Toronto's self-described "weirdo punks" the Killer Wails had been planning to launch their self-titled debut album with a party and tour, but with that currently off the table, they're releasing the album online, and Exclaim! has the premiere of the whole thing.
The album was recorded at the local Dream House Studios with producer Calvin Hardwick. It goes straight for the gut with distorted guitars, thrumming basslines and shouted hooks. "The Hunter" takes things in a surf direction with a hint of rockabilly, the southern-fried riffs of "Human Error" sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan after a case of Red Bull, and "George Washington" and "Grandpa '57" are sock-hop ballads that explode with distortion. The disparate styles are tied together with cheeky anachronism and a love of classic punk and garage.
The band explained in a statement:
As the Great Lockdown continues, the Killer Wails would like to share their first full length album. Originally intended to be released with a party and a small tour, the band feel that their album is a perfect soundtrack to the desolate isolation of 2020. The Killer Wails' eponymous first album has the peaks and valleys that echo our time, nostalgia for the past, and a grim foreboding to a future uncertain.
Hear the full album below.
The album was recorded at the local Dream House Studios with producer Calvin Hardwick. It goes straight for the gut with distorted guitars, thrumming basslines and shouted hooks. "The Hunter" takes things in a surf direction with a hint of rockabilly, the southern-fried riffs of "Human Error" sound like Stevie Ray Vaughan after a case of Red Bull, and "George Washington" and "Grandpa '57" are sock-hop ballads that explode with distortion. The disparate styles are tied together with cheeky anachronism and a love of classic punk and garage.
The band explained in a statement:
As the Great Lockdown continues, the Killer Wails would like to share their first full length album. Originally intended to be released with a party and a small tour, the band feel that their album is a perfect soundtrack to the desolate isolation of 2020. The Killer Wails' eponymous first album has the peaks and valleys that echo our time, nostalgia for the past, and a grim foreboding to a future uncertain.
Hear the full album below.