The veer union against the grain album download

Canadian hard rock outfit the Veer Union first established themselves in 2009 with their major-label debut, Against the Grain, which introduced their heavy post-grunge style, courtesy of dynamic frontman Crispin Earl. Even as labels and bandmates came and went over the next decade, Earl managed to build a sizable audience and strong band identity through hard touring and some solid chart placements for albums like 2012's Divide the Blackened Sky and 2016's Decade.

The band formed in 2004, when Earl and guitarist Eric Schraeder found themselves living in adjacent rehearsal studios in downtown East Vancouver. The friends had previously pursued music in different bands; Earl contributed songs to Tommy Lee's solo album and fronted the band Everything After, while Schraeder enjoyed a short stint on Hollywood Records with Forty Foot Echo. Finding themselves in need of a change, the duo banded together and retreated to the studio, where they later met lead guitarist James Fiddler and bassist Marc Roots. The Veer Union formed as those two musicians climbed aboard, and the subsequent addition of drummer Neil Beaton allowed the group to tour in support of its brash, gravelly-voiced hard rock.

Initially recording as Veer, they self-released their 2006 debut, Time to Break the Spell. An offer from Universal Records appeared two years later, and the band, now called the Veer Union, made its major-label debut with Against the Grain in April 2009. In spite of the album's decent commercial and chart success, the band was eventually dropped from Universal. Undeterred, the Veer Union released their second album, the heavier and darker Divide the Blackened Sky, via indie label Rocket Science Ventures in the spring of 2012. Prior to their next release, bassist Marc Roots and guitarist James Fiddler both departed, and while former bass tech Winston Wolfe was pegged for touring duties only, the band chose not to replace Fiddler on guitar. Following the release of 2013's Life Support, Pt. 1 EP, the lineup continued to shuffle around, and by the time they'd finished their next LP, Schraeder was gone as well, leaving Earl the sole helmsman.

After a three-year break between releases, Earl introduced an all-new lineup for 2016's Decade, an album that also served to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the band's debut. The celebration continued over the next two years with a bevy of archival and new Veer Union releases, including Best of 2006-2016 (2017), Decade II: Rock & Acoustic (2018), and Decade III: Demos & Rarities (2018). ~ Andrew Leahey & Timothy Monger