshing take on the instrumental rock genre. The band veers away from the superfluous, drawn-out compositions that have come to define “post-rock” (or whatever prefix may fancy you), and instead embraces a rapid, dynamic, melody-driven approach to instrumental songwriting. But that’s certainly not to say the band lacks heaviness – they pour each song into your ear canal like a cement truck, let it set and then smash it away with a sledgehammer.
Old World Vulture independently released their debut, self-titled EP on May 11, 2010. Recorded with Chris Hegge (Fucked Up, The Meligrove Band, The Coast) at Toronto’s AudioLab Recording Company, the album was immediately well-received by critics and Canadian campus radio, landing in the Top 50 (weekly) and Top 200 (monthly) !earshot national charts and receiving airplay on Toronto’s 102.1 The Edge (rare for an instrumental band).
In just under two years, Old World Vulture has relentlessly gigged and participated in a variety of local weekly showcases (Two Way Monologues, Wavelength, Pitter Patter Nights, Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite) and landed as critics’ picks (chromewaves.net, CHARTattack.com, NOW) for Canadian Music Fest 2010 and NXNE 2010.
Currently, the band is finishing writing for a full-length release planned for 2012.
Carry on.
For booking and other inquiries email: oldworldvultureband (at) gmail (dot) com
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“[Old World Vulture] take their cues from the likes of Mogwai and Holy Fuck on their debut EP, infusing contagious synth melodies with fuzzed-out guitars and frenetic rhythms, to near perfection.”
— Exclaim!
“NNN ... hits with an immediacy not often heard in the [instrumental post-rock] genre.”
— NOW
“I'd long ago written post-rock off as a tired, boring, stale, repetitive genre that lacked creativity. But Old World Vulture's self-titled release holds the kind of promise that's just unique enough to make me reconsider that.”
— CHARTattack.com
“[Old World Vulture] offers a more extroverted take on instrumental post-rock and see no reason why sweeping cinematic soundscapes can’t live in harmony with squelching synths and heavy-ass guitar riffing.”
— chromewaves.net
“All I can say is download the songs and check out Old World Vulture's album; you'll be very glad you did.”
— iheartmusic.net
“The band has a way with soaring melody lines that will stand it in good stead when soundtrack producers come calling.”
— thesilentballet.com
“From the ambient lead-in of ‘Destroyer’ to the ethereal majesty of ‘Too Much Eye Makeup’, not a single note on the record sounds out of place.”
— resonancity.com
“OWV definitely brings something new to the mix: attitude.”
— quickbeforeitmelts.com
“There’s no carbo-loading here. Instead, these noisemakers blend prominent, dream-like synth – perhaps their calling card – with droning guitars, thunder-crashing cymbals and a dash of electronic glitchery for good measure.”
— sharpformen.com
“Old World Vulture are making post-rock exciting again. Their music melds so many different styles together, and it all fits so well it’s almost criminal."
— twowaymonologues.com
“A sonic landscape that hovers through a fusion of primordial noise and plaintive beauty.”
— lonelyvagabond.com
“…heavy-yet-melodic instrumental tunes that nicely straddle the line between catchy and hard-hitting.”
— NxEW.ca
“Old World Vulture follow the tradition of the more aggressive works by Broken Social Scene or Mogwai ... guitars roar to wild rhythms, relaxed synthesizers sound to gentle melodies and then they let it rip again.”
— postrockcommunity.blogspot.com