IVY GARDENS Live Off The Floor Sludge Rock Album "Death of Don Valley"


Niagara Falls, Canada's Ivy Gardens is unveiling their lush-sounding, raw and live off the floor sludge rock storytelling album "Death of Don Valley" as they prepare to hit the road across Canada in support of its release on August 29th, 2025 via Paper Cut Recordings.

Before it officially drops, the trio has teamed up with Bravewords for its full stream premiere, which can be heard HERE.

The band comments on their sophomore album:

"Death of Don Valley is the record we had inside us, but couldn’t quite articulate for several years. Musically, it’s a huge leap in a more experimental direction. It’s about death, decay, and the ultimate destruction of the world around you. Everybody knows of some sort of small natural space that gets slowly encroached upon until only a shell remains. The pond beside the highway, the wetlands behind the factory. The Don Valley in Toronto is one such natural feature, slowly tainted by industrialization until it can’t support any of the life that it used to. After touring for several years, we grew a lot as musicians, and only after really honing all of this material live for about a year, we felt we were ready to get it tracked and send it into the world. We recorded everything live off the floor, and Frank, our engineer, had heard nothing beforehand and had no idea what we actually sounded like going into it. Eventually, he asked us, 'How do you determine what becomes a 2-minute song, and what becomes a 9-minute song?' Pure instinct, Frank. Here it is."

Formed in the unlikely crucible of a Princess Auto parking lot, Ivy Gardens began with a simple desire to shred through Rush instrumentals and explore the outer reaches of heavy music. Now, following their acclaimed first full-length "Goon" released in 2024, the band takes a daring leap into more dour, experimental terrain. "Death of Don Valley" presents a concept album steeped in decay, lyrically and sonically portraying the slow death of natural spaces like Toronto’s Don River, drowned by industry and time.

Ivy Gardens' influences are vast, ranging from progressive icons like Rush, Yes, and King Crimson to sludge pioneers like EYEHATEGOD and Iron Monkey. Their sound blends elements of stoner metal, sludge, math rock, and progressive rock, creating an unpredictable listening experience that takes the listener through a series of emotional and sonic landscapes.

Fans can expect a live experience unlike any other as Ivy Gardens is hitting the road for a cross-Canada tour in kicking off on August 29th in St. Catharines, ON, and will wrap up in Victoria, BC on October 25th (dates listed below).

"Death of Don Valley" (out August 29th) is available for pre-order at https://ivygardens.bandcamp.com/​

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/1TBuI2vFSltCNhiHdHnz01

Ivy Gardens - Live or Die Tour:​

Aug 29 - St. Catharines, ON - Warehouse Concert Hall 
Aug 30 - Toronto, ON - Monarch Tavern 
Sept 5 - Kitchener, ON - The Golden Apple 
Sept 12 - Windsor, ON - Phog Lounge 
Sept 13 - Sarnia, ON - AJs Bar 
Sept 14 - London, ON - Grogettes Living Room 
Sept 18 - Halifax, NS - Radstorm 
Sept 19 - Sydney, NS - Daniels Ale House 
Sept 20 - Charlottetown, PEI - Babas Lounge 
Sept 21 - Moncton, NB - Generator Show 
Sept 25 - Woodstock, NB - Montieth Manor 
Sept 26 - Montreal, QC - Turbo Haus 
Sept 27 - Quebec City, QC - Sonum 
Oct 9 - Barrie, ON - CW Coops 
Oct 10 - Sudbury, ON - Townhouse Tavern 
Oct 11 - Thunder Bay, ON - Black Pirates Pub 
Oct 12 - Winnipeg, MB - Bulldog Event Center 
Oct 16 - Regina, SK - The Cure Kitchen and Bar 
Oct 17 - Saskatoon, SK - The Black Cat 
Oct 18 - Calgary, AB - Palomino 
Oct 19 - Edmonton, AB - Blak Bar 
Oct 23 - Kelowna, BC - Dunnenzies 
Oct 24 - Vancouver, BC - Black Alley 
Oct 25 - Victoria, BC - Fernwood Community Center



Track Listing:​

1. 12 Million Bar Blues (4:43) 
2. Boner (5:27) 
3. Chlorine (1:52) 
4. Black Sand & Gold (0:57) 
5. Lamb (2:01) 
6. Stoic (3:14) 
7. Goon (3:22) 
8. Shattered Glass (1:45) 
9. Provider (5:37)

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