Like a Lovecraftian horror tale told with the sarcasm and wit of Oscar Wilde, the New Jacobin Club have been one of Western Canada’s most enigmatic and talked about independent bands for over a decade and a half. Their legendary stage theatrics and sonic delivery has been lauded as “A bevvy of fiendish visuals and a sound that brings together a cauldron of classic goth, 70’s rock and power metal.” (Rue Morgue).
The band is led by the roaring vitriolic storyteller and founding father Xerxes Praetorius Horde (aka The Horde) and his alluring and sardonic female counterpart Poison Candi (theremin, percussion, vocals), and backed by The Luminous (electric cello), The Ruin (bass), The Rat King (drums) and Mistress Nagini (synth, backing vocals, stage theatrics) .
Beginning as a power trio based in the Western Canadian city of Saskatoon and influenced heavily by 80’s goth-punk and early thrash metal, the New Jacobin Club signed to U.S. indie label Transparent Records in 1998 and released “A Lesson in Mortality”. In 2003 “Retake the Throne,” their second full length album, became a minor Canadian college radio hit, creeping on to the national top 100 chart by the year’s end. By 2009, the NJC had become infamous for their provocative live show featuring unsettling freakshow stunts and what would later become signature pyro tricks (such as “exploding” cymbals). They released the epic gothic rock-opera “This Treason” the following year accompanied with “Inside the Cannibal Circus,” a DVD complete with concept video, live concert and candid documentary style footage to appease fans outside of Canada that would have little chance of seeing them live.
With their fifth full length album “Soldiers of The Mark” (2014), this group of musicians, philosophers, painters and performance artists have at long last ramped up their public presence as well as the distribution of their own indie label (Manticore Music Group), while still remaining fiercely independent. “Soldiers of the Mark” is a fiery and epic concept album about a Victorian Hellfire Club whose cultish activities help bring about the events described in the Book of Revelations. It was released with an accompanying hardcover coffee-table book that contains not only the complete lyrics to the album, but an introduction, brief commentary written by band members and entourage, stunning live photography, original artwork, and full album credits. The 10 song cycle is available on CD and 12” vinyl in three colour variations, and directly from the band’s website as a deluxe digital download with 5 extra tracks not available on the iTunes, Amazon or Spotify versions of the album.
New Jacobin Club has shared the stage with a diverse roster of international touring acts such as KMFDM, Voltaire, Groovie Ghoulies, Nekromantix, Into Eternity, Nashville Pussy and many others.