Metal mayhem from produce country

In searching for the newest talent in Ontario's underground metal scene, you'd probably overlook the sleepy Southern Ontario town of Leamington, best known as Canada's greenhouse produce capital.However, if you were to pass by Leamington in your search for thrash, you would miss out on the best non-produce related thing to come out this town, a band called Bloodshoteye.

Two years ago, drummer Jeremy Dyck, guitarist Shane Ivy and bassist Will Davis, who had played together in other bands for six years, paired up with a fiery, venom-laden frontwoman named Chronica (ne Jessica Desjardins), creating Bloodshoteye. The band has since added second guitarist Mike Whittal and have just released their full-length debut, Without Any Remorse, on Qubec-based independent Galy Records.

"They were all just friends in high school," said Chronica. "Then I started dating Shane ... about two years ago, I took the spot as the singer."

Chronica is surprisingly soft-spoken and shy over the phone. This is a surprise, given that her vocal style blends gutteral growls and high-pitched shrieks.

Chronica says metal heroes like Pantera, Sepultura, and Slayer, as well as newer bands like Chimaira and Killswitch Engage have influenced the band. The pounding sounds of Ivy and Davis, along with Chronica fearsome vocals, have made the band one of Canada's fiercest metal acts.

The band's hard work has not gone unrewarded either. In October, they were the opening act at the Toronto stop of the Lollapalooza of metal tours, the MTV2 Headbanger's Ball Tour, warming up the crowd for bands like Unearth, Killswitch Engage, and Lamb of God.

According to Chronica, Canada is in the midst of a metal renaissance, with young audiences turning toward heavier underground sounds.

"I think it's awesome," said Chronica. "Every show that we've played, the kids have always been out there showing support. We're not really that well known yet ... but they're still coming out to support. The shows have been packed."

In addition to their punishing sound, the rarity of a woman who can hold her own in the predominantly male singer role in heavy metal also garners attention for the band.

"In St. Catharines, it was funny because my brother was there. Before we went on, people were saying 'They've got a chick singer? Fuck that' and walked out," said Chronica. "When we started playing, people were like 'What the fuck is this!?' and they started to come back in."

Although they may being getting noticed in part for their vocalists gender, the band's songs prove that Bloodshoteye is not banking on that for their success. With two guitarists, and a pounding rhythm section, the band provides a more than sufficiently heavy backdrop for Chronica's lyrical themes of death and tragedy. That said, Chronica admits that she is still growing as a writer.

"This was the first time I had written lyrics," said Chronica. "If I had have known I would be doing so much more than I expected to do with them, I might have done it differently."

Bloodshoteye play the Razor Room in Hamilton on March 20.