OFFICIAL RELEASE: 9.29.2017

A progressive rock band from Portland, Maine. The term “progressive rock” is used with reluctance in their case, though, as most of their music seems to defy genre. Imagine that the love child of Jeff Buckley, The Mars Volta, and Incubus started making music. Then, somewhere along the way, it had an affair with Queens of the Stone Age. The offspring of that relationship then started making its own music, and it was under the name Five of the Eyes.

In early 2017 they recorded their first full-length album, The Venus Transit, released on 9.29.2017. Produced and engineered by Jonathan Wyman at The Halo, the new album musically picks-up where the band left off with their self-produced sophomore EP Hierophantasm. However, with Wyman acting as both producer and engineer, the songs off The Venus Transit soar to stunning new heights, previously unachievable in the confines of the band's home studio. The flawless fidelity, matched by equally impressive performances by all five members, makes for a listening experience unlike anything that the band has produced to date.

Mastered by grammy award winning engineer Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering Studios, the album is an impressive sonic journey that will appeal to music lovers of all types. To try and pigeonhole the band into one genre would be to do them a massive disservice, because while they tend to toe the prog-rock line, Five of the Eyes have dedicated themselves to creating a sound and aesthetic that is uniquely their own. Now with a stellar new album under their belt, a fall tour on the books, and a hunger to be heard, these five small-town boys are ready to take on the world one face-melting show at a time.

“Coming at you with explosive beauty, the lead song, Atmosphere, transports you to an ethereal plane of existence. Having accomplished that elusive task that has baffled failed songwriters for generations, the album then far exceeds the standard set by the first track.”

— Moshpit Nation

““These songs are carefully crafted and smartly arranged, and while some parts are indeed jawdroppingly virtuosic, the real feat is their ability to weave it all together as seamlessly and intentionally as they have here.””

— Portland Phoenix

"Wasteland"

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“Making ‘The Venus Transit’ with Five of the Eyes was one of those rare records where everyone’s enthusiasm and genuine excitement for the process kept fueling these amazing performances and ideas, which in turn got everyone even more excited... it was this feedback loop of awesome fueled by fuzz pedals and beer. The band came in with a perfect balance of preparedness and willingness to venture off the path when the opportunity arose, and the result, in my opinion, is a passionate, focused, and brave record.”

— Jonathan Wyman, The Halo Studio

CONNECT WITH FIVE OF THE EYES

Copy and Paste Links:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fiveoftheeyes

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0qPP0sMtpBy0mAJLln6cuk

Instagram: http://instagram.com/fiveoftheeyes

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChhusWDZdJtCYzoZMbPwlaA/videos

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fote-ep/id965568110

Twitter: https://twitter.com/fiveoftheeyes

Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/5oftheeyes

BIOGRAPHY:

Five of the Eyes first formed in early 2013 when Tim Meehan (guitar) moved to Portland and was looking to start a project with his brother, Thomas Meehan (bass). Friends Peter Griffith (drums) and Ned Rich (guitar) were quickly brought into the fold as they had been playing with Thomas for many years in a group called Chaos Sauce. Sessions with the quartet began immediately and it was obvious to everyone that something unique and truly exciting was happening. After a few months, songs were beginning to take shape, but one piece seemed to be missing…a vocalist. Thomas had someone in mind who might be the perfect fit, and sent over an early instrumental demo of the song “Isabella” to local Portland musician Darrell Foster. Darrell had performed with John Popper and collaborated with Thomas Waterhouse (Last Chance to Reason) and Mike Lessard (The Contortionist). His previous bands, Nira May, Mother Leopard, Foster & Ulitz, and Paper Tails, had opened for renowned acts such as Lake Street Dive and London Souls. Within hours of receiving “Isabella”, Darrell responded with a single vocal take. Once the band heard it, it was obvious: Darrell was in. Rehearsals began immediately and creative output quickly blossomed.

In the next couple of years, the band wrote, recorded, performed continuously, and released two EPs, FOTE and Hierophantasm, both of which were completely self-recorded and produced. In the summer of 2015, they embarked on a tour of the Eastern US and had the pleasure of opening for such acts as Red Sun Rising, Spirit Animal, Dubé, Rival Sons, Chon, The Contortionist, Auras, Intronaut, Moon Tooth, Paranoid Social Club, and Entheos.

In 2016, the group began writing songs for their first full-length album. They spent the winter of ’16 and ’17 rehearsing and refining the new material, which was the result of four years of a relentless pursuit of progression both as a songwriting and performing unit. Finally, in May of ’17, Five of the Eyes went to the best studio in Maine, The Halo. Together with producer Jonathon Wyman, they recorded and mixed The Venus Transit in twelve days. Wyman pushed the band to experiment sonically, to be decisive creatively, and to perform at a high level. The result exceeded the band’s expectations, and they were thrilled. The record was mastered by Adam Ayan of Gateway Mastering Studios in Portland, Maine, and a release date was set for September 2017. The Venus Transit sees the band finding their sound and pulling no punches along the way. It definitively establishes Five of the Eyes as a force to be reckoned with; both live and in the studio.

“FOTE is a band that is aggressively mesmerizing. Their sound pulls its spirit from The Mars Volta, and their fiery passion shines and sparkles on their single “Isabella” (seriously, YouTube it.) With soaring falsetto, churning bass and franticly focused drums, this song gives you about two minutes to get your feet under you before knocking you back down. Culminating in a cacophonous and hair-raising orchestration of guitar-driven madness riding on the back of the low-end salsa dancing beast that is bassist Thomas Meehan’s groove. The energy and talent are there, they’re solidified in their convictions, and every note is there for a reason.”

— Portland Phoenix