Source: Album Artwork
Screeching sounds of amps on and turned all the way up introduce The Dirty Nil‘s debut full length album; Higher Power. Short introduction: the Canadian three-piece band was birthed in 2006 when members Luke Bentham and Kyle Fisher formed the band in high school after not being ‘good enough’ to join other bands. Fast forward to the release of their first 7″ in 2011, and they’ve been slaving away ever since – releasing a single with Fat Wreck Records and now finally putting out an LP.
Is there a way to compare Higher Power to constant pounding to the head in a complimentary way? If there is, we’re doing it. Though the band prefer a rock n’ roll title, this record boasts an extremely punk aesthetic. Songs are the good kind of raw that sounds fresh out of the garage. What you see is what you get, and there’s no unnecessary over-polishing.
If there ever was proof of genre lines diminishing, The Dirty Nil’s record would be one of the finest. Straddling between various genres from punk, alternative, post-hardcore to some good ol’ classic rock. Evidently, The Dirty Nil don’t attempt to stick to a specific formula or are constrained by pre-defined genre expectations but simply have the goal of writing a solid rock track in mind.
Opening tracks ‘No Weaknesses’ and ‘Zombie Eyed’ bring to our attention The Dirty Nil’s strength at writing massive choruses. ‘Lowlives’ and ‘Fugue State’ are both great adrenaline boosters, proving to be the most aggressive tunes on the record. Practically the polar opposite, final track ‘Bury Me At The Rodeo’ is probably one of the most accessible songs, what with its highly melodic chorus. It’s a nice mix with a little bit of everything – solid effort by The Dirty Nil.
