Scorpion Deathlock is a fully realized manifestation of the Golden Age of Wrestling’s ambient electro-pop ethos.
No one has done more to raise the profile of Vancouver’s music scene over the last five years than Jeff Cancade. Amongst his social media mentions about his ‘gaylien’ electro-pop project, Devours, or his ‘glambient’ alter ego, the Golden Age of Wrestling, Cancade makes sure there are just as many posts about upcoming hometown shows and hotly anticipated releases in support of his Vancouver peers.
As the Golden Age of Wrestling gears up to drop his third album, Scorpion Deathlock, I hope that Cancade’s contemporaries return the favour and champion his work on their platforms. Though not a creative leap beyond his already proven formula of ambient atmospherics, electronic textures, and video game cracks and pops, Scorpion Deathlock is the Golden Age of Wrestling’s most fully realized manifestation.
Previous releases Tombstone Piledriver (2020) and Crossface Chicken Wing (2022) are both imbued with the wistful nostalgia for the 90s that’s always been at the heart of the Golden Age of Wrestling. The opening track of the latter, “i miss eating big league chew and watching nitro in the basement of your old house,” wore its sentiment firmly on its face via its title; on Scorpion Deathlock, Cancade brings a more nuanced narrative to his instrumentals. Partly inspired by life in pandemic isolation, Cancade says the album “offers a glimpse into the lives of a disparate group of strangers, overcoming stages of grief and searching for a new beginning.”
It’s not easy for instrumental music to impart a sense of narrative cohesion. Still, Cancade’s approach (building connection through elements, ambience, and vibe, interspersed with tendrils of melody and rhythm) succeeds because he leaves room for listeners to bring their experience and perspective to the mix. It’s the secret sauce of Cancade’s success in plain sight: make room for others to bring their talents, experiences, and outlook to the table, and everyone’s work benefits.
