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

2005-2010

Derelict formed in Montreal, Québec in 2005. The band’s early sound was technical death metal that experimented with a wide variety of influences. This first era culminated in the 2009 release, ‘Unspoken Words’. The album was mixed and mastered by Christian Donaldson of Cryptopsy. It was supported through several tours and through distribution by Year of the Sun Records.

2010-2013

Following the departure of two members, the remaining three agreed to forge ahead with a renewed vision and more collaborative songwriting. The band wrote 2012’s ‘Perpetuation’ with the goal of distilling Derelict’s sound down to its most effective form and then dialing that up to eleven. The album showcased a dozen songs heavy on speed and complexity, but retaining memorable melodies and accessible structures. Mixing and mastering were once again handled by Christian Donaldson.

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

At the end of 2013, the band went into indefinite hibernation following an accumulation of injuries and the financial challenges typical to metal bands.

2021-2022

During the dark months of the COVD-19 pandemic, a chance conversation between Eric Burnet and Max Lussier led to a riff trade that quickly grew into a new Derelict song. The ‘Perpetuation’ lineup and production team reunited to record ‘Clear Cut’, released on the ten-year anniversary of ‘Perpetuation’. The song’s lyrics intended to raise awareness about the struggle of the Wet'suwet'en people to resist the construction of the Coastal GasLink pipeline across their unceded territory, and the lyrics, audio clips, and artwork for the song were reviewed and approved by the land defenders and water protectors of Wet'suwet'en.

2022-2024

Reinvigorated by the ease of collaboration that led to ‘Clear Cut’, the band immediately continued writing with the goal of releasing a new full-length album. Where ‘Perpetuation’ had harnessed the essence of Derelict, these new songs sought to broaden the scope with choice doses of experimentation and diversity. Collaborative songwriting continued to reign, with Burnet and Lussier both having composition credits on eight of the nine songs.

The resulting album, ‘Versus Entropy’, was released in 2024 and was mixed and mastered by JF Dagenais of Kataklysm.

2024-onward

The spark that was lit with ‘Clear Cut’ was far from done burning for the members of Derelict. Six months after the release of ‘Versus Entropy’, they had outlined the framework of ten more tracks of their blend of technical death metal. A new full-length album is expected sometime in 2027.