Canadian Progressive Death THE CONFLUX COLLECTIVE Unleashes “Devouring Light”
Montreal’s extreme‑metal collaborative force Conflux Collectivehas released its long‑anticipated full‑length album, In the Wake of Saturn. The record marks the resurrection of a project once thought lost to time, rebuilt from the ground up by drummer, composer, and producer Tommy McKinnon (Derelict, Akurion, ex‑Neuraxis, ex‑Augury) after years of dormancy.
The album’s second single, “Devouring Light,” arrives next after the release of the first single and lyric video “Reincarnation.”
This second single showcases the project’s darker, slower, and more groove‑driven side.
“It’s a deep song with many twists and turns… Chase’s guitar mastery shines throughout and is crowned with a beautiful solo. The song itself is a doom-leaning, torturous piece that is a groove-filled and crafty maelstrom of heavy riffs and open chords. The bass line is rich with attitude. The words talk about witnessing an ecological disaster of epic magnitude,” says McKinnon
Conflux Collective began as a spontaneous spark between McKinnon and guitarist Chase Fraser (Continuum, ex‑Decrepit Birth, ex‑Animosity) after a chance reunion in a Montreal fast‑food joint following a King Diamond show. As McKinnon recalls:
“We got talking and realized we actually played together at the San Francisco venue, the Pound… by the end of the first hour, we had a song pretty much done.”
Within six weeks, the pair had written and recorded their debut EP, The Inception (2016). But life’s unpredictability forced the project into years of silence until McKinnon revived it with renewed purpose, reconstructing the album from archived material, new compositions, and a completely DIY production approach.
“This is the first album I ever recorded on bass guitar… I had to figure out every note… it forced me to use my ears and think ‘out of the box.’”
Across eight tracks, “In the Wake of Saturn” delivers a progressive, brutal, melodic, and uncompromising journey through personal upheaval, transformation, and rebirth.
“A journey through pain, fear, defeat, survival, and finally rebirth… a true underground monster, made for those who appreciate and seek the unusual,” adds McKinnon.
Musically, the album fuses the ferocity of ’90s death metal with the precision of modern tech‑death. Lyrically, it channels deeply personal experiences, existential reflection, and the power to alter one’s destiny.
The record features a powerhouse lineup of extreme‑metal vocalists: Jesse Brint (Gross Misconduct), Mallika Sundaramurthy (Emasculator, ex‑Abnormality), Jeffrey Mac Dermott (The Monster Factory, Growlers Choir), Eric Burnet (Derelict, Samskaras), and Max (Derelict), who also contributes a blistering guitar solo.
Conflux Collective was built on the idea of merging diverse extreme‑vocal styles into a single, evolving entity. As McKinnon explains:
“The idea of a ‘collective’ came mainly from featuring many vocalists and bringing together different styles of extreme vocals to create something unique and diversified.”
Though the project has no plans for live performances, The Conflux Collective stands as a testament to collaboration without boundaries, a convergence of some of extreme music’s most creative voices.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
I am Tommy McKinnon, drummer for Conflux Collective. I’ve been around the metal scene for a long time, and I’ve played and toured with many bands, most notably Neuraxis. I’m also the studio drummer for Derelict, a Montreal’s original Death Metal act. We released and album called Versus Entropy, back in 2024 and already have the new album almost done.
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
This new album is called In the Wake of Saturn. It’s an important record for me, since it’s the first time I produce an entire album, compose entire songs and recorded bass and even some guitar. I wrote most of the lyrics, and I am blessed with the amazing collaborative work of not one, but five singers. This album is released independently and is available on all platforms as of June 19th, 2026.
Walk us through your creative process when creating music.
Well, I’d say it depends on the context. As primarily a drummer, most of my work consist in making the music shine and give it momentum. When I work on drum parts I always try to find the best way to bring power and clarity to the riffs, and avoid getting in the way of the vocals at the same time. When I work with a band on arrangements, I’m usually involved in the structuring of songs. I try and offer a fresh perspective and focus on building up tension, as well as outline resolutions. When I’m composing, I can start with either a rhythmic idea, or a few notes on the guitar. Sometimes I hear a melody in my head, and I try to translate it to the guitar. From there, I can figure out what scale or mode I’m in and build the song around that. So in summary, for me there’s always a synergy between spontaneous inspiration, research on the instrument, outside influences and theoretical knowledge. On In the Wake of Saturn, I even composed an entire song on existing drum parts…
Now that the music is out, what does the ‘road ahead’ look like?
As I’m writing this, it’s still early in the promotion cycle. I’d say the future of the band will largely depend on the success and sustainability of this current release. In other words, for those reading this, if you’re eager to hear more, go online and grab a shirt, an LP, a download or anything else to help us out and carry us forward.
Beyond tours and videos, what’s one ‘bucket list’ goal you hope to achieve with this release?
As of now I don’t have any plans to tour. However, this is my first time actually putting something out on vinyl, so I’m hoping it will spin on many turntables all over the world.
Every artist has a ‘lightbulb moment’ where things just clicked. Looking back, what’s the one performance or milestone that made you realize, ‘Okay, this is what I was meant to do’?
That would be my second ever show. I was about 17 years old and my band at the time was hired to play one of my high school friends 18th birthday party. We set-up, played our whole set and a couple of covers and got on with partying. Then later on, I remember Ricky Martin was playing on the stereo, and me and my buddies were like, this sucks, so I walked over to my drums and started soloing over the music. All my friends gathered around my kit and were cheering, and that was it, I thought, if I can get some people excited about my playing in such a way, it’s the best feeling in the world! I just wanted to go on and keep drawing audiences.
We love championing Canadian talent. If you were curating a ‘Must-Listen’ playlist of emerging artists right now, who is the first person you’d add?
I’d say Phobocosm from Montreal, featuring Rob Milley, has been touring Europe quite a bit of late. Even though they’re not exactly a new band, they seem to have gained a lot of momentum as of late. Definitely worth checking them out!
There’s nothing like the energy of a live room. Where can fans catch you on stage next, and for someone seeing you for the first time, what should they expect from a [Band Name] live experience?” Like I said at this time, Conflux Collective is not scheduled to tour. In order to make that happen, I would have to rebuild an entire line-up of incredibly capable musicians. However, I’m working on some new material for a completely fresh project, which I hope to sign and take out on the road. I’ve also been dealing with some training injuries that have prevented me from playing a whole lot in the last few months, so for now I’m focusing on healing, and I take this time away from the drums to develop other skills, such as composing with virtual instruments, mixing, sampling, editing video and images, and even singing. Rest easy, when I’m back on stage, eve