UNEXPECT

Most of us remember going to the circus as kids. It was a wild time – bright lights, amazing stunts, lions and clowns. Everyone loves to be entertained, right? Its only human nature that compels us to take in such a festive atmosphere; kind of put aside all of the ups and downs we have in our everyday lives and just escape for a while.
Everyone experiences it in their own way.
While there are no lions, circus tops or cotton candy vendors packaged with Unexpect’s CDs and/or taking part in their eclectic live shows there might as well be. The septet annihilates any perception we would have of them on CD and in a live environment put on one of the most spectacular and creative shows you’ll see, a show fuelled by a mish-mash of creative styles – black, death, progressive and classical metal to name a few – and an awe-inspiring adrenaline rush.
And it’s that rush of ingenuity and uniqueness that has allowed the Montreal act to set themselves apart from the rest of the musical acts out there, both home and abroad. Their influences are limitless and all boundaries of where they can go have been abolished, and that alone allows for the rise of creativity to be free and not held back - as life should be.
Since their inception in 1996, Unexpect have ventured forward with their musical movement, losing members on the way (only 3 of the band’s founding members remain), yet still remaining focused on what they set out to achieve with the band. When it came time to release the band’s debut album, the 1999 independently release Utopia, the band only had word of mouth and the still-growing Internet to push their goods. Without any proper distribution -- and thanks to a hard push by the band and the praise they received online from around the world (Russia, Brazil, Philippines) - the album sold well and Unexpect made their first mark on the masses.
A new era began for these sound-painters with the release of a new surreal opus titled _wE, Invaders in November 2003. This EP, released in North America via Montreal-based label Galy Records, caused quite a positive stir with critics worldwide and helped introduce quite effectively the evolutionary scheme that Unexpect was focusing upon musically. The band eventually signed with The End Records in 2004, a well-planned move on their parts, with the band explaining, “They (The End Records) are known for their open-mindedness and for being respectful in the ways they deal with the artistic visions of the musicians they work with.�
The ideas traveling in their art are related to the imagination and the inherent creative power of all human beings, subjective tales, trancelike sensorial exploration, undercover denunciation of social aspects and subconscious realities.
So… still trying to figure Unexpect?
Think Cirque du Soleil goes black metal amidst an acid-trip version of The Dark Crystal. A mindfuck no doubt, but you get the picture. So as we venture into 2006 with their debut In A Flesh Aquarium, take a deep breath, turn off all phones and get ready ‘cause the show is about to begin.
Unexpect are ready for the journey… are you?