Maitreya

Maitreya is a progressive-metalcore band located in Whitby, Ontario. Founded by high school friends, the line up was completed with the addition of their vocalist in 2015. In the early years, Maitreya cut their teeth as members of an active Oshawa metal scene. Taking up residency at a local pub, the band put their spin on hundreds of cover songs ranging from classic rock favourites, 90’s era grunge hits, 00’s nostalgic punk & emo and influential metal bands from various eras.
The self-titled debut album, released August 2017, provided the band opportunities to reach new markets across the GTA. Maitreya was chosen to showcase at Kitchener Metalfest, Wacken Metal Battle Toronto, 5/4 Fest as well as participating in a Guinness World Record for Longest Concert. The band has used the stage to raise money for Sick Kids Hospital, Grand River Regional Cancer Centre and United Way Toronto.
In the passing years, Maitreya refined their sound in all aspects to reflect the unitive chemistry and evolution of the group. The new material became their sophomore album, Hyper Reels, 10 songs that showcase the diversity of the band. Building on the foundations of their wall-of-sound riff-heavy through-composed works, guitarists/songwriters Mark Wylie & Matt McCabe expand the textural and harmonic palette to create a broader sonic soundscape. Bassist, Lyam Morrison, and Drummer, Steve McMillan, carve out space for groove-centric drum and bass interplay and hold down the fort while traversing a plane of metric modulations, tempo changes and polyrhythmic maneuvers. The new songs feature a dramatic and theatrical approach to the vocal performance by Matt Cutrara, through the marriage of an intentional and focused lyric writing process. Taking influence from sci-fi TV shows like Black Mirror & Westworld, the band creates a lore of futuristic/hyperreal themes that provide commentaries on the impact and aftereffects of technological integration with human consciousness.