The only thrash metal band in their village, these young musicians are teaming up to fight cancer

When you ask Adam Gallant what thrash metal is, he smiles and gives a simple answer.

"Pure chaos."

Gallant is the lead singer and guitarist of Paranoia, a thrash metal band based in the western Newfoundland community of Lark Harbour. Along with bass player Ryder Walters and drummer John Park, they say they're the only three metalheads in the small fishing town.

Paranoia formed shortly after Walters started at a new school in 2021, with the band members sharing a mutual love of the aggression, speed and complexity of heavy metal.  

"We're just a group of three angry teenagers, and we just get it all out with our music," said Gallant. "It's got something to it that other genres of music just don't touch on, you know?"

Walters said the music has helped him deal with some tough times. In April 2021, Walters was diagnosed with cancer — lymphona with two tumours, one behind his nose and one in his chest.

"It was just pure headaches all the time. Just really bad pain and everything and nose bleeds and coughing up blood," he said.

"We got sent to St. John's to start treatment and do a biopsy. And it wasn't actually lymphoma. It was a type of cancer called nasopharyngeal carcinoma. So that's what I've been treating now ever since then."

His bandmates have been there to support him the whole time, and the three friends lived out their metalhead dreams together on a recent trip to Atlanta. 

Walters was granted a wish through the Make-A-Wish Foundation to see legendary death-metal band Cannibal Corpse. 

Walters, Gallant and Park, along with Walters' parents, arrived at the show in a black stretch limo and were given the star treatment: front row seats just a few feet away from the mosh pit.

"It's mostly people bumping into each other or starting fights, just kicking around, like, body surfing — and that was like the best experience of my life," said Walters.

The band also got to go backstage and meet the band.

"[To] go backstage and to actually sit behind the drummer's drum kit. To be able to hold the bassist's bass, didn't seem real. Still doesn't seem real to me."

Paranoia is on a short hiatus as Walters seeks more treatment for his tumours at the Janeway children's hospital in St. John's.  

But once he's back in Lark Harbour, he'll be back in John's shed — where the trio started playing together in Grade 9 — and back in the studio to finish demos for their debut album. 

Parks says their passion for the band is something they want to share outside their town.

"We're really hoping to be able to spread our music around the island and in all of Canada, and hopefully get it around the world is like the goal."

Through thrash, the three teenagers have formed a strong bond and unforgettable memories. 

"It means everything to me just to have friends that have the same music taste and we get to play together. I've tried making bands and stuff previously, but it just hasn't worked out. Not the right people. But Adam and John, they're just the the perfect people to be in the band with."

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