Verbal Deception

In the world of metal, there are more sub genres than models in a General Motors showroom.

Progressive metal, pop metal, power metal, shock rock, industrial metal, stoner metal, death metal, nu metal, grindcore and metalcore being performed around the world.

Thanks to Lethbridge native Walt Fleming and his band Verbal Deception, pirate metal has its own southern metal practitioners.

Verbal Deception started flying the pirate metal flag when Fleming, guitarist/vocalist Kresho Klarich and their old drummer Taylor Pierce were rehearsing in a Lethbridge basement while still attending high school four years ago.

Fleming, a keyboardist related to Lethbridge’s Kaufmann family, was experimenting with a new patch called the Bandoneon, which simulates the sound of an accordion-like instrument first developed in Germany in the 1800s and used in tango music.

Pierce made a comment the music sounded like pirate metal and soon they wrote one of their first songs, Pirate Attack, around that theme.

Since then, several members have come and gone, including bassist Terry Baldwin, who performed on Verbal Deception’s recently released disc, Aurum Aetus Piraticus. Baldwin, who returned to his old band Caveat, has since been replaced by Matt Petti.

Verbal Deception has created a whole pirate theme, including its own coat of arms.

Fleming, who was 14 and an aspiring filmmaker when he left Lethbridge for Calgary with his mother, had only developed a passion for metal two years before he helped found Verbal Deception.

At the time, he was listening to a lot of folk metal, particularly Helsinki band Finntroll.

Now 19, Fleming is an accomplished player whose progressive keyboard sounds give the music an almost Yes-like sound.

Verbal Deception’s music blends gypsy and Arabian melodies with progressive keyboards, driving guitars and gutteral vocals. It’s an intriguing mix of sounds and Verbal Deception’s musicianship make their debut an incredibly strong album.

Recorded at Sundae Sound Studios in Calgary, Aurum Aetus Piraticus sounds like the work of veteran metalheads, not guys in their late teens and early 20s. It is currently at No. 1 on Lethbridge’s CKXU 88.3 FM loud chart.

The album took more than a year and a half to write.

“Every time we came up with an idea, we played it until we were bored and made revisions,” Fleming recalled.

The album is currently available at Blueprint Entertainment in Lethbridge.

The music has taken the band to the U.S. where it recently played Cleveland, Detroit and Chicago.

“The reception was great,” says Fleming.

The band is planning a tour of Ontario and Quebec with dates perhaps in B.C. and want to hit a few European festivals next year.

By Al Beeber
(July 20th, 2006) - The Lethbridge Herald

Genre: Metal
Label: Self-production
Playing time: 49:48

Tracklist:
1. Pirate Attack
2. Jewels Of The Dead
3. Halls Of Illusion
4. Northern Shores
5. Pieces Of Eight
6. The Scarab
7. High Seas
8. The Watcher
9. The Temptress
10. Voyage
11. Under The Black Flag

I really wonder, if in the times of the “Pirates Of The Caribbean“ hype there might not be some room for a Metal band as well to benefit from the pirates you can see virtually everywhere. Enter VERBAL DECEPTION from Calgary. Yes, Calgary is not necessarily renowned for their extensive beaches and a pirate-infested past, but that has not stopped the band around singer/guitarist Kresho Klarich and keyboarder Walt Fleming to build their own, not being far off with their self-given categorization of “Pirate Metal“.

What strikes right away when seeing their full-length debut “Aurum Aetus Piraticus“, is the attention to detail in the packaging. Not only do we get a thick, well done booklet, which contains the lyrics and also a story, connecting them, but also a map following the course of the album, looks damn good, showing that they approached the whole thing very professionally.

Musically VERBAL DECEPTION also mostly elude the common categorizations, for even though Kresho’s voice more resembles a hoarse rasp than real singing or Death Metal growls, one can’t pin the guys to a certain sound, as they do not only cleverly vary the tempos, but also stylistically take their ingredients from several pots, crowning everything with a pirate atmosphere, which is induced by Walt’s keyboard work, which had switches to accordion every now and then.

