Calgary-based heavy solo project Post Death Soundtrack craft a dense electric symphony of heathen guitars, brazen bass, and a bubbling cauldron of vicious sounds. The score to the untamed plains of the subconscious. This lays the groundwork over which the inimitable Stephen Moore showcases his crushing vocal performances, dissonant sonic palette and untethered philosophy. In each piece, he takes from his hall of faces to embody the essence of a theme, be it scathing fury or enlightened ambivalence. Balancing ferocity and serenity, surrealist absurdity and earworm familiarity.
Conceived in grubby back rooms and underground clubs of inhospitable Calgary, Canada, Post Death Soundtrack initially took inspiration from the same forces that drive young obstinate bands in cities like DC, Austin, and Detroit. The cognitive dissonance between the forces that run their town and the forces that run their lives. The original duo of KENNETH BUCK and STEVE MOORE took aim squarely at the hypocrisies of government, religion, and mainstream ideology with blinding rage but also tongue firmly in cheek sarcasm. The debut album, 2008's Music as Weaponry, pulls together the wild, brash industrial of Skinny Puppy and Ministry with the hypnotic trip-hop textures of Portishead and Massive Attack to deliver an engrossing indictment of Western culture and an offer to rise above its trappings.
On the heels of the release of Music as Weaponry, JON IRESON was recruited to the lineup, adding his own brand of mesmerizing psychedelia to the mix. Ireson's affinity for 60s and 70s psychedelic rock, as well as the nebulous electronica that came out of Britain from the likes of Underworld and a techno-age David Bowie, allowed Buck and Moore to take their vocals further down the rabbit hole to fever dream mantras and mad hatter ravings. COLIN EVERALL was brought on board to fill in on drums for a handful of rare live dates but would also end up contributing his haunting piano piece 'Through the Gates' over which Moore takes the listener on a perilous journey to the “other side”. Their second LP, 2016's The Unlearning Curve, turned the lyrical focus inward while showcasing the band's new “psychedelic industrial” sound.
In 2019, It Will Come Out of Nowhere expanded upon The Unlearning Curve's signature sound with sludge metal elements adding even more gravitas. The group, now streamlined back to a duo, has Ireson at the reins of the sprawling production while Moore takes us on a trip through his tempestuous psyche. The 11 unforgiving tracks explore when calamity comes knocking unexpectedly on your door inspired by betrayal, divorce, personal loss and other blind-sided knocks to the ego. Doom, hip-hop and Indian raga all leech into the groundwater giving the album an unparalleled sonic breadth.
Post Death Soundtrack in 2024 takes on a completely different form, abandoning all electronics in favour of a raw, guitar-driven doom grunge sound as evidenced in their latest singles 'Icy Underground' and 'Lowdown Animal'. The latest music features the band as a power trio with Moore's unmistakable guitar style backed by Ireson's raucous bass lines and CASEY LEWIS providing powerhouse live drums.
The album went on to be acclaimed worldwide, making several beat albums of 2024 year end lists, was featured by the illustrious Doom Charts, magazines like Rock Hard Italy, Big Takeover Magazine, Post-Punk.com, V13, EARMILK, The Metalverse, Spirit of Metal, Headstuff, Obscure Sound, ADDICTED Magazine, Project Metal, and dozens of others. Stephen Moore was also featured on a number of podcasts and radio shows, most notably the extremely popular Metal Devastation program with Zach Moonshine.
Now solo, Stephen Moore decided to release Post Death Soundtrack's 5th album "IN ALL MY NIGHTMARES I AM ALONE" as an extremely eclectic and uncensored collection. This is in tribute to his love for albums such as Nirvana's "Incesticide". The album dishes out a wide range of extremes, trauma and vast emotion. Stephen is also putting the final touches on his new album with Casey Braunger, AKA his partner in crime in industrial doom alternative metal duo HE IS ME. This album should be out within the next few months and will be titled "HEL'S MOUTH".
