A captivating hybrid of 80’s electronica and aggressive guitars, curiously fused with a cinematic quality of melodic progressions, The Birthday Massacre’s soundscapes have encapsulated a diverse and devout fan base. Formed in 2000 under the name Imagica, the band played their first show at Diversity Nightclub in London, Ontario, Canada. Their original lineup consisted of Chibi (vocals), Rainbow (rhythm guitar), Michael Falcore (lead guitar), Aslan (bass guitar), and Dank (keyboards). With this lineup, plus the addition of OE on percussion, they released a seven song demo EP in very limited edition.
In 2001, the band relocated from London to Toronto, Ontario and changed their name from Imagica to The Birthday Massacre. In July of 2002, they self released the limited edition CD Nothing and Nowhere and added a new drummer, Rhim. Two years later, they followed up with the EP, Violet. With a growing fan base on the internet and in their city of Toronto, their confidence was shown onstage with extreme energy and highly entertaining performances.
2005 was a big year for The Birthday Massacre. Not only did they add O-En on keyboards, but were signed in Europe by Repo Records and in North America by Metropolis Records. Both labels re-released Violet as a full length album with four extra tracks. Having time to mature their patent sound, the extended commercial release of Violet drew in many new fans while maintaining the same appeal for listeners who enjoyed the band’s debut album. A video for their song “Blue” was released, which was produced by NYC artist and director Daniel Ouellette. The video fit The Birthday Massacre well; it showed their knack for mixing themes of horror and tragedy with fun and satire to create a unique and versatile experience.
In Early 2007 The Birthday Massacre and Metropolis Records decided to re-release the band’s self released 2002 debut Nothing and Nowhere. Featuring early versions of popular Birthday Massacre tracks, Nothing and Nowhere also includes five songs that had not been available since the band’s release went out of print. The album is an amazing collection for not only the completist, but new comers alike.
With their 2007 album, Walking With Strangers, The Birthday Massacre once again exceeded the expectations of their ever-growing and devoted fan base. Co-produced by Rainbow, Falcore, and the legendary Dave “Rave” Ogilvie (who also mixed the album), TBM remained true to the sound that gained them the praise of fans and music critics alike, while further refining and expanding upon their signature sound. In late spring of 2008, the band released the Looking Glass EP and embarked on a North American tour with Mindless Self Indulgence.
The intensity of their live shows was captured on film in late 2007 in Hamburg, Germany. This footage has been assembled to make The Birthday Massacre’s first ever live CD and DVD, Show And Tell. The CD version was released in mid-2009, with the DVD companion set for release in January 2010.
Combining their interests in various musical and artistic styles, the The Birthday Massacre creates a captivating hybrid of 80’s electronica and aggressive guitars, curiously fused with cinematically dark melodic progressions. With the new album, 2010’s Pins And Needles, The Birthday Massacre further refines the unique sound explored on the bands highly acclaimed previous albums: Walking With Strangers, Violet, and the classic debut Nothing and Nowhere. From the opening notes of the lead off track “In The Dark” to the closing chimes of “Secret”, it is evident that Pins And Needles is The Birthday Massacre at its collective best. The interplay of driving guitar and rhythm sections, the captivating vocals, and atmospheric keyboards envelop listener. With Pins And Needles, The Birthday Massacre once again lead us down the rabbit hole, and once again invite us the explore the magical wonderland it has created.
Following up on the success of their album Pins And Needles, The Birthday Massacre returns with Imaginary Monsters, a new EP consisting of three all new songs and five remixes. The three new songs, “Forever”, “Burn Away”, and “Left Behind” find the band at its creative apex. Dark, personal, and atmospheric, The Birthday Massacre builds on its compelling blend of gothic, rock and electronic music into a sound that is all their own. To give the fans another perspective on the aforementioned sound, The Birthday Massacre has had five colleagues offer their unique perspectives on tracks from Pins And Needles. SKOLD, Combichrist, tweaker, Assemblage 23, and Kevvy Mental & Dave Ogilvie add their own spin to TBM’s distinctive style. As a bonus, the EP also features the video for “In The Dark”!
With every new album from The Birthday Massacre, we see a band that has created not only its own distinct niche in the musical landscape, but also seems to have created its own world. This time, we play Hide and Seek in that world. The new album from The Birthday Massacre opens with rain, and ends with the sounds of waves; in between we are given songs of lost girls, lost love, lost time. The delicate interplay between Chibi’s vocals and the ambiance created by Rainbow, M. Falcore, Rhim, Owen & Nate is on full display. Dark new wave hooks and haunting synths turn sinister as Rainbow and Falcore’s guitars lead Hide and Seek into ever darker, ever more beautiful corners of The Birthday Massacre’s world.
In 2016, following a successful internet funded campaign, The Birthday massacre has dug into the band’s past and presents a collection of songs recorded under the original moniker of “Imagica”. Lovingly remastered from the original 4 track recordings, Imagica stands as a historical document of the early days of the bands career, and as a thanks to the loyal fans who have been asking for the release of this material.
In 2017, The Birthday Massacre presented “Under Your Spell”, its most intimate and emotive record to date. This album is a captivating hybrid of 80’s, electronica, and aggressive guitars, fused with dark, cinematic melodic progressions. “Under Your Spell” blends the expansive breadth of The Birthday Massacre’s signature sound and creates a deeply personal, immersive collection of songs.
CD, Vinyl and Digital albums/tracks can be purchased HERE and HERE
