Dead Tired was born as a fun, informal project for guys with more formal ones on the go – from arena-touring rock bands to thriving recording studios, tattoo parlors, and other successful top-secret magic-card related events. But as the years and years trudged on, they’ve developed a method to their radness despite life often getting in the way of living.
What’s their secret? They’re actually friends. They share fancy dinners, top shelf scotch, and premium cigars with one another at least five times as often as they jam together. But this has only helped them focus and hone their sounds since nothing is better than making art with your friends in a boundless and supportive setting. There are no wrong choices, there are only choices made.
With little to no pressure to rush-out an album, the quintet has slowed their process to ensure the final presentation is something they’re all on board with. Each release is something special they all take pride in, and they hope those who may stumble across it share the same enthusiasm.
Thus, Dead Tired continue to push themselves creatively by taking the time to write and record at their own pace – allowing the songs to ferment before letting them breathe. Once they’re wrapped up and sent off into the digital ether, there’s no turning back.
So, this brings us to the Hamilton-based hardcore outfit’s latest LP, Hornets of Fall , their fourth attempt at a punishing collection of 12 tracks that has something for just about everyone.
If you want it fast… of course.
If you need it slow… hey why not.
If you demand a riff… wait a sec.
If you want blood… you got it.
Either way, this record is their favourite so far. It kicks off hot and it absolutely rips.
The record makes an impactful statement considering Dead Tired was born as a fun, informal project for guys with more formal ones on the go – from arena-touring rock bands to thriving recording studios, tattoo parlors, and other endeavors. Case in point, it’s their first release with a designated title, and offers a more cohesive and compelling take on the breakneck aural anarchy they’ve served up since uniting in 2014.
“I think we’re really stepping into our own sound with this one,” states guitarist Franz Stefanik. “When we first started, we didn’t really have any goals or ambitions other than playing music and having fun, but things are starting to feel more serious and everyone’s really excited about that. Our writing is evolving and we’re starting to wear our influences on our sleeves a bit more.”
Satan Will Follow You Home spans a more expansive sonic spectrum than anything we’ve heard from the quintet, comprised of Stefanik, fellow guitarist Marco Bressette, bassist Nick Ball, vocalist George Pettit, and new drummer Theo McKibbon.
That’s not to say they’ve strayed from the chaotic and combustible energy of their earlier work; instead, they’ve distilled it, made it exponentially more potent, and used it as an anchor to go off and explore increasingly ambitious styles and sounds. Atop a solid foundation inspired by early Converge and Cave-In, Kyuss, and Dead Kennedys, we get everything from sickly saxophone licks to stacked vocal harmonies.
Opener “Predatory Loans” offers an absolute pummeling of anger and aggression, tapping into the heightened social, economic, and political unrest engulfing a growing percentage of the globe. Tracks like “Breakfast of Participants” and “New World Pigs” are a perfect storm of pure and powerful punk rock while the title track wraps its intensity in swirling atmospherics for a slower, sludgier, but no less urgent experience.
“We really dove into the production on this one,” Stefanik explains, noting the freedom they had to experiment sonically while recording at their Hamilton HQ – dubbed the Deadquarters – with Bressette, a decorated engineer and producer, at the controls. “We spent more time going through different guitar, amp, and pedal set-ups and getting everything mic’ed properly than we did actually tracking, and I think it shows.”
Not only that, but it will pay off tenfold when the band gets back to bludgeoning fans with their blazing, hard-hitting live shows – something Stefanik says weighed heavily on their minds while recording thanks to the global pandemic that forced them into a temporary holding pattern. “That felt like such a big defeat,” he adds, “so making this album became our distraction and a great motivator to keep our creativity and our lives going.”
Needless to say, they’re keen for their return to any stage that’ll have them, from major international festivals to the crammed clubs that first confirmed they were onto something special back in 2014.
“It feels so good to have new material, a new lineup, and the excitement that comes with being able to play shows again,” Stefanik says in closing. “We’re stoked to have relit that spark to the point that, really, this feels like an entirely new band.”
A group of well-seasoned scene veterans dropping a career-defining record, reinvigorated with the vivacity of a new band? Yet another example of Dead Tired thriving in a place between opposites, adhering to no set agenda or rules outside of their own.