Currently, Stephen Moore is working on the final touches for his new album with industrial/doom metal/alternative project HE IS ME, which is a duo him and Portland artist/musician Casey Braunger formed. Casey and Stephen are artistic collaborators and very close friends as well. Their upcoming album will be called "HEL'S MOUTH", and will contain 14 or 15 songs of dynamic shifts, tense arrangements, sludgy, guitar-driven metal, industrial, hard-edged grooves, ambient pieces and very much a battling mindset.
Post Death Soundtrack's "IN ALL MY NIGHTMARES I AM ALONE" is a 30song tour through danger, mental illness, the darkness we avoid - at once uncensored chaos, frustration, and an outpouring of beauty. This project exists to ring a monolith of alarms where voices were once silent. The 6th release "GRIST" is the second in a new series of 30 song double albums, following up "IN ALL MY NIGHTMARES I AM ALONE", which was itself just released on June 30th.
"GRIST" hunts, laughs, mourns, challenges and inspires others to step into their true selves without fear. The themes are wide but related, with philosophy, mental illness, death of loved ones, addiction, spirituality, surrealism and dream language all playing strong roles. With themes like rallying baby bees for the swarm, the artist positions himself as the Queen, ready to move through chaos, come what may.
"Ram Dass famously stated that all life experience, trauma, transcendence, joy, suffering, is all just "grist for the mill of awakening". That being said, here is the GRIST."
New double album 'BARREN MOTHER OF ALL' is the 3rd in a trilogy of 30 + song epics, following 'GRIST' and 'IN ALL MY NIGHTMARES I AM ALONE'. All the albums explore very dark and high-concept territory ranging from battle and loyalty to trauma, addiction, philosophy, suffering, mental illness and spirituality. With this unusually brash new album, Moore tackles the all-consuiming void, the dark path humanity is currently on and the honesty of someone in a serious time of despair. Equal doses of industrial, witch house, post-punk, gothic rock, noise, 80's horror soundtracks and dystopian psychedelia combine to create a devilish bitches brew. It's immediately apparent upon pressing play that this collection carries more than a trace amount of danger.
The title was initially inspired by Indian guru Nisargadatta Maharaj, who once said 'consciousness is only a concept. Therefore, I call the entire manifestation, 'The child of a barren woman'.
-Interview- (7/30/26)
1. How did you get started with music and how did you develop your sound?
I got started on guitar through being inspired largely by Nirvana. Two years later, by 1996, I was recording on 4 tracks, 8 tracks, 16 tracks and overly complex 32 tracks. I never stopped and have released 15 albums now. I took Post Death Soundtrack solo because my collaborators would often lose interest or take 3-4 years to complete an album, whereas I have a fire and completed 3 double albums in the past year. I simply want to make art. I developed my sound over a 20 year period. I never liked my voice at first and it was pitchy as hell. I kept honing it by listening to my heroes and practising. Now I can control it the way I want to.
2. What do you want people to take away from your music?
I'd like them to be resilient and as if they can fight their battles.
3. How would you describe your sound to the average listener?
It's heavy industrial and doom metal, grunge and trip hop inspired music with surrealism and an anarchist Hinduism/philosophy perspective.
4. Who are three bands you’d like to tour with?
Russian Circle, Windhand and Skinny Puppy.
5. What's your thoughts on AI generated music?
I don't think typing an input is music.
6. What’s your take on the current state of Industrial?
I feel now is an excellent time for music . Not necessarily industrial in particular, but there has been so much incredible metal and rap, from Converge, Neurosis and Poison the Well to Chief Keef, De La Soul and Gucci Mane.
7. What’s the current local music scene like there in Calgary?
I'm unsure right now as a solo artist and an isolated, depressed individual. haha
8. What’s your take on the royalties that streaming services pay out to artists?
That's about what they can afford and streaming services were never intended to be a 9-5.
9. What’s next for Post Death Soundtrack?
More albums because I will never stop.
10. Any shoutouts?
Shoutout to my cat Bonzai, rest in peace my friend and love.
