Sons of Butcher return meatier than ever

Hamilton’s unwashed rock band, born of a cult favourite animated comedy, is back with a new EP and a tour featuring a hometown stop.

Hamilton’s filthiest, funniest, and most fearlessly unwashed rock band is back. Born from the cult animated comedy Sons of Butcher that aired on Teletoon in the mid-2000s, Sons of Butcher have spent nearly two decades building a greasy legacy that blends heavy riffs, absurd humour, and proudly low-brow Canadian charm.

Originally created by Jay and Trevor Ziebarth, along with their partner in crime and ham Dave Dunham (Chore, Don Vail, Not of), the animated series followed three dim-witted but lovable butcher-shop employees who moonlighted as a metal band. The show quickly developed a cult following for its outrageous jokes, crude animation style, and musical numbers that somehow balanced parody with genuinely catchy songwriting. What began as a fictional cartoon band soon became a real one, stepping out of the animated world and onto stages across Canada.

Unlike many novelty acts, Sons of Butcher proved they had the chops to back up the joke. Fronted by Trevor Ziebarth as Ricky Butcher, the band transformed the cartoon’s crude comedy into a live show filled with spandex, shredded guitar riffs, flying pepperettes, and an onstage meat-tray ritual that has become a bizarre but beloved tradition. Musically, their sound lands somewhere between classic metal, power-pop hooks, and full-throttle comedy rock, often compared to acts like Tenacious D, Steel Panther, Spinal Tap, and Psychostick.

Now, after a decade-long hiatus, the band is officially back in the butcher shop. Sons of Butcher returns in 2026 with Skids, a brand-new four-song EP that arrived at the end of March that marks a fresh chapter in the band’s long, greasy history. The record captures everything fans loved about the group’s early material: irreverent humour, big riffs, and chant-along choruses, while delivering their most polished and radio-ready recordings to date. 

The first taste of the EP comes in the form of “Makin’ Bacon,” a high-energy anthem that perfectly sums up the band’s absurd worldview: equal parts metal-riffage and ode to pork-based indulgence.

To celebrate the release, Sons of Butcher have hit the road for their April Fool’s Tour, joining beloved Canadian cult prank performer legend B.A. Johnston for a run of dates across Ontario and Quebec. The tour brings their gloriously ridiculous live show to several cities, including stops in London, Montreal, Ottawa, Hamilton, and Toronto. 

Their hometown stop will be especially meaningful, as on April 17, Sons of Butcher return to the stage in Hamilton at The Corktown for a stacked lineup featuring B.A. Johnston and local metal oddballs Thunderkok. For longtime fans in the city where the band’s mythology first took shape, the show promises to be part reunion, part celebration, and full chaotic rock spectacle. 

Get tickets here and find more information on the band's Instagram and website.