Pelican

Formed in Chicago in 2001, Pelican brings together Trevor de Brauw, Bryan Herweg, Larry Herweg and originally Laurent Schroeder-Lebec around an almost entirely instrumental post-metal sound at the crossroads of doom metal, sludge and post-rock. Their writing is marked by massive riffs, often slow tempos and a dense melodic approach. Pelican first drew attention with the Pelican EP (2001) and Australasia (2003), then broadened their scope with The Fire in Our Throats Will Beckon the Thaw (2005) and City of Echoes (2007), where song structures became more direct without losing their atmospheric quality. Initially associated with Hydra Head, Pelican later joined Southern Lord and released What We All Come to Need in 2009, featuring guest appearances by Greg Anderson and Aaron Turner. A fixture on both metal and indie stages, Pelican tours regularly across North America and Europe, appearing at festivals such as Roadburn and Dunk. After Laurent Schroeder-Lebec left in 2012 and was replaced onstage and subsequently in the band by Dallas Thomas, Pelican recorded Forever Becoming (2013) and later returned with Nighttime Stories (2019). Laurent Schroeder-Lebec rejoined Pelican in 2022, restoring the founding lineup.