Mandroid Echostar

Mandroid Echostar is a six-piece heavy metal band from Guelph, Ontario, Canada. The band's sound has been described as a combination of melodic technical guitars, progressive metal, and heavy metal. The band won the Juno Award for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year at the Juno Awards of 2017 for their album Coral Throne.[1]

Mandroid Echostar
Background information
OriginGuelph, Ontario, Canada
GenresProgressive metal
Years active2010 (2010)–present
Associated actsProtest the Hero
MembersMichael Ciccia
Matt Huber-Kidby
Adam Richards
Sam Pattison
Stephen Richards
James Krul

Band members

The band was formed in the summer of 2010 by bassist Adam Richards, guitarist Sam Pattison, and drummer Matt Huber-Kidby.[2] Over the remainder of 2011, guitarist/keyboardist James Krul, guitarist Stephen Richards, and vocalist Michael Ciccia were added to the line-up.[2]

Current members

History

Mandroid Echostar and Citadels

The band finished writing their debut self titled EP in the winter of 2011 and recorded in Sundown Studios, owned and operated by Jordan Valeriote who engineered, mixed and co-produced the EP. The album was mastered at Masterdisk in New York City by Roger Lian. The Mandroid Echostar EP was released on April 22, 2012.

Mandroid Echostar announced an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for their second EP, Citadels, in March 2013. The band offered merchandise and fan experience packages and eventually raised $7,480 toward the production of the EP. The band once again chose to record at Sundown Studios with Jordan Valeriote in their hometown of Guelph. Recording began on April 15, 2013 and the EP was released on November 13, 2013.

After gaining traction online, the band signed to Distort Records in late 2013.

Coral Throne

In 2014 Mandroid Echostar began writing their debut full length record and first release with Distort Entertainment. The album, Coral Throne, was recorded in December 2014 and January 2015 at Vespa Studios in Toronto, with Juno award winning producers, Eric Ratz and Harry Hess. Coral Throne was written as a concept album inspired by the histories of colonialism, cultural genocide, and the clash of organized religion and traditional spirituality.

Throughout the writing process, the band made many notable appearances such as performing in direct support of Megadeth, playing the main stage at Koifest (Kitchener) alongside Every Time I Die and Foxy Shazam, as well as the main stage at Lachie Music Festival (Cayuga Speedway - Hagersville, Ontario) with July Talk and The Trews.

In an attempt to promote Coral Throne, Mandroid Echostar embarked on the Kezia X tour across Ontario with Protest the Hero.[3] The album was released on January 15, 2016.[4] Ciccia was featured on the song "Cataract" by Protest the Hero which appeared on their 2016 EP, Pacific Myth.

The band has announced that they are currently writing new music, expected to be debuted on tour in 2017.

Discography

Studio albums
Year Album details
2016 Coral Throne

EPs
  • Mandroid Echostar EP (2012, Self-released)
  • Citadels (2013, Crowdfunded on Indiegogo)

Awards and nominations

In 2017, Mandroid Echostar won the Juno Award for Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year for their album Coral Throne, beating out other more critically acclaimed Canadian groups such as Devin Townsend Project, Despised Icon, Annihilator, and Protest the Hero.[5]

References
  1. "Local Musicians Win Juno Award". Blackburn News, April 2, 2017.
  2. "Guelph rockers nominated for Juno Award". Guelph Mercury-Tribune, February 7, 2017.
  3. "Protest the Hero / Mandroid Echostar / Waster: Garrick Centre, Winnipeg MB, November 14". Exclaim!, November 2015.
  4. "Mandroid Echostar: Coral Throne". Exclaim!, January 15, 2016.
  5. "Breaking news: Guelph rockers Mandroid Echostar win Juno Award". guelphtoday.com. Retrieved 5 April 2017.
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