Today, Hamilton’s own The Dirty Nil unleash their fifth studio album, The Lash, out now via Dine Alone Records.
With this release, the trio strips things back and dives headfirst into what they do best—straight-up, no-frills punk rock packed with fist-pumping anthems and shout-along choruses.
About the album by The Dirty Nil:
Ultimately, The Lash sounds exactly like what the title implies – a cold, hard crack of the whip by the Canadian rock band, one that snaps them with a much needed reset after nearly 20 years of exploring the light.
During a trip to the Vatican, Bentham found inspiration in some of its forgotten art: I was in a very dusty part of the basement, and they had these crazy bronze reliefs that were some of the most brutal things I’ve ever seen.
There was a particular one called The Horrors of War.
It was two guys fighting over a knife.
That image ended up guiding a lot of this record.
From there, the band brought in UK designer Jack Sabbat for his acerbic, bootleg punk-flyer style, assuring The Lash would look right at home in a beat-up bin of old Crass records or in a Medieval torture dungeon.
Thematically, the album’s 10 tracks trade Bentham’s usual happy-go-lucky romanticism for a cathartic vent session about everything from music industry bullsh*t to the dissolution of a relationship. Drummer and co-conspirator Kyle Fisher jokes: I’ve been telling people that this is Luke’s therapy record.
Since forming in 2006, The Dirty Nil have always embraced the flashier side of punk. But with The Lash, they strip it all down to the essentials – just two friends in a room, playing like everything is on the line.
The Lash gets: 📷📷📷📷📷📷📷/10.
The Dirty Nil – The Lash [Streaming]
