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DEXTRESS was formed in 2011 when guitarist Mark Janz met lead vocalist Jackson Taylor at a local church youth group. The two 13 year olds bonded immediately, being the only kids in Guns N' Roses t-shirts and with hair that hung past their ears. Envisioning a rock band with the delirious fun of Van Halen, anthemic precision of Def Leppard and all smeared with the back alley grime of Skid Row, they teamed up with bassist Christian Garcia and drummer Marcos Rodriguez.

“I remember selling DEXTRESS t-shirts and demo CDs to my fellow classmates out of the back of my black '92 Dodge Stealth in the school parking lot, resembling something of a clandestine high school drug deal!” guitarist Janz laughs, but that kind of determination led to a showcase for Landmark Events in Calgary and from there DEXTRESS were hooked up with Queensrÿche producer Glen Robinson, who would mastermind the band’s first, and sadly, only album.

Enthusiastically received, this excellent self titled release wasn’t enough to stop Garcia and Rodriguez exploring new creative and personal opportunities, but the original core of the group wasted little time in bringing in new talent. Bassist Eric Paulin fresh from Calgary outfit Lucid Scream and drummer Keith Runco, who had made some serious moves with Edmonton act Alterra, breathing new life into DEXTRESS. And then, disaster struck, Jackson Taylor being forced to attend to a personal matter that led to him having to end his time with the band.

With Keith Runco’s brother Reece taking on bass duties, Eric Paulin was freed up to move behind the mic and from May 2017 until when COVID-19 changed the world for us all the foursome of Janz, Paulin and the Runco brothers would keep the DEXTRESS name alive. However, with new opportunities opening up for all concerned it was decided it was time for the band to be laid to rest. And what better celebration could there be of their legacy than to relive what made them so damn special in the first place - that phenomenal album they created re-envisioned!