Bodies are packed tightly together near the stage as the band walks on. The crowd cheers as they introduce themselves. The band takes their instruments and starts to play the loudest music imaginable. The vocalist is screaming lyrics, the drummer is smashing the drums and the guitarists are shredding. The crowds dance moves look more like flailing with reckless abandon to the untrained eye. This is a small hardcore show.

Abrupt Decay is a band from Calgary, Alberta who recently was part of a show at The Owl Acoustic Lounge in Lethbridge. They consist of five members: Grant Matthews the vocalist, Owen Campeau the bassist, Noah Dashney the guitarist, Colton Sobey on drums and Gill Matthews who does electronic effects, DJing and playing samples.

Gill Matthews describes the band as mathcore with some nu metal mixed in due to their role DJing and playing samples.

Micheal Searle is a Lethbridge local and a fan of Abrupt Decay who had a great time at their recent show.

“Abrupt Decay puts on a great show; I love the music, and they have really good stage presence.”

Abrupt Decay formed in 2016 and the vocalist Grant Matthews started writing everything for the band, they recorded their first album around 2017 or 2018 according to Gill Matthews.

“The album was released in 2022 and we were posted in some articles and people were asking us to be a full band and play some shows.”

From there Abrupt Decay was formed, and they started writing their next release which was released in 2023.

Searle says he enjoys listening to all the music the band puts out.

“When they played a new song during the show, I was speechless.”

The hardcore scene in Lethbridge is currently going through a revival. Matthews says they went to a show in Lethbridge in 2015 that had around 15 people in attendance, which was a lot for Southern Alberta. They note that’s what symbolized the hardcore scene dying.

Several years later, in 2022, Matthews saw a friend at a show in Calgary and they both realized they wanted to revive the southern Alberta hardcore scene. By spring of 2023, they had their first show with a fantastic turnout.

“I don’t know if was because of the pandemic or what, but there are so many minors that come to our shows, and I see myself in them half my life ago going to shows back home.”

Matthews also says they feel like the scene is thriving now due to a wider acceptance of heavy music.

Matthews says they are the last person they can imagine being in a band and create something like Abrupt Decay, but the experience of playing music with their best friends is the most fun in the world.

“Start a band, pick up an instrument and start playing. Go to shows and support your favourite band and support your friends who play music.”

Connect with Abrupt Decay on Instagram @abruptdecayab to stay up to date on upcoming shows and new releases.