The Dirty Nil are set to unleash, and I mean, unleash, as this is an animal of an album, on the 25th of July, ten tracks of pure joy and very little fucks given.
The opener “Gallop Of The Hounds” is a statement of intent; a relentless drum and bass beat with a killer rhythm as Bentham tears it up vocally and on the guitar, an absolute banger and a cracker to get the album underway. “Fail In Time” eases on the intensity slightly, it’s a more melodic offering with a hefty groove that propels the track, a nice little solo and some great riffs from Bentham built off a foundation of pounding drums from Fisher and Tomlinson’s booming bass, two tracks in, and you’re already hooked. “That Don’t Mean It Won’t Sting” features a country-style riff that fades away when the verse kicks in, and everything comes in full tilt. Bentham’s crunching riffs and his dirty little solo are complemented by Tomlinson and Fisher, who supply the low end to give the track a nice kick. “Rock And Roll Band” is a snarling rocker that will have you banging your head to the pulsating drum and bass beat that Fisher and Tomlinson lay down while Bentham’s guitar is nearly as pissed off as he is when he’s singing with equally cutting lyrics and riffs, a great track that has a not so sly dig at the music industry.
“This Is Me Warning Ya” is a stripped-back “ballad” that lets the lads show a more vulnerable side to them, a good song that allows you a breather between the chaos. “Do You Want Me” is an amped punk rocker that gives you so much in such a short space of time, a banging beat that will get the blood pumping, savage riffs, but for all the madness, the vocals are brilliantly melodic and the rhythm is so infectious, a killer track. The mellow stylings of “Spider Dream” may cause you to take a step back and think what the actual is going on but this is an amazing track that grows on you the more you listen, everything for the most part seems subdued and dreamlike but that’s the whole idea as it lulls you in and before you know it your humming or whistling the tune all day, a truly unique number. The riff-driven “They Won’t Beat Us” is amazing; it has an anthemic, massive arena sound with its huge chorus and slow, heavy verse. There is a nice twist towards the end where it leans into a heavy crunching metal riff before it drops back; this is probably the track of the album. “Hero Narrative” is another great number; slow, moody and kick ass all at the same time, heavy as balls and catchy as fuck, there is a Third Eye Blind feel to this and it is awesome, from the massive chorus to the classic singalong verse, it’s brilliant from start to finish. The album closes with the killer “I Was A Henchman”, the monster distorted sound is something to behold, the track lulls slightly in the middle before it explodes back into life with a savage riff, brutal drum and bass that will have you jumping around till the end.
This is one of the best albums you can hear this year, from start to finish, there is not a bad track on the album.
Review: Conor
The Lash, out July 25th via Dine Alone Records.
Pre-Order/Pre-Save:
https://thedirtynilstream.com/thelash
THE LASH – Tracklisting
1) Gallop of the Hounds
2) Fail in Time
3) That Don’t Mean It Won’t Sting
4) Rock ‘n’ Roll Band
5) This Is Me Warning Ya
6) Do You Want Me?
7) Spider Dream
8) They Won’t Beat Us
9) Hero Narrative
10) I Was A Henchman
The Dirty Nil are:
Luke Bentham Vocals, guitar
Kyle Fisher Drums
Sam Tomlinson Bass (since left the band)
FORTHCOMING LIVE DATES
JULY (w/ Heart Attack Man)
10: CHICAGO Bottom Lounge
11: HAMILTON Because Craft Beer Festival (The Dirty Nil only)
12: RAPID CITY Aby’s Rapid City
13: DES MOINES Wooly’s
16: OMAHA The Waiting Room
18: LAWRENCE The Bottleneck
20: COLORADO SPRINGS The Black Sheep
21: DENVER Marquis Theater
23: SALT LAKE CITY Soundwell
24: BOISE Shrine Social Club
25: SEATTLE The Crocodile
26: VANCOUVER Rickshaw Theater
27: PORTLAND Hawthorne Theatre
29: SACRAMENTO Goldfield Trading Post
30: BERKELEY Cornerstone Berkeley
31: FRESNO Strummer’s
AUGUST (w/ Heart Attack Man)
01: LOS ANGELES Lodge Room Highland Park
02: MESA The Nile Theater
04: EL PASO Lowbrow Palace
05: DALLAS RBC
06: SAN ANTONIO Paper Tiger
08: AUSTIN Come and Take It Live
09: OKLAHOMA CITY Beer City Music Hall
SEPTEMBER
11: BARRIE Rec Room (w/ Heart Attack Man)
12: LONDON London Music Hall (w/ Heart Attack Man)
13: ST. CATHARINES Warehouse (w/ Heart Attack Man)
14: ST. CATHARINES Warehouse (w/ Heart Attack Man)
16: OSHAWA Biltmore Theatre (w/ Heart Attack Man)
18: PETERBOROUGH The Venue (w/ Heart Attack Man)
19: KINGSTON Broom Factory (w/ Heart Attack Man)
20: OTTAWA Bronson Centre (w/ Heart Attack Man)
21: MONTREAL Café Campus (w/ Heart Attack Man)
23: VANDORF Harmony Hall
25: BURNSTOWN Neat Café
26: GALT Farm League Brewing
27: WINDSOR Meteor
28: WINDSOR Meteor
OCTOBER (with Spanish Love Songs + on the Common Thread tour)
09: VIENNA Szene
10: STUTTGART Club Cann
11: SCHWEINFURT Statbahnhoff
12: MILAN Legend 54
14: ZURICH Dynamo
15: WIESBADEN Schlachthof
16: HAMBURG Knust
18: OBERHAUSEN Common Thread Tour
19: BRUSSELS Common Thread Tour
20: HAARLEM Common Thread Tour
22: BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
23: MANCHESTER New Century Hall
24: NOTTINGHAM Rescue Rooms
25: LONDON Common Thread Tour
26: LEEDS Common Thread Tour