The Halifax music scene is no stranger to indie rock, and with the latest debut from Shaolin, a new contender emerges; one that certainly packs enough punch to cut through the mix. With Psych!, Shaolin keeps the energy up and the volume loud. In a good way though, I promise.
Members Jack, Brennan, Mitch, and Mackenzie all met while studying guitar at NSCC. After bonding over their love of rock and progressive metal, the band formed in early 2019. There’s no denying that these influences found their way onto the record.
“We weren’t directly pulling ideas from bands we all enjoy while writing the record, but some influences that creeped in subconsciously would be Deftones, Alice In Chains, The Police, Mastodon, and Iron Maiden,” says Mackenzie Adams. “The record came together in a very stream of consciousness process.”
While the group has influences that are on the heavier side of the rock spectrum, they find a balance in their aggression by keeping things melodic and up-tempo. A combination that works quite well on their behalf.
Kicking off the project is “Hey,” a bouncy, catchy indie rock track that builds to a forceful but satisfying hook. What starts with staccato guitars and tight drums quickly turn to booming tom fills and ringing crash cymbals. These transitions, however, come quite naturally; a real testament to the group’s talent.
A standout from their debut is the project’s second track, “Aunt Acid.” Flashing their math-rock influence, Aunt Acid wastes no time before kicking into the jarring layers of arpeggiated bass and guitar. Before long, the group is flawlessly transitioning between this and a more indie-rock-inspired chorus. The track caps off with these long, reverberated guitar solos that then quickly turns into a full metal breakdown on a track that would have no trouble fitting in on a Rush album.
When asked about the sound of the record, Adams said, “We have, as you can hear, