Our Last Crusade The Ideal & The Actual

Our Last Crusade is a band hailing from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Brought together by a passion for heavy songs, Our Last Crusade utilizes extended range instruments to craft their take on metal. After releasing 3 EPs and developing a reputation as a must-see live act, the band travelled to Audiohammer Studios to record their debut LP due to be released in 2015. “We want to play the music that we love, and we want to play it for as many people as possible. This is our crusade.”

The band understands the importance of providing consistent content in a social media driven industry. Our Last Crusade has a tireless work ethic when it comes to self-promotion both online and off. The band continues to amass a repertoire of dates within Alberta, most notably sharing the stage with Animals As Leaders, After The Burial, Within The Ruins, Texas In July, Bermuda, Dr. Acula and Fall City Fall. The band has also headlined the main stage of Calgary Metalfest. Despite a lack of touring experience, Our Last Crusade plans to branch out and play more shows throughout Canada, while maintaining their commitments to university.

Our Last Crusade was founded in January 2010 with the intentions of playing metal: nothing more, and nothing less. It began when guitarist Jon Garcia and drummer Garret Brewer found themselves in between bands. A Facebook post caught the attention of mutual friend Matt Danko, which led to Brady Schmidt joining Jon and Garret. Luckily for the three, they were armed with an unfinished basement, and parents that were cool enough to let him bring strangers into their house to make a LOT of noise for hours at a time. Shortly after, Matt realized that if he wanted to be in the band, he had better go out and buy a bass. Despite never playing a bass before that day, it was arguably the best decision Matt made. Last, but not least, they still needed one more piece to bring it all together. Naturally, they found their missing piece in a stranger named Scotty Wilson, who decided to take a chance and reply to a vaguely written “metal band vocalist” ad on the Internet. It didn’t take long to see that all the pieces fit musically, and everyone quickly became friends. The name “Our Last Crusade” reflected the cohesive ambitions within the band. Nobody's previous project had clicked, or shown as much potential as this band did. It also expressed the members' hope that this would be the last band they would ever have to join.

By the end of May 2010, Our Last Crusade had written and recorded a 5 song EP titled, “The Essence of Everything”, and had just played their first few shows. Unfortunately, the good times came to a premature end. In the summer of 2010, Garret left the band. It took a few months, but they managed to find a new drummer named Tony Salvati. During the fall, a great deal at a local music store chain also saw Jon and Brady add 8-string guitars to their collections, while Matt obtained a 6-string bass. The band got back on track and played more shows, before Jon decided to quit near the end of 2010.

Brady, Matt, Scott and Tony began 2011 with more questions than answers. Ultimately, Our Last Crusade would continue on as a 4-piece. This decision was driven by the fact that it seemed unlikely to find someone who would mesh personally and musically with the band, and who was also willing to buy an 8-string guitar. The band spent half of 2011 writing around the capabilities of the 8-string guitar, and began to close in on a sound that they liked. In August, the band returned to the studio to work again with Alex Wilkinson. A few days later Our Last Crusade had a trio of tracks. “Demo 2011” would later be released online for free.

2012 saw the departure of Tony and the return of Garret, while the band continued to write new music. For the third time, they worked with Alex Wilkinson. This led to another 3 song EP, titled “Mad Men”. The EP was released online in December 2012.

Moving into 2013, Our Last Crusade began the writing process for their first full-length album. A few months into the year, the band split with Garret again. This resulted in Matthew Fraser taking over the drum throne. At the same time, Kyle Prusky filled the long absent second guitar position. The new faces made an immediate impact within the band, and greatly improved the pre-production process. By August, the band was as prepared as they could be. They packed their bags and flew to Florida to record at Audiohammer Studios (August Burns Red, Whitechapel, Chelsea Grin, Trivium, Unearth, The Black Dahlia Murder, Job For A Cowboy, The Contortionist) to work with Jason Suecof, Eyal Levi and John Douglass. After wrapping up the recording process, the band began reworking old material with the new members. It was quickly evident that this line up was the most cohesive and organic the band had in a long time. Our Last Crusade was back to playing shows by the end of 2013.

The band has spent 2014 rehearsing and playing shows, while eagerly awaiting the completion of their debut album. They are more excited than ever to share what they have done with the world.

Timeline of Band Members

Current

· Scotty Wilson – Vocals (2010 – Present)

· Brady Schmidt – Guitar (2010 – Present)

· Kyle Prusky – Guitar (March 2013 – Present)

· Matt Danko – Bass (2010 – Present)

Former

· Jon Garcia – Guitar (January 2010 – December 2010)

· Garret Brewer – Drums (January 2010 – July 2010, November 2012 – February 2013)

· Tony Salvati – Drums (September 2010 – November 2012)

· Matthew Fraser – Drums (March 2013 – March 2015)

1. Don't Let Your Dreams Die
2. Machination
3. Vessel of Vices
4. Borne By the Best Intentions
5. Revelation
6. The Wolf in Waiting
7. This Age of Distraction (feat. Jason Suecof)
8. Legacy
9. Postmodern Man
10. Tale of a Broken Man