Lash [CD]

On their fifth album, The Lash, The Dirty Nil strips back their signature flash and colour for something raw and relentless. Inspired by brutal Italian bronze reliefs and medieval aesthetics, the Hamilton, Ontario band embraced a stark black-and-white visual style, ditching their previous vibrant palettes for spikes, skulls, and knives. Recording with local engineer Vince Solivari, the band captured a more urgent and unfiltered sound in just two weeks at Boxcar Sound. Tracks like "Rock N' Roll Band" vent frustration about industry struggles, while "Gallop of the Hounds" unleashes searing riffs and pounding beats fuelled by emotional tension. Yet amid the chaos, quieter moments like "Spider Dream" reveal the band's more delicate side. The Lash is a cathartic reset-one that trades Polish for grit, delivering The Dirty Nil at their most visceral and honest.