When A.J. Schmid’s South Osborne apartment went up in flames at the beginning of December 2010, his bandmates in local progressive black metal band Eyam were just happy he and his girlfriend made it out alive.

But they were disappointed to find out that the $1,700 of band money and merchandise they were storing in the guitarist’s apartment had been destroyed in the fire.

“It happened a day before we wanted to get our EP pressed,” bass player Kevin Focht explained earlier this week before embarking on the band’s first-ever tour, a three-show run across Saskatchewan and Alberta.

“It was a little unfortunate … but everything that came out of it ended up being good.”

The band, rounded out by vocalist Chuck Labossiere, guitarist Mike Janssen and drummer Tomi Stangl, have spent the last few months scraping together enough money to press the debut EP.

They’ll release it with a show on Friday, March 11 at Ozzy’s.

“There’s three different things going on at that show,” Focht said. “We’re releasing our EP, it’s our homecoming show after the tour, and it’s a benefit for the money we lost in the fire.

“It’s a good cause and a celebration of the EP and the fact that we’re back in town.”

Indeed, the EP something worth celebrating. Tracked at Bedside Studio with recording engineer Len Milne, the 5-song, 28-minute disc is an impressive effort.

The technical riffs are even more impressive considering the age of the instrumentalists, who are between 19 and 24 years old.

“I’ve released a lot of stuff. This is one of my favourites of all time,” said the bearded Labossiere, who at 39 is a Winnipeg extreme metal veteran, having played with Immortal Possession, Serrated Scalpel and his other current project, Psychotic Gardening.

“The musicianship (in Eyam) is amazing,” he added. “The writing itself – the melodies, the riffs, the drumming – holy shit, I can’t say enough about the talent in this band.”

Focht has equal amounts of praise for Labossiere.

“As far as I’m concerned, he’s the best vocalist in the city,” Focht said.

Even though they’ve barely released their first EP, the band is already looking forward to recording another one this summer.

And in April, they’ll head to Regina to perform at revered metal band Into Eternity’s comeback show.

Three months after the fire, the band realizes whatever doesn’t kill them, makes them stronger.

“Nothing’s going to stop us from doing what we want to do here,” Focht said of Eyam’s future.

“No matter what walls are put up in front of us, we’re going to knock ‘em down.”

Published in Volume 65, Number 21 of The Uniter (March 3, 2011)