Formed in 2019 and quickly rising as Ottawa’s go-to rock act, the band has built a reputation on immersive concept releases and compelling, high-energy performances that pull listeners fully into their world. They’ve toured Canada and the United States, sharing stages with the likes of Finger Eleven, Adam Gontier, Danko Jones, and Crown Lands, and are set to open at Hard Rock Live – Ottawa alongside Coheed & Cambria on July 14. The band will also headline Rise Up Fest at Saw Gallery in Ottawa tonight (May 1) , and TurboHaus in Montreal on May 8.
Blending Active Rock, Alternative Metal, and Post-Hardcore, CEVILAIN position themselves as “your favourite alt-metal boyband”—anthemic, theatrical, and emotionally engaging. Their signature intensity is on full display in “o’dear,” a track that leans into a heavy, almost desperate emotional core while delivering a powerful message of growth and transformation.
At its core, “o’dear” is about choice: to remain defined by the forces around you, or to step beyond them and reclaim your identity. It’s a call to action for anyone standing at that crossroads, urging growth, self-definition, and the bravery to leave the past behind.
Following in the footsteps of their concept-driven releases ON DEATH & DYING and VII // SINS, CEVILAIN once again deliver a fully realized experience—one that pairs introspective depth with explosive energy. “o’dear” isn’t just a song; it’s a call to action, urging listeners to break free, evolve, and ultimately decide: will you be defined, or will you define yourself?
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For anyone discovering you for the first time, can you give us a quick intro to CEVILAIN and how the band first came together?
CEVILAIN is: Cliff Menzies (Lead Vocalist & Rhythm Guitarist), Andrew “Parms” Parmelee (Drummer & Producer), Joel Lefebvre (Lead Guitarist & Vocalist) and Eddy Fox (Bass & Vocalist). Joel & Parms were originally in another band, called “Crossing Jane”, that was getting some really great attention with support from local radio and Cliff stumbled across them while attending a small festival put on by that station. When that band started to dissolve, Cliff approached Joel & Parms to start CEVILAIN and Joel assured Cliff & Parms that he “knew” a bass player that could fill out the lineup. Little did Cliff & Parms know, Joel simply looked through the “People You May Know” pages on Facebook, saw a guy with a bass in his profile picture (Ed), and dragged him out to a rehearsal. The rest, as they say, is beautiful history.
You’ve been building momentum since forming in 2019—what have been some of the biggest moments for you so far?
We’ve been incredibly fortunate up to this point in our career – from getting to work with people we idolize (Adam Gontier on “AVARICE // WARS”, and Kellin Quinn on the re-release of “HOW IT ENDS”) to touring in both Canada and the United States. Having our first big single – the original release of “HOW IT ENDS” – cross over 2 million streams on Spotify is still one of those “pinch me” moments that we’re incredibly proud of.
Your music blends Active Rock, Alternative Metal, and Post-Hardcore, and you describe yourselves as “your favourite alt-metal boyband”—how did that identity come together, and what does it mean in practice? How do you balance those influences without losing a cohesive sound?
It was just a very natural evolution of the band. We knew out of the gate that we wanted to create works that were more than just standalone “rock songs” – we wanted to create experiences that would bleed over from the music to the visuals, and to the stage. Our goal has always been to make music that is honest & visceral and present it in a way that includes our listeners and gives them the feeling of being a part of the journey.
To add to that, each of our members has been a lead vocalist in previous projects so we have the benefit of creating our art around strong vocal performances (much like 90’s boybands).
You’ve shared the stage with bands like Finger Eleven, Danko Jones, and Crown Lands, just to name a few—what have you picked up from those experiences, and are there any lessons from those experiences that have shaped how you approach your own shows?
There’s a much higher level of production and professionalism that you get to observe directly when you get those types of opportunities. We’ve learned to expand our band family, put more time and attention into our presentation, and really lean on our team to make sure that we’re able to give the best version of ourselves every time we step on stage.
Your new single, “o’dear”, explores the tension between being defined by outside forces versus defining yourself—how does that theme reflect where you are as a band right now? Was there a specific experience that sparked the idea for this track?
When we initially started writing “o’dear”, it really felt like a continuation and an evolution of what we were trying to accomplish on “VII // SINS”. It almost feels like a summation of the overall narrative from VII – dealing with our feelings about faith/religion, social structures, and our search for meaning and understanding.
You have an upcoming show with Coheed & Cambria on July 14 at Hard Rock Live in Ottawa – what does a show like that mean for you at this point in your journey?
It’s another incredible opportunity to learn & grow – this time from one of the best, theatrical bands in the business. Getting the opportunity to work with both Hard Rock Live & LiveNation has also been a big goal of ours so we’re really looking forward to showing them what we’re capable of.
Tell us about your live performances? What can fans expect from a CEVILAIN show?
Our performances are high energy, emotional, and connective. We aim to put together cohesive experiences that really tell our story and bring together everyone in the audience.
If you could open for any band for a full tour, who would it be and why?
I think the obvious answer would be THREE DAYS GRACE . They’ve been such a massive influence on all of us since a young age and having released a track with Adam Gontier (“AVARICE // WARS”) it would be a great opportunity to present that track live with his involvement.
Pay It Forward – Are there any new rock bands (other than yourselves) that you think deserve attention right now and why? (Bonus points if they are Canadian!)
There are so many incredible, independent Canadian bands out there that truly deserve all of the success – and attention – in the world. Double Experience, Excuses Excuses, and Steady Rain immediately come to mind. They’re all amazing – CANADIAN – artists that have become incredible friends.
What’s next for the CEVILAIN? What are your plans for the rest of 2026?
We have an EP coming out this fall that serves as a direct follow-up to the album we released last year (“VII // SINS”) with “o’dear” as the first single . There’s a couple really great surprises on this new EP that we don’t want to spoil just yet and we’re aiming to be very active on the performance front this year – so keep an eye out!
PS – you might want to mention that the band is playing May 8 at TurboHaus – Montreal, QC
