Disarmer is the new ep by CANYONEER set to release on October 4th, 2024. On this work the band melds ambience with heavy riff-driven arrangements. Influenced by soundtracks, and genres both inside and outside of metal realms, the result is a melodic and textural style.

My comfort music is admittedly pop-punk, emo oriented music, and I do think this reflects in the melodies through a lot of my chorus sections; While I love metal, I need melodic sections to liven up the usual driven, almost drone like heavier sections, so I try and employ both.

I also love mixing up compositional organization, and long building bridge sections – though sometimes this leads to the music feeling wayward and random. It ends up being a balancing act between what I want I want the audience to hear first, and organizing music the way I want personally.

Joe Henao

The EP’s title track acts as a bridge between previous releases through ambient references to them, while also establishing the tone for Disarmer. Through its slow build-up across the instruments, Disarmer traverses through a journey of soundscapes and textures. This, The Lowest Location is an intriguing example of subtlety in the construction of instrumental layers, with the atmosphere enhanced through synths which may not be distinguishable individually, but play a significant role in the track’s overall sound. Leading into Cont., it extends the presence of This, The Lowest Location‘s ending riff and incorporates some compositional styles Henao has used in previous works.

Steel, Sharpen Steel brings groove and movement through the highly rhythmic and sharp guitar stabs. Early on, the track also contains a brief reference to Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Drawing the EP to a close, The Venice Approach has a personal meaning in that it was completed shortly before Henao’s wedding held in Italy. It is ne of the most highly technical tracks on Disarmer, and also one of the most different in style compared to the songs that come before it.