Here and there the songs also take on a more progressive hue, which makes a few of the tracks a bit less accessible, but at the same time also extends the life time, just like several oriental and Eastern European sounding melodies bring in an additional own touch. It is hard to pick out single songs, but I think as check out tips I should recommend “Halls Of Illusion” (which alternates between slow-paced and more driving), “High Seas” (enriched with some oriental melodies) and “The Temptress“ (a bit slower paced, but some true story-telling).

A well rounded and well done album, which will not appeal to everybody, mostly due to the vocals, but has a lot of potential to appeal to a wider listenership, all the while having a certain originality to it as well, which sets them apart from many of their peers.

Yarrrr!!!

By Alex Melzer
(Online July 26, 2006) - The Metal Observer

Making instrumental music sound piratey is commonly done with squeeze boxes and banjos, as is demonstrated by a whole range of traditional sea-shanty artists. It is also commonly done with orchestras, as can be seen in an assortment of swashbuckling movie soundtracks. But to make music piratey utilizing rock band-era electric guitars and drums, and to do so before a single "I'm a pirate" type lyric is even uttered, is another trick entirely. Few bands try, let alone succeed.

In their first full-length CD, Aurum Aetus Piraticus (Gold makes Pirates Happy, according to my sub-par latin skills), the pirate band Verbal Deception brings on a full broadside of aggressive metal music ripe with lyrics of villainy at sea, and with instrumentals seething of fantasy and distant lands. And on occasion, they even strike those brilliant but illusive pirate instrumentals. And when keyboards and electric guitars manage to sound piratey, it's a beautiful thing indeed!

The album opens with surf and seagulls, quickly overpowered by gently creepy keyboards and drums. The pace picks up as guitars and vocals - with occasional insertions of more seagulls, and cannonfire - come in to sing of bloodlust and piracy. The vocals are the deep growls - more spoken than sung - that one often associates with metal music, and something I freely admit being largely unaccustomeed to. If you are also amongst the unintiated when it comes to headbanging, then be warned that there is a learning curve. But I found this curve to be surprisingly brief, and I was developing an appreciation for the angry pirate lyrics much sooner than I would have expected. This first song, "Pirate Attack," contains elements of dockside tavern music hidden beneath the more modern metal elements, albeit translated through electric instruments. Very fun, and surprisingly piratey.

The next three tracks, "Jewels of the Dead," "Halls of Illusion," and "Northern Shores," continue a tale of piracy, dementia, and war - a tale that's supplemented by journal entries in the CD liner. The lyrics contain many pirate elements, although the music itself lends more towards fantasy. Frequent use of metal guitar and keyboards makes for an ongoing "rock epic" soundtrack of a story that doesn't fully exist (perhaps that's the job of the listener.)

"Pieces of Eight" is the album's lone instrumental piece. Highly energized, it suppliments its metal foundations with fantasy and just a hint of piracy.

"The Scarab" is my least favorite on the album, mainly in that the lyrics leave me scratching my head. Something about a beetle. But then, the lyrics also claim the singer is drinking rum, so maybe I understand after all. The music is one of the more straight-metal sounding on the album, without much fantasy or piracy in the mix. Lots of guitars.

"High Seas" returns us to more familiar content. A brief taste of traditional-sounding (as opposed to electric) guitars provides a nice change of pace before the lyrics chime in with imagery of galleons, beaches, and death. The music speaks of danger and adventure. "The Watcher" then takes over and speaks of a great beast beneath the waves. Again an adventurous song, although the subject matter might have called for something a little slower and more powerful. Still, the second half of the song chimes in with some fun instrumentals.

"The Temptress," clocking in at a full eight and a half minutes, is a tale of feminine guile. The music focuses extra heavily on speedy guitar work, although it's nicely accompanied by middle-eastern inspired keyboards.

"Voyage" brings us the most piratey song yet, overflowing with "yo ho hos" and "yarrrs." The instrumentals aren't overtly piratey, but combined with the lyrics they become terribly catchy. A very fun song for those who want to endulge in that "bursting with piracy" feeling.

"Under the Black Flag" opens with a delightful return to the pirate-tavern tunes we heard at the album opening - not the same tunes, but a new piratey batch. This nine-minute epic then continues on with more aggressive guitars and fantasy-inspired keyboards. It is also nicely complimented by a few chords of traditional piano, cannonfire, and wonderfully piratey lyrics. The album then concludes with thunder and raindrops.

