We have but one Profile to offer up on this holiday week but I promise it’s a good one. Reaching all the way back to August, we have Toronto-based post-metal outfit lowheaven and their beautiful debut Ritual Decay out through MNRK Heavy. lowheaven began their emergence in early 2020 during the complicated times of the COVID pandemic, and now in 2025 we have their intense and complex energy inspired by those dark times realized in Ritual Decay. In style and theme, it offers a lot and weighs heavily… in a good way. Give the responses to our questions a read below and make sure you dedicate plenty of time to this record for the rest of the year and beyond.

—

How and when did you first get into playing music, or metal more specifically, and how did your band get its start? Any pushback from family/those close to you?

Music was a big part of my life basically from the get-go. My parents tell stories of how, in order to get me to settle as a baby, they would turn on muchmusic (out version of MTV back in the day). The songs would silence me, and I would be transfixed.

I truthfully never set out to play in a metal-esque band. As I’ve aged, it’s just something that started to speak more and more to me. I still struggle with calling us a metal band (I mean, genres are just a suggestion at this point), but we’re definitely heavy in our own way.

lowheaven started in the midst of the pandemic. Myself and Alex were previously in a long running project that kind of got flipped on its head when the pandemic hit. I think the pandemic did a lot of chaotic things to a lot of people. lowheaven became the response to that. We were lucky enough to find each other, and spent the next 18 months just pumping out songs and working on art in a way where nothing else mattered. Life crumbled, it shifted, changed in ways we can never undo. But we had lowheaven.

How would you describe your band and what you play to someone who is completely in the dark?

This is a tricky one nowadays for any artist. Even between the members of the band, we have different ways of describing the band. As far as my ears go, I consider us the soundtrack to your decay.

Is there anything about your latest album or about your band that no one will find in any interview or review that you care to divulge?

Hmmm. I don’t know that these are really secrets, but 3/4’s of us are very big hockey fans. I guess that’s not shocking considering where we reside in the world.

Any funny stories from playing shows / tours / festivals, etc?

We’ve been very lucky to be part of many great tours, and the memories that go along with that. We played Fest last year, and were just surrounded by the most supportive, wonderful bands and fans people could ask for.

I think one of the funnier (in hindsight of course) moments in the last while has to be our van not having air conditioning. We spent the first year and a half of this band touring without A/C. So, middle of Texas: No A/C. Lincoln Tunnel: No A/C. I’ll let you imagine the state of things.

What do you see as some of the great things happening in and around the metal scene (yours or just in general) and what are some of the worst things happening right now?

I think there is a shift that’s happening, where the bands in the metal world are starting to really appreciate each other versus looking at them as competition. Music and art are supposed to be collaborative. So it’s a wonderful thing to really see bands and artists finding ways to work together. Whether its touring, artwork, or even remixes/recordings. I love it.

Most folks have passions for a cause or causes that are close to them. What, if any, are some of the most important issues (social/political/humorous/etc.) for you / your band and how do you insert those issues into your music?

Mental health is definitely something we all hover on, in this realm. I mean, even personally, if you take “Ritual Decay” from the lyrical side. It’s a record of loss. Of regret. Of having to come to terms with the evil you created in the world. In a lot of ways, it was my way of coming to terms with my own mental health battle. Alex, our guitarist, works very directly in the mental health world as a psychotherapist. The balance between art and mental health is a tenuous one. Everyone struggles with these kinds of things. And it’s important that we make space for mental health to be discussed and taken seriously.

Do you have day jobs or hobbies you want to share?

As mentioned above, Alex works as a psychotherapist. The rest of us work in different spots across the spectrum of Toronto based employment. Being a touring artist requires a bit of flexibility. When you find something that fits, you stick with it.

What advice do you have for music critics and outlets out there? How can we all better serve the genre in the eyes of a hard-working musician?

Honestly, not much. Integrity is everything.

Any specific long term goal(s) in mind?

I think I can speak for everyone in lowheaven when I say that our long term goals are to be able to do this for as long as we possibly can. Creating and redefining who and what lowheaven is, is something that really drives us. Preparing and putting on an amazing public demonstration is a constant need. We will take this band to the end.

When you’re not obsessing over your own material, what are some of your favorite albums to listen to currently?

This answer goes all over the map for this band. I think we’ve all been on The Callous Daoboys new record, which is an absolute banger. But we all come from very different spots in the heavy music landscape. So where I may answer Sumac or Cave In, Mikey might answer Misery Signals or Poison The Well.

What is the near future outlook for you or your band? Any specific events on the horizon that the masses should be aware of?

Just more music to share, more shows to play, and getting “Ritual Decay” out to the masses. We’ve been sitting on this record for so long, there’s no pants left to burn holes in. So we can’t wait for everyone to hear it and be able to experience it.

Summarize your band in one word.

Heart.

—

Many thanks to lowheaven for the time!

---

Ritual Decay is out now through MNRK Heavy. For more information on lowheaven, head over to Instagram or Facebook.