Tag Archives: Hamilton

MATT ELLIS: High Risk Assurance.

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mattellis

 

Matt Ellis, you absolute GOD! If you don’t know, Matt Ellis is in a band that I have been obsessed with for a few years now. I heard them whilst spending my lunch break at All Ages Records in Camden a few years ago- that band was Flesh Rag. I don’t know what it was about what I was hearing, but I knew it was something that was going to stick with me. I remember having a record already in my hands to buy, then I listened more and more to Flesh Rag being blasted out; the record in my hands was placed back where I got it from and I asked for a copy of the Flesh Rag record that was playing. This was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, musically.

 

 

High Risk Assurance was recorded in Matt’s bathroom last month. Some people take baths, others make great Punk records! There are only 4 songs on this record, but it still has that Flesh Rag feel to it, but it also has something else to it. It reminds me a little bit of the Ramones- the songs have that same pace of Blitzkrieg Bop and Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue. The songs are short, and fast. They are super lo-fi, and I love that he’s done this all by himself in a typically small space. The songs are heavy, and although at times his vocals are little quiet- you can still hear everything that’s going on, and the fact that the vocals are quite low just gives it that much vulnerability to it in a way. I just think it’s a really great record, and if this is what happens when we’re all stuck indoors- then keep it coming!

 The songs mainly hit the 1 minute 30 second mark, and the record opens with the face-smacking Poison Holiday. I would love to hear this live- can you imagine just how ferocious and rowdy it would be? It’s got everything you’d want from a real gnarly Punk song. It’s got the snarly vocals, the intense sound- everything you could want and more. I just love the sheer passion that comes through on this, and it really sets the mood for the record. It feels like with every song on the record, it gets louder. All By Myself is a touch louder than Poison Holiday, it’s an ode to self-isolation and Matt’s done it in such a great way. Sure, it’s easy to stay indoors and feel sorry for ourselves, but I’d rather stay indoors than risk make someone feel poorly by going outside for no good reason. To be honest, as an introvert who is partially shit with people I don’t know really well, staying at home (aside from going to work!) isn’t so bad.

 Missing You has a real Ramones feel to it; you can easily imagine Joey singing to this and I really love that about this song, and Matt’s style in general. He and Flesh Rag have a really authentic Punk sound that makes you want to start your own basement Punk band then make a record in your bathroom. My bathroom is too small to do this, but you get my point! I just love the DIY feel to this record, and it’s something I’ve always admired about Matt and the music he makes with Flesh Rag; they’ve always had this consistent DIY feel and you know they always do it THEIR way. High Risk Assurance is a great cure to the isolation blues some of us are feeling. It sucks to not be around people and to be able to go to shows, but records like this can ease the loneliness slightly.

 The record ends on Bad Day, and it’s the perfect song to play after you’ve had a bit of a shitty day. You can blast this super loud, and when the song ends, you’ll feel as if a massive weight has been lifted. Or you might feel angrier. It’s all on you, but just keep on listening until that nagging feeling disappears. It’s a great song, and the record truly is made up of a strong selection of raw Punk songs to just get you through the day.

 

 

Also, any money made from the Bandcamp sales of this record will go to the Toronto Overdose Prevention Society, so thank you to Matt for again being a great human being and making a difference. We need to help each other out now more than ever, and gestures like this go a really long way.

NIGHT CHILL.

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Ready for some creepy instrumental noise? Good!

Night Chill are an instrumental band straight from Ontario via the dark, eerie underworld of a time forgotten. Their sound is made for horror films and dirty backstreets. Their music is made to freak you out and fall deep into their world.

Their music is for those who like to be creeped out and to expand what they listen to, and how they listen to it. It’s a real experience when you listen to Night Chill. You focus on everything that’s going on from the drums to the theremin. Everything is so vital, and you cannot help but get hooked on this.

 Their music isn’t what you’d expect from a band, oh no! Their sound is like a soundtrack to a film. You can imagine someone being surrounded by werewolves, vampires, witches or bats as they try to escape. They are the prey, and their predator catches up to them quickly as the prey stumbles and falls every so often out of fear. As they draw in to draw blood, the prey lets out a yelp- but no one can hear them. There’s something beautifully sinister about Night Chill, and the use of the theremin just gives them extra creepy tones. They are a band to truly be in awe of, and songs like Theatre of Blood (sounds like a film) really show us how great they are as musicians. The way Thea captures you with how she uses the theremin along with Denton on guitar and Adam on bass to add this slick groove. Then you’ve got J.J. Daggers on the drums to add this cutthroat tension. How could you not love this band and everything they are about!

 

 

Burial Ground is an example of their heavier side, and for me it’s another prime moment on how they all shine. As they are an instrumental band, it is easy to just soak up how great they are without the distraction of vocals and lyrics. I mean there’s nothing stopping you from making up your own words as you listen to them, but let’s be honest you’d want someone with a Vincent Price type of voice narrating this. Can you imagine! It’d be a seriously spooky trip! It’d mess with your head for sure. I love how their songs give off this image of someone being chased, like I mentioned above. There’s this fear of the unknown in the music and it’s part of their charm. Creepy’s Bite is a brilliant introduction to the band if you’re looking for a place to start. The drums on this are a step up from what we’ve heard before, and the guitar and bass are heavier and fuzzier. Everything on this song oozes the right ingredients to make an occult anthem. The theremin is there in full force to give you the heebie jeebies too!

 You can really hear a wealth of influences in their sound- there’s the beautiful oddness of Screamin’ Jay Hawkins to a subtle Surf Rock feel. There’s this distorted tone too that is a key factor in hooking you right in. They take on you a really intense journey as you listen to them, and you find yourself slipping deeper into their world. The demonic sound is wonderfully executed here, and what I love about it is that they make it sound so effortless. They aren’t doing it to be cool or to be different; they are doing it because this sound belongs to them, and you can truly tell that it is something they love. When you pick up on that, it makes it easy for the listener to really get where the band are coming from.

 Night Chill are an utterly fearless band who are here to put some fear into your bones and wake you up. I love this part of the bio that they sent over to me, and it really does sum them up perfectly: “Night Chill play music for all audiences: horror kids, occultists, art fiends, masked maniacs, weirdos, connoisseurs of unwritten horror soundtracks, trash culture enthusiasts, cosmic abominations, and all other dwellers in the darkness! All are welcome to join in on the unholy symphonic rites and dig on Night Chill’s rip-roaring rock & roll black magic ritual!”  If that doesn’t sell it to you, then I don’t know what will. It’s the perfect description of the band.

 

 

With one listen you’ll feel like you’ve been possessed, and when you accept that there’s no going back, you’ll find yourself right in the pit of the Night Chill cult. Everything about their sound is an utter spookfest, and I cannot get enough of it. The sounds they have up on their Bandcamp page are there for you to let seep right into your soul and takeover every thought and emotion you have. Let them do it, don’t be afraid. Do not be afraid and don’t look behind you.