Aurum Aetus Piraticus is a terribly exciting listen. Fans of piracy and metal music would do well to buy it without hesitation. Fans of pirate music, however, should consider more carfully. If you're all about the sea shanties, this album isn't for you. But if you're like me, and are excited to explore pirate music of all genres, then Verbal Deception can make for a rewarding change of pace. I've never been a fan of metal, but I find myself listening to this album more and more. And while the lyrics still take some getting used to, they work well with emotionally-charged, epic instrumentals overflowing with adventure and mystery.

By Gerard Heidgerken
(Online August 6, 2006) - Bilgemunky.com

At first, when I got an email from Verbal Deception, I thought it was a band not happy about a review I wrote.

Not the case since its their name and their music won't be directed to the firing squad!

Hailing from Calgary (Canada) this young band has four members on board: Kressho Klarich (guitars& vocals) Matt Petti (bass), Jordon Bourgeault (drums) and the young (19) keyboardist by the name of Walt Fleming. This music got called Pirate Metal which is refreshing and true, no doubt about it! Seas, crusades and all of the pirate world is present, even a map of the voyage of the deception on the oceanus atlanticus is included.

Music wise, they blend together parts of Viking, heavy and some power metal too. Fortunately, the power ones are few and limited to those fast, lead /riffing but not the vocals being actually quite manly. According sounding keys and symphonic ones bring a lot of the pirate/ epic mood but the lead guitar also has its own nice runs with a folk style. I felt the drum & bass where a bit too subdue and a more beefed up production would have been punchier. This music kicks and has a certain theatrical aspect besides, some parts show a progressive touch while, all along the journey, the compositions keep a melodic edge.

Amongst the best destinations: Pieces of Eight (instrumental), High Seas and The Temptress (long lasting composition, progressive with cool guitar work).

8 / 10

By Shadow
(Online August 8, 2006) - HARM Magazine

It's Wednesday, and that means another installment of "Who The Hell Are You?", where we profile indie bands, labels and organizations. This week, we're talking to Verbal Deception guitarist/vocalist Kresho Klarich.

Who are you?
My name is Kresho Klarich. I'm the guitarist and vocalist for Verbal Deception.

Where are you from?
Calgary, Alberta. Everybody wonders about my name, so let's get that out of the way. It's Croatian.

How did your group start?
Three years ago, Walt Fleming, the keyboardist, and I met in high school. Besides being almost the only metalheads in our school, we both had an interest in a lot of the metal music coming out of Europe — bands like Blind Guardian and Bodom. We also really liked Death, so that got the conversation rolling. When he found out I played guitar and I realized he played keyboard, we decided to get together for a jam. Our styles clicked right away and in two sessions we wrote our first song. Our final lineup also includes Jordon Bourgeault on drums and Matt Petti on bass.

Describe your music in 100 words or less.
Well, we call it "Pirate Metal," more as a shortcut to describe both the sound and the lyrical content. We've definitely tried to create a sound that will make you feel like you could be on a pirate ship, ready to blast the shit out of a ship across the water, or in a tavern with a bunch of unruly pirates. Musically, it's definitely influenced by a combination of metal styles. Its foundation is probably more melodic death than anything else, but it has some power metal guitar, and the keyboards add a distinct folk metal flavour. Reviewers have said it's hard to classify, so hopefully we have something fresh to offer.

How was your recent release recorded?
We have a new release called Aurum Aetus Piraticus. That means the "golden age of piracy" in Latin. It was recorded in Calgary at Dave Alcock's Sundae Sound Studio with engineer Al Irving. Dave Horrocks at Infinite Wave mastered it. The recording was spread over quite a few months and interspersed with some raiding to pay for it, and some serious rum-drinking, wench-chasing and cigar-smoking.

How committed are you to making music a full-time career?
This is what I've always wanted — same with my bandmates. We're in it for the long haul.

What is your day job?
I work at a bar and grill called Schooner's — a good fit for a pirate metaller.

Where can people find your music, either on the web or in stores?
We have a list of stores in Canada where you can buy the disc, and you can find that on our website and MySpace site. We also have an online store where you can order it.

