Versus Entropy (2024) Lineup, left to right in photo:
Eric Burnet - Vocals, Guitar
Max Lussier - Guitar, Vocals
Sébastien Pittet - Bass
Tommy McKinnon - Drums

Derelict formed in Montreal, Québec in 2005. The band experimented with a wide variety of influences, gained momentum through touring, and released the self-produced recordings, ‘Ideological Prey’ in 2006 and ‘Carry the Flame’ in 2008. This first era culminated in the release of the full-length album, ‘Unspoken Words’ in 2009. The album was mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson of Cryptopsy.

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Following the departure of two members, the remaining three agreed to forge ahead with a renewed vision and more collaborative songwriting. They wrote 2012’s ‘Perpetuation’ with the goal of distilling Derelict’s sound down to its most effective form and strengthening it. The album showcased a dozen songs that sought to combine speed and complexity with memorable melodies and structures. Mixing and mastering were once again handled by Christian Donaldson.

Derelict supported ‘Perpetuation’ through 2012 and 2013, leading to their nomination for Metal Artist of the Year at the 2013 Canadian Independent Music Awards. The actual prize was given to Devin Townsend, to whom the band were absolutely honoured to lose.

At the end of 2013, the Derelict went into indefinite hibernation following an accumulation of the types of challenges typical to independent bands.

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During the dark months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Eric Burnet and Max Lussier were chatting about music and happened to ask themselves what a revived Derelict might sound like in 2021. This quickly led to a riff trade and then to a full new song. The ‘Perpetuation’ lineup reunited to record the single ‘Clear Cut’ and released it on the ten-year anniversary of that album. The song was also part of a project that raised awareness about the struggle of the Wet'suwet'en people to resist the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline across their unceded territory.

With ‘Clear Cut’, Derelict had managed to work collaboratively even though the members were now scattered across two continents and four different time zones. Feeling reinvigorated, the band decided to continue with the goal of releasing a new full-length album.

By harnessing the core essence of Derelict, ‘Perpetuation’ had provided a solid foundation and home base to build from. With the new songs, the band sought to broaden the scope again by bringing in choice doses of experimentation and diverse influences. Collaborative writing continued to reign, with Burnet and Lussier both having composition credits on the majority of the songs. The resulting album, ‘Versus Entropy’, was released in 2024 and was mixed and mastered by JF Dagenais of Kataklysm.

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The momentum that began with ‘Clear Cut’ has continued to propel Derelict. A new full-length album is expected sometime in 2027.