Out of the Way is the solo project of guitarist and composer Eric "Scales" Schaeffer, founded in 2019 in the Greater Boston area. Originally rooted in expansive post-rock soundscapes, the project has evolved into a more lyric-driven, concept-focused take on progressive metal. A passion project first and foremost, Out of the Way is anything but ordinary; sonically and aesthetically defying expectations with a wide range of compositional variety and costumed performances.
Out of the Way is influenced heavily by bands in the genre such as Dream Theater, Tool, Haken, Tesseract, Leprous, and Animals as Leaders, but also draws inspiration from musicians outside of the metal scenes, such as Radiohead, Death Cab for Cutie, Covet, TTNG, and Kodomo.

Upcoming Shows

Las Vegas Fur Con
Las Vegas, NV
April 3rd(?), 2026

The Cantab Lounge
Cambridge, MA
April 7th, 2026

Furry Weekend Atlanta
Atlanta, GA
May 7th, 2026 4:30PM

Previous Shows

Charlee Bravo's
Putnam, CT
March 7th, 2026

The Cantab Lounge
Cambridge, MA
March 3, 2026

Midway Cafe
Boston, MA
Dec 27th, 2025

Out of the Way has been performing locally in the New England Area throughout the 2020's, including performances at The Cantab Lounge, Midway Cafe, Charlee Bravo's, The Jungle, and Jaques Cabaret.Out of the Way's currently working on a new meta-concept album, "Counting Sheep", about the modern struggles of identity and connection in this harsh sociopolitical climate. Take a listen to the first single, Evil Containment Wave, on Bandcamp Now! or Presave on your preferred streaming platform for official release on April 1st!