What's something we haven't asked about that you'd like our readers to know about your band?
Our CD is a concept album. The 11 tracks are the story of the voyages of the crew of The Deception, a pirate galleon. The adventure starts with a pirate battle in 1703. The story is woven together in a 16-page booklet and with a map so you can track the carnage. And we've included a hidden track. It's a bit of buried treasure. Good luck in finding it… we didn't put it in any of the usual places. The hidden track doesn't rip or burn, so you have to have the original disc to hear it — a little pirate ruse.

By ChartAttack Staff
(Online Aug 16th, 2006) - ChartAttack

Your first full length LP, "Aurum Aetus Piraticus" was released on June 27, how has the ride been since then?

Good, good. Since the album was finished later than we expected, the release date coincided with the day we had to leave to the USA for a short tour. So we kinda missed our own CD release! But the good news was as we were driving across the hot Midwest, the CD was selling well. Locally in Calgary this week (July 22) its number 8 for sales on the Megatunes Top 30 chart, so that's cool and quite a surprise. I'm not sure if they have a lot of metal bands that chart in their top 10. We also got to number 6 on the national LOUD charts for Campus Radio stations last week. There’s only been a few CD reviews so far, but they've been real positive.


With a 16-page booklet and a poster included with the CD, you're really giving the fans more booty for their buck.

Yeah, we had a good time conceiving how the whole thing would hang together. Whenever we hit a few creative walls in the last bit of songwriting or lyric writing for the CD, we would just switch to how we wanted the CD to look and read. Doing that probably helped us finish the lyrics for "The Temptress" and "Under the Black Flag".
One challenge for us was how to handle the hidden track. We just didn't want to do the usual; we wanted it to be a "buried treasure". Its funny, cause we have gotten quite a few emails from fans looking for the “rumored” hidden track. They word their emails carefully cause they don't want us to tell them where it is exactly. They just want a hint or two. One guy thought you had to play the songs in a certain order to “unlock” the track. Wouldn’t that be the shit!


Where did the idea for Verbal Deception come from?

Well, Kresho and I met in high school. We caught each other's attention cause we were pretty much the only guys wearing metal band shirts. He was big into BLIND GUARDIAN and DEATH. I was a FINNTROLL and BODOM fan at the time. We got to thinking that maybe we should see if we could write something together. I invited him along to visit my friend Taylor Pierce who had a drum kit. Then we wrote “Pirate Attack” in two Saturdays. We liked the sound and kept on sailin’.


How did the US tour treat you? Were the people receptive?

We went to the USA on the invitation of some fans that were also in bands down there, so that's how the whole thing got rolling. It was great; we met some cool people. The surprising thing for us is that we had fans showing up! So yeah, never underestimate the power of the Internet and word of mouth to help fans find you.
The others in the audience, especially those who hadn't heard a lot of folk metal – well, first they would stand there and you could see the confused look on their faces and then a few dropped jaws and then a great response as they eventually "got it”. It was my impression that Canadians, or at least Alberta metal fans are more familiar with folk metal and more European influenced metal than most of the audiences we played for in the USA.


What has been the most festive show you've played so far?

In terms of everyone getting into the whole pirate theme, that would definitely have to have been Cleveland. We had quite the reception there! Most of the bands and a lot of the concert goers were all dressed up in pirate gear, people brought all kinds of props, eye patches, swords everything. We were surprised at how easy they all seemed to be with getting into the spirit of things, and what lengths they went to support us. It was kickass!
I think our favorite shows have been our hometown shows in Calgary. The last all ages show we played in Calgary was a real blast. The place was overcapacity with fans we didn’t know we even had! So many Verbal Deception shirts in the audience. Plus we were playing with some of our friends and favorite bands, so it was memorable on a lot of levels.


Would you prefer fans to bundle up in eye patches and peg legs when attending a Verbal Deception show?

Its always great to see fans really get into the spirit of things but ya know, the really important thing to us, is if we can see they’re responding to the music, whether its yelling YARR, or head banging or getting a pit going, that’s what gives us satisfaction. We also get a big charge of being cussed and cursed at, so we give it back to them. Bastards!


Your next show will be at the Ship and Anchor September 20, are there any plans for another tour soon?

Yeah, the show at the Ship and Anchor will be our belated CD release party. We had some dates we were working on for September for Ontario and Quebec but they had to be changed, so we are still working on that and we have some more dates for Alberta and BC to announce shortly.


What is the most amount of rum consumed by Verbal D in one night?

Oh man, that was quite a night. It was at a “forest” party, which is this cool wooded area in Southwest Calgary. - Absolute Underground

In the wintry realms of heavy metal, theme bands are a dime a dozen. Seems like you can’t throw a +1 sling bullet of seeking without hitting a band of sword-wielding beardos dead-set on turning their last D&D campaign into an epic concept album, or walk by a church without spying a spike-shouldered group in pancake makeup (sorry, ‘corpse paint’) set on burning it down for the cover of their next poorly-recorded opus.

But what about pirates? Calgary’s own Verbal Deception have eked out a comfortable niche for themselves, playing a variety of neo-thrash/melodic death metal they have dubbed ‘pirate metal’. A far cry from the sword-and-sorcery epics other groups purvey and a unique idea in and of itself, it seems like Verbal Deception would be the city’s—and the world’s—only Pirate Metallers. Doesn’t it?

“Sadly, no, there’s a band from the ’80s called Running Wild,” says VD drummer Jordon Bourgeault. “They don’t really sound all that pirate-y, but they sing about pirates.”

A big part of what makes Verbal Deception sound so pirate-y is keyboardist Walt Fleming’s choice of sounds. Set up to emulate the sound of the bandoneón, a distant cousin of the accordion, Fleming’s baroque keyboard runs fuel the listener’s imagination as to what a storm-wracked, rum-soaked night at sea might have sounded like.

Apparently, Pirate Metal may soon become a movement unto itself, as VD guitarist Kresho Klarich explains: “We’ve heard about some newer bands that have started since we did. I can’t remember any names, but they thanked Verbal Deception, so I guess we sort of gave them ideas.”

Of course, Pirate Metal, like anything else, didn’t spring fully formed from the heads of the swashbucklers in Verbal Deception. Fleming cites Finnish standard-bearers Children of Bodom and Kreator, while also acknowledging the influence of Argentinean tango, particularly the bandoneón recordings of Ástor Piazzolla, on his writing and playing.

“A lot came from Death, Chuck Schuldiner,” says Klarich. There’s a lot of folk-metal bands that gave us good ideas. There’s also a lot of non-metal interests that we all have.”

It’s not surprising that Klarich lists Schuldiner as an influence; besides the profound impact that Death had on the metal scene as a whole, it’s hard not to draw parallels on hearing Verbal Deception’s first full-length, Aurum Aetus Piraticus. Klarich sings in a half-rasped, half-grunted style that sounds like the death rattle of an old sea dog, struggling to make himself heard through a parched throat and lips cracked with saltwater, feverish and delirious with heat.

The album, whose title loosely—and I mean really loosely—translates from the Latin to ‘The Golden Age of Piracy’, reflects the band’s devotion to their choice of subject matter, which comes over not only in the songwriting and maritime sonics of the eleven tracks (and a bonus track, hidden deep, deep down in Davy Jones’ locker) but also in the incredible detail in the album’s packaging. In addition to a Captain’s Log-style journal entries accompanying the lyrics in the liner notes, Piraticus includes a wonderfully-cartographed map, stained with blood and creased with age and greedy fingers, pieces of eight marking the voyages of the blasted ship Deception through the treacherous waters of the Atlantic Ocean.

This immersion and dedication follows through to the group’s promotion as well: last month, a mysterious green bottle came floating through the BeatRoute office, caked with sand in an ornate compass shape and sealed with red wax bearing a stylized “VD”. Inside was a scroll, burnt, rum-stained and torn, sitting with some tiny seashells; if it weren’t for the MySpace URL at the bottom I’d have sworn it was the real thing.

Part of this can be chalked up to the support of their label, Scarab Metal Productions, whose unflagging devotion to organizing pirate raids on the unsuspecting populace has greatly helped the Verbal Deception camp, rounded out by bassist Matt Petti, who was in Merry Olde England at the time of the interview.

“Scarab Metal has been really good to us,” Fleming says. Adds Bourgeault, “They’re one of the reasons we’re doing so well. Left to our own devices we wouldn’t be doing nearly as well as we are.”

A fledgling band and a fledgling label isn’t typically a combo that spells success, but VD’s ascent to the top of the Canadian campus radio metal charts is a testament to the potency of the pairing.

“They’ve invested in the longevity of our band,” Klarich says. “When a band is at such an early stage, nobody knows all the ropes, so it’s nice to have people behind you who know what they’re doing.”

“We’re selling CDs in other provinces now, and I don’t think that would happen if it wasn’t for the radio support,” Bourgeault says. “This is all without press; we did one interview in Toronto but that’s it, there’s been very little print support since the album came out.”

The group also made their first foray statesid - Beatroute Magazine

Every so often during research for an article I come across something rather odd and surprising.

In other words I learn something new.

(And for the record, "research" consists entirely of scanning my "dog-eared" collection of forum magazines and/or beating my manservant Gary with a rake until something intelligible and loosely related to the topic at hand is emitted from his trembling lips.)

This week it was in conjunction with a story on a heavy metal night with a special Remembrance Day theme.

Now, as someone who has written about all types of music - i.e. stuff that pretty people sing - for the past couple of weeks, it was something of a discovery to learn there is an entire sub-genre in heavy metal called war metal.

At first, I just assumed it was Gary messing with me again, but after a couple of phone calls, it was in fact confirmed that, yes, there is such a thing as war metal.

(By the way, Gary is doing better and should be released this Thursday – thanks for asking.)

The small scene of bands writing songs almost specifically about combat is apparently quite popular in Australia and continues to grow elsewhere, including here in Alberta.

Now, surprising as that was, even more, shall we say, yerfreakinkiddingme-ifying, was the subsequent discovery of yet another sub-genre in the heavy metal world – pirate metal!

Pirate metal! All pirate, all the time – could there be anything cooler?

(OK, maybe ventriloquist metal or, possibly, hobo metal – but still, pirate metal’s pretty damn sweet.)

What’s more, there are, word has it, at least two such bands currently performing pirate metal in the area.

So here’s the deal, if you or someone you know is in a pirate metal band, I honestly and sincerely want you to contact me because I would love to hear your music and write about what it is you do and why.

And please, serious pirate metal musicians only.

By Mike Bell
(November 13, 2005) - The Calgary Sun

There are the Disney-style pirates who chant Yo-Ho-Ho, and then there are the “real” pirates, explains Kresho Klarich, his long, dark hair framing his serious, 19-year old eyes.
He is the lead guitar player and singer for Calgary heavy metal band Verbal Deception, a group that has composed its entire repertoire of songs in tribute to those “real” pirates. And yes, they do call it “pirate metal.”
“We write about actual pirates and the things they did — pillaging ships, pillaging villages, stealing things. We like to sing about it,” says Klarich.
“At first people hear about us and think, ‘OK pirate metal,’ that sounds a little weird. First thing that comes to mind are Disney pirates. We have worked hard to get the point across that we take this seriously — it’s not a joke, we don't dress up like pirates or anything.”
It may sound outlandish, but Klarich and this band of merry metalheads have had no problems securing serious support from peers, fans and the music industry. The group has been drawing about 200 people to their live shows, they are about to release their sophomore CD, titled Aurum Aetus Piraticus, and are heading out on a two-week U.S. tour at the end of June.
It’s a testament to the thriving Calgary heavy metal scene that a group can build their band around such an esoteric concept and still thrive.
“At one point I was really sweating it. I thought ‘oh, man what will people think of this ?’ It’s just not the norm,” says Walt Fleming the band’s keyboard player. But he says he was pleasantly surprised to find the Calgary and Alberta metal scenes were supportive.
“The metal scene is great here. It’s varied and different. Nothing close to the monotonous metal you might in other
Fleming isn’t kidding. According to Terese Fleming, founder of Scarab Metal Productions, a Calgary company that manages bands and promotes local metal shows, Calgary’s heavy metal scene is one of the strongest in Canada.
“When bands play here they are packing out venues, we’re talking 200 or 300 people — there’s probably at least 50 active metal bands in Calgary,” says Terese. “The problem is they don’t get the local coverage or attention they sometimes deserve from media.”
For a musical genre that has often existed outside mainstream acceptance and understanding, on the margins may be just where they like it. And for a genre founded on blistering guitars, anti-Christian imagery and Ozzy Osbourne’s shriek, you might be surprised how far the music has evolved.
Most bands still revel in dark iconography — the long, dark hair remains de rigueur — but the ideas going into the songs have splintered the music into a million subgenres. Today, metal is influenced by everything from folk music, classical, glam rock, blues and symphonic scores.
And pirates.
Klarich says Verbal Deception’s music, based primarily on minor melodic chords, featuring fast, intricate guitar riffs and heavily researched lyrics, is a complex brand of heavy metal — a sub genre that combines European-influenced power and death metal guitar riffs, progressive drumming and gypsy and Celtic melodies.
“We’re trying to make music that isn’t so typical — plus we like pirates,” says Klarich, laughing.
Terese says the most popular types of metal in Calgary tend to be death metal, a genre characterized by erratic time changes, double-bass drums and rapid blast beats; thrash, which is largely based on complex tempo and time changes; and melodic metal, a type that often includes folk and Celtic aspects.
Website AlbertaMetal.net, a kind of online central meeting ground for the province’s heavy metal scene, lists dozens of bands and gigs, and offers a glimpse into the city’s vibrant scene.
On Saturday, nine of those metal acts will come together at the Underground to perform at at the Heidnischer Krieger Metal Fest, Verbal Deception is one of the bands headlining the bill.
The day portion of the program will be open to all ages. Come 9 p.m. the adults-only portion will begin.
Festival organizer Justin Creusot says he expects to sell the festival out.
“We hope to sell at least 300 tickets. There’s interest in the city right now towards metal, especially with the under-18 community,” says Creusot.
The 19-year-old is in two of the bands playing this weekend, Eternal Purgatory, a thrash metal band, and Dark Forest, a band he describes as “viking metal.”
“The main focus of this festival is to unite our different niches — thrash metal, death metal, black metal, and all of the various other forms,” he says. “Not all of the bands in the city get along or like each other because there’s a lot of different types of metal. But that’s the point behind this festival. It’s about uniting the extreme genres.”
One thing uniting most of the bands in Calgary is the feeling they are misunderstood, thanks to lingering stereotypes from the genre’s Spinal Tap-ish past and a somewhat unfounded reputation as - The Calgary Herald

A couple of weeks ago in one of my columns I referred to the existence of a band in the city who performed "pirate metal" putting out an ahay to anyone who could point me in the proper direction.

The direction, subsequent e-mails informed, led to Verbal Deception, who weighed the possibility they were being set up as a punchline (for the record, they weren't) with the opportunity to get the word out.

Or, as member Walt fleming says, "its good to be recognized."

It's hard not to recognize the niche the band has carved out for itself in the local metal community - i.e. a band that writes exclusively about naurtical maurauder themes.

"That's definitely what we're into and it comes out in my writing," says 19-year-old Fleming. "The first couple of jams we yo-yoed back and forth through different genres. We always had that feel so we just continued on exclusively with that pirate feel."

Although not entirely alone in the field - Germany's Running Wild have been around since the '80s - Verbal Deception do it oh so incredibly well.

The band - which is rounded out by Jordon Bourgeault, Terry Baldwin and Kresho Klarich - has already released an EP and is working with dave alcock on a full length, which included tracks such as Pieces of Eight and Under The Black Flag, depicting an epic battle at sea.

Musically, Verbal Deception are accomplished and impressive, incorporating, Fleming says, tango influences and other non-metal elements into their progressive metal sound - something that not only gets out the message their serious musicians, but also they're not putting the pirate thing on as a hokey schtick.

"We're not worried about that because we are serious," he says of perception. "I think when people listen to the music, they'll understand we tried to create a pirate sound. I'm really passionate about this. It's definitely not a joke, but I know people might ridicule the concept.

"Through the music they'll hear we are serious."

You can hear how serious they are when they perform tomorrow night at Brew Brothers.

By Mike Bell
(November 25, 2005) - The Calgary Sun (Sun Media)