Tag Archives: Ontario

MATT ELLIS: Full Moon Fever.

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One of my favourite Punk bands is Flesh Rag, and Matt Ellis from the band have recently put out a solo record. Even if you’re not familiar with his band, you’re going to go wild over this insanely brilliant record. If you’re in search of something to play loud or to just get your frustrations out to- then Matt has got you covered.

Full Moon Fever is an effortlessly cool record, and I’m not just saying this because I love everything Flesh Rag/Matt does. It’s just such a great Punk record- it’s got that fast-paced Ramones style, the songs don’t even hit the 2-minute mark and they are made to be screamed at the top of your lungs. These songs are anthems and will leave you even more desperate to go to a show.

There’s the to the point PigHead which is of course about the police and how terrible they can be. You’ve got the chant of Death Rattle; you’ve got Die Tonight which reminds me a tiny bit of Misfits. Life On Hold is for those of us who have no clue what’s going on or what we should be doing. These 16 songs are just so great, and it’s not the type of record you play once then forget about it. It’s by far a record that you become obsessed with.

Monkey Brain sums up what it’s like to be trapped in your own head in a proper raw way. There’s this wicked snarl to Matt’s voice on a lot of the songs, and you really hear it on Monkey Brain and DMT Is Good For Me. The songs on this record are for those of us who are just tired of the world right now, tired of being made to feel trapped and Matt just makes you feel a little less alone- someone else gets it.

For me this record is just a taste of how fantastic Matt is as a musician. All of these songs were written and recorded by Matt, and you really can hear that DIY feel in the songs. It is a batch of songs to just play hella loud and annoy your neighbours with. Or maybe they’ll enjoy it. Hopefully they’ll enjoy it- it’d be a crime if they didn’t. Of course, my only issue with the record is that I want more songs, but what Matt has created on Full Moon Fever is just a real gnarly Punk record to get lost in. You know when you have an idea in your head of what the perfect record sounds like, or when you find yourself in search of something different, and something to just shake you up? Matt’s record hits all of that, and then some. It’s just a joy to listen to.

There’s no denying how remarkable this record is, and it’s such an easy listen. Every song will hit you in the face and you’ll feel like you’ve been reborn or whatever was fucking you up before, has now disappeared and means nothing.

Full Moon Fever is out right now!

PSYCHIC VOID.

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Some spooky and loud shit for you- Psychic Void. Excellent name for a band, even better music. I love them. They are so loud to the point where it would make someone feel uncomfortable, and I LOVE that about them. There are no romantic tunes here or pitch perfect notes. Far from it. It’s a shouty, chaotic brawl and it’s divine. It’s probably what my version of Heaven sounds like. Oh Canada, you’ve done it again with another exceptional band!

They’ve put a few records out already, so I’m just going to focus on the reasons as to why I love them and why playing them loud enough to cause your ears to probably bleed is so satisfying.

Songs like Morning Anxiety, Day Dreamer and Skeleton Paradise are just INSANE. They remind me of our lovely Newcastle lads, Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs. There’s this Stoner Rock feel that makes you feel like you’ve slipped down a Melvins rabbit hole and you then get smacked in the face so HARD that you are catapulted into this pit of sleaze, sweat and gloriously loud songs. The songs aren’t for the those who like to feel clean and pure. They are for those who aren’t afraid of being an absolute mess. If you want a band that make you feel like you are being possessed, then chewed up and spat out by the Devil- then you will LOVE Psychic Void.

I think Terminal Vacation is their first record, and my god it is so good. It’s one of those records that makes you feel a bit uneasy and afraid to sleep without the light on, but don’t let that put you off! These songs probably were intended to scare you shitless. Stick their songs in a good Horror film, and you’ll get what I mean. Beautifully terrifying in all the right places.

A couple of years ago they released Gutter Butter which is the calmest they have sound, but it is still a powerful piece of art that needs to be blasted out as loud as possible. This band are just incredible. Last year they released the mind-blowing Skeleton Paradise. This is something else. It’s like Nine Inch Nails meets Sleep mixed with Japan’s finest BORIS. It’s all over the place in the best way possible, and is unlike what you’ve heard before. It’s such a remarkable record that again, should hopefully terrify you. These 8 songs are just out of this world and made to be played to the point where your street starts to shake.

You cannot keep still listening to this band at all. I’d imagine that their live shows are an experience too- can you imagine hearing songs like Dirty Hands and Knelt live? It’d be like every part of you finally came alive and you carry that with you for the rest of time; comparing everything to the moment you saw the band live. There is something really incredible about Psychic Void, and it’s that something you seek out in bands that eventually become everything to you. You cling to these songs with all you have.

The energy they have is ridiculous; it’s really unlike anything else around. They’ve just got this brilliant and effortlessly slick sound. Jesse has this growl to his voice that makes you wonder how he can still sing like this! How has he not damaged himself yet? The screams on Denim Daddy will send you into a frenzy. The whole second record is like the obnoxious and snotty sibling to their debut. It’s perfect.

Psychic Void make songs that will make you feel like you’ve had an electric shock to the heart. They will jolt you, bruise you, batter you and make you feel like nothing else will ever top this feeling. You’ll really get this from the song Alley Dweller, which could be one of their greatest songs. But let’s be honest, this band do NOT have any bad songs at all. They are consistently great and that’s why that, although they have perfect this sound, they have made something of their own.

I’m obsessed with what I’ve heard, and now I want more.

My lunch break is over, now I need to try be a little calm for the next few hours!

Check out their songs here: https://psychicvoid.bandcamp.com/

MATT ELLIS: High Risk Assurance.

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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.