Canada’s VICTORIA LIES Gives You A Sweet Taste of “Truth and Sugar”
Calgary’s cinematic metalcore force Victoria Lies are giving fans a sweet taste of “Truth and Sugar”, the third single from their upcoming debut full‑length “Vendetta,” due out on October 30th, 2026 via Black Cat Records. The track follows the explosive momentum of earlier singles “Weaving Webs” and “Red,” each revealing a different facet of the band’s genre‑bending identity and the dark, evolving universe at the heart of “Vendetta.”
“Truth and Sugar” marks a pivotal moment in the concept album’s narrative, showcasing Victoria, the story’s central character, now hardened, confident, and far from finished. Vocalist Brett Hetherington crafted the track as a duet, intentionally spotlighting the guest vocals from Ari Grey to heighten the emotional tension and expand the sonic palette.
“I really enjoyed writing the lyrics to this song; it was a new challenge for me as I had never written a song that had two lead singers before… This song follows our current‑day Victoria now that she has some experience and confidence. She is far from finished,” adds Brett.
Musically, “Truth and Sugar” continues the band’s commitment to pushing beyond metalcore conventions, melding groove, atmosphere, and theatrical storytelling into a track that feels both intimate and explosive.
First off, care to introduce yourself to our readers?
Hey there! This is Jay, the bass player from Victoria Lies! We are a cinematic metalcore band from Calgary, Alberta.
Tell us a bit about your recent release.
Our most recent release, “Truth & Sugar,” Just dropped with an accompanying music video. The song focuses on our character, Victoria, finding her next mark in a bar, and it features the amazing vocal talent of Ari Grey from the Jacksonville, FL, based band Dancing with Ghosts.
Walk us through your creative process when creating music.
It typically starts with a melody or guitar part proposed by Rory, our lead guitarist. The rest of the band takes that, adds their own parts, and then it gets passed to our singer, Brett.
When writing, we really try to do something different while sticking close to the identity of the album we are writing.
Now that the music is out, what does the ‘road ahead’ look like? Beyond tours and videos, what’s one ‘bucket list’ goal you hope to achieve with this release?
We’d really love to open for a big touring band like Bad Omens or AFI!
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’?
For me, it was during a band I was in before moving from Florida to Alberta. I was on stage, the crowd was electric, and it was just the most fun ever. Seeing people move and enjoy the art you create… nothing tops it.
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?
Godfall, hands down. They are helping carry the metalcore torch in Calgary and CRUSHING it!
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 Victoria Lies live experience?
We are playing a dual-album release show with our great friends, The Astral Prophets, on Oct. 30 at Festival Hall in Calgary!