Originators Jean-Louis Wittinger (guitar/vocals) and Aaron Krause (bass) began their quest for metal supremacy in 1997 with their primitive sounding brain child Faust. Recycling members throughout the years, they slowly refined their sound, eventually adding keyboards to the volatile solution. In 2001, they recruited Will Janssen, who opted out of bachelor study in harpsichord and organ to pursue passionate interests in his own musical career. 2003 once-again brought division to the band, with the departure of drummer Chris Shields. Lykeum, left in want of players who could help them reach a higher creative potential, petitioned William Hill, who jumped at the chance to follow the pathways of metal that he had diverged from in order to study percussion at the University of Manitoba. During this period of focused personnel shift, our troubadours of trauma also decided to use this momentum to seek out a second guitarist to inspire and compliment the already powerful lead unit. After flirting with many talented and worthy axe-men, William Hill suggested the absorption of his long time friend and project partner, Raymond Feldschun. With already five years of slavery and masochism bled into their technically extreme band, Ageless Absolute, these two alienators of the mundane were the perfect pair to take Lykeum to the next level.
The diverse sound of these purveyors of dementia can be traced to other notable projects as well. Vocalist/guitarist Jean-Louis Wittinger appears as Grimmgore with former members of Head Hits Concrete, Seven Plagues, and Martian Grave Robbers, in the, over the top, gore grind foursome Putrescence (www.putrescence.com), currently on No Escape Records of Australia, and Goryfied Records of Sweden. Bass wielding giant Aaron Krause can be caught playing with Serrated Scalpel (www.serratedscalpel.cjb.net), replacing Joe Wiebe as he has parted ways to pursue a life of academia. Keyboard player Will Janssens deep involvement as pipe organist for many a sacred ceremony, as well as his commitment to dramatic musical theatre keeps him as the most theoretically knowledgeable member in Lykeum. Raymond Feldschun, shred king and creative genius behind Ageless Absolute, continues to compose alone in his lonely dungeon, such a body of material, that most is unknown even to his closest friends. Along with the credentials stated above, William Hill passes his torch as a private drum instructor and studies/performs with traditional hand drumming ensembles in the city of Winnipeg.
With the tremendous response and support from the musical community in their new convergence, Lykeum are working hard to take hold of new options in sculpting an original and improved sonic sound-scape. You will know the achievement of their final objection for when it is all said and done all that shall remain are shattered idealisms, the putrid stench of hollowed out posers and a lingering eminence of harmony bending the minds of all those within the cosmos.
