The Kindred Streaming ENTIRE "Life In Lucidity" Album

From the earlier days of The Kindred, I was introduced to these guys when they went by the name Today I Caught The Plague.  Now the one thing I was not a fan of growing up in the CK music scene was bands that changed their name once a week to reflect the kind of music they were into at the time.  PICK A BAND NAME AND STICK WITH IT!  That being said, I am not sure what prompted the change in band name for these guys.  The explanation given in a press release was as follows:

Yes, that's right. After 5 years of touring and creating music under Today I Caught the Plague, we have collectively decided it's time to move on. This is a choice we've made as a group and is definitely one we had some difficulty making, although we are happy we made it. There have been no changes to members and no plans to stray away from our style of writing and performing music. We are still the same people, with the same creative ideas and aspects that have led you to believe in our music over the last 5 years. We will now, and for the rest of time, be known as...THE KINDRED.



Generally it is hard to bounce back from a name change especially when you have established yourselves as a group for some time and not necessarily changing the style or members (as said in the press release).  Whatever the choice was for them (maybe record label advice), they had an immense turn around.  The group changed their name, finished their debut album as The Kindred, and were even signed to Sumerian Records; one of the metal industry's top growing labels.

This being said, our "debut" album under "The Kindred" is DONE. We have been back from the studio for a little over a month now and couldn't be happier with the result. The album was engineered and produced by John Paul Peters at Private Ear Recording in Winnipeg, Manitoba over the course of a month and a half and is undoubtedly our strongest effort to date. A huge thanks to JP and all the extra musicians who were able to make this the best experience we have ever been a part of and to all the people that helped us along the way. We are forever grateful.

The first single, "Decades" was released shortly afterwards and gave fans some peace of mind as to what sound the group was now going for.  So below is the rest of their debut album "Life In Lucidity", which was released on February 25th, 2014 via Sumerian Records.



The Kindred is:

Dave Journeaux – vocals | Ben Davis – guitar | Steve Rennie - guitar

Mike Ieradi - drums | Eric Stone - bass guitar | Matt Young - keyboard

Right off the bat, it’s brilliantly clear that the main strength and driving force behind this ensemble is frontman Dave Journeaux. From the first word, through numerable high notes executed perfectly and lurid byways, Dave’s voice is simply unique. He can be compared to several big names, but it’s unneeded. Dave possesses a certain quality that is intriguing; he sounds pained but excited, motivated by some hurt, to take on the world. The result is disturbing and intriguing. -Heavy Blog Is Heavy



The first word that comes to mind when listening to The Kindred’s sophomore record, ‘Life in Lucidity’, is extreme. Everything, from the guitars to the drums and vocals, has a very hyperactive flavor to it. Even the brass passages on tracks such as the opener, ‘Wolvish’, feels so upbeat and chaotic at times. That is truly what makes Life in Lucidity such an interesting record, as there are many twists and turns that can pummel you straight into the ground. That is, if you truly have the patience for it. Mathy passages, shrill vocals, ominous synth leads, the aforementioned synth, and catchy yet simplistic drums, mixed with a heavy dose of progressive rock nuances, Life in Lucidity is quite the adventure. -Rise Above The Anchor



It is simply a refreshing sound. I mean I love all types of metal (from groove to deathcore, alternative metal to some radio bands) but this kind of progressive, melodic sound without the cut-and-paste, air-brushed aspect, is hard to come by. The sound on this album is powerful. I love the way in which The Kindred have melded metallic-operatic vocal-stylings with such exact instrumentation. -Metal Riot



I had the distinct pleasure of seeing The Kindred open up for Intronaut, Deafheaven, and Between the Buried and Me a little over a week ago at Empire in Springfield, Virginia. I’ve never seen a club that small so packed. It wasn’t just a show, shows end up being a simple statement summed up in just one word: “good”. No, no, this was an experience brimming with energy and passion that is rarely seen at metal shows these days. I had never heard of The Kindred up until that moment and after seeing their live performance their latest album, Life in Lucidity, immediately rocketed to the top of my most anticipated records of the year. -Music Review



The group wastes no time in showcasing their wide array of styles they utilize as the album begins with "Wolvish", and instantly catches you with a few notes that could have easily been tossed into Sergio Leone's saga of "Man With No Name" films, and then quickly moves into a bouncing and fun, yet intricate riff as the album really kicks off. The song soon transitions into what very well should be a sung in the most depressing 1920's speakeasy of all time. This track is a decent indicator of what's to come as far as extensive mood changes, progressive tendencies, and powerful vocals. -Sputnik Music





Their scope is undeniably wide, and Lucidity’s best moments arrive via The Kindred’s willingness to go over the top. That leads to some fun and great songs, but hubris can only take a band like this so far. Serving a little spoonful of a lot of dishes can still leave your guests hungry. -Metal Sucks