Boneyard released their second album, “Black Static”, on 23 October 2026. The Edmonton, Alberta band put the record out digitally and on CD, with a vinyl edition to be announced later. Three singles preceded it: “Before the Fall”, “Compass Points to War” and “Hanging Tree”, the last of which arrived with a western-themed video shot at the Six Pak Saloon, complete with a hangman, a goth cowgirl and gun-slinging showdowns.
Built Around a New Line-Up
The album is the band’s first full-length with bassist Lezzy Osbourne and lead guitarist Garhardt, and drummer Jefftimus says their input shaped the record’s identity. Local listeners, he adds, had been waiting to hear the expanded line-up on a full release.
“Black Static is an extension of Oathbreaker, presenting another diverse collection of songs while highlighting the unique contributions of Lezzy and Garhardt. The new line-up and album differ significantly from Oathbreaker and we can’t wait for fans to hear which direction the band is heading.”
- Jefftimus, drummer
Pamtera Sings and Plays Guitar
Pamtera founded Boneyard in 2015 with drummer Jefftimus and handles lead vocals and guitar. She shares the songwriting with Jefftimus, and the two draw on painful personal experiences and social issues for the lyrics. Lezzy Osbourne joined later on bass and wrote “Left Me To Drown”, one of the heaviest tracks on the album, based on her own experience of toxic and abusive relationships. The band also counts a Métis drummer and LGBTQ+ members among its ranks.
Heavy Topics With a Thread of Hope
Musically, “Black Static” pairs 1980s hard rock and traditional heavy metal with punk and 1990s rock elements.
“We wanted to create something that combined modern hard rock with a female vocalist and traditional heavy metal.”
- Jefftimus, drummer
The lyrics deal with toxic relationships, addiction, homelessness, mental health, grief, war, corruption and human trafficking, though the band weaves resilience and hope through the stories. “Not This Way (Joel’s Song)” tells the true story of a man named Joel through the eyes of his grieving mother, touching on schizophrenia, addiction and homelessness. “Before the Fall” addresses corruption, inequality and war, and its video highlights human trafficking and the disappearances and murders of Indigenous people.
Calgary artist Tom Bagley created the cover art, continuing the visual thread from “Oathbreaker” and featuring the band’s mascot, Misty Bone.
“We give Tom an idea related to Misty Bone and he always hits the bullseye.”
- Jefftimus, drummer
From Self-Released Debut to International Release
Boneyard first gained attention with the independently released “Oathbreaker”, which caught the ear of Italian label WormHoleDeath Records and led to a wider international reissue in 2022, including distribution in Japan. Since then the band has shared stages with 96 Bitter Beings, KingDoom and Deadwolff on the western Canadian rock and metal scene. The band recommends “Black Static” for listeners of Halestorm, Saxon, Doro, The Pretty Reckless and Iron Maiden.
