EUDOXIS band bio (Museum of Canadian Music – article)
EUDOXIS are Canadian thrash metal pioneers who burst onto the live music scene in 1984. Performing in full body armor, metal spikes and backed by the legendary six-foot long stainless steel bass drums, they delivered their material with blood curdling speed and deadly precision.
EUDOXIS are credited as having the longest and loudest bass drums in music history.
The band released their first video “Metal Fix” in 1985 and received much attention by a whole new public as it was regularly aired on MUCH MUSIC’s Power Hour. The momentum kept building as this was followed by the 1986 EP “Attack From Above” (Track listing: 1-Attack From Above; 2-Metal Fix). The 1000 vinyl copies pressed sold out quickly worldwide and left fans drooling for more. The lineup for this classic record featured Rick “Raz” Raczko, bass; Stephane Rioux, drums; Leiv Arnesen, vocals; and Ronnie Theriault, guitars (he had replaced Mark Hill-Anderson who appeared on the 1985 “Metal Fix” video – a different version from the EP).
Personnel changes continued during the late 80s and it almost meant the end of the band. EUDOXIS was resurrected in 1989 with the coming of ex-AXEWRAITH blistering guitarist Mars B. Alexander and screamer/songwriter Sotiri Papafylis.
Alexander, Papafylis, and founding members Raczko and Rioux began writing material for the new album but by the time the recording sessions started, Stephane Rioux had been replaced by ex-DYER’S EVE drummer J.P. Perrault. The song themes for “Open Fire” were strongly influenced by Papafylis’ interest in Greek classics, philosophy, and Freudian psychology. While songs like “Tormented We Fall” and “Progressive Mental Deterioration (Dementia)” dealt with the hostilities of warfare and merciless insanity, others such as “Omnipotent Phantasies” and “Reach The Sun” offered the listener the glory of victory against all odds. This tension between torment and triumph was the driving force behind “Open Fire” and the keystone for the true power of EUDOXIS.
The “Open Fire” tour was unleashed with hell-bent fury in the summer of 1991. From the opening bass chimes of their theme song “The Gathering”, it was evident that the Montreal metal machine was back. EUDOXIS was in top shape and dazzled fans as they executed their craft without compromise. Papafylis, fueled by the electric roar of the crowd, sliced through the stratosphere with his razor sharp vocals: “The limits of sanity? I’ve crossed that border/ And there’s no telling what you’ll find/ Cause there’s no entry to my mind”. Alexander’s skull crushing guitar sound meshed flawlessly with the rhythm section of Perrault and Raczko like thunder and lightning. Perrault, with feverish rapidity, turned drumsticks into sawdust as Raczko left teeth marks on his bass and snapped strings with his bloodied fingers.
Adding to the visual impact of the massive cannon-like bass drums, the tour showcased the elaborate light show masterminded by Pierre “Metal Monk” Gendron (longtime lightman for the band) and the left-handed machine gun rhythm of guitarist Mario Gilles (also ex-DYER’S EVE) who was added to recreate live the record’s dual guitar assault. Gendron and Gilles also appear on the “Reach The Sun” video which was featured at the Los Angeles FOUNDATIONS FORUM ’91. The L.A. heavy metal conference opened doors for EUDOXIS in the U.S.A., Japan, Germany, and Greece.
Back home in Canada “Reach The Sun” was aired on both MUCH MUSIC and MUSIQUE PLUS and along with support from radio stations such as CKUT, CKWR and CRSG, “Open Fire” reached new heights and countless Top 10 Lists. (Track listing: 1- Ultimatum/Open Fire; 2-Tormented We Fall; 3-Progressive Mental Deterioration (Dementia); 4-Omnipotent Phantasies; 5-The Gathering; 6-Reach The Sun; 7- Reflections Of A Lost Past).
Up to this day, “Open Fire” has not only demonstrated an amazing staying power on radio playlists and heavy metal charts but has also spread through word of mouth and the internet to places around the world where the band never distributed their records (i.e. Russia, South America) . Although EUDOXIS ceased to exist in 1993, their legacy remains with their die-hard “E-SQUAD” fans and with the trail of destruction they left behind. Their releases have become treasured classics among metal fans and collectors alike. EUDOXIS continue to be an inspiration and a great influence to a new generation of Canadian metal bands by proving that things get done if you just do them.
Latest news:
In 2018, Eudoxis released the compilation CD “The Gathering” through Ragnarök Records (Germany)
In 2019, Eudoxis reissued “Open Fire” on vinyl through Return To Analog Records (Canada)
In 2020, Eudoxis reunited since disbanding in 1993 and are now working on a new CD entitled “Evil God’s Fetish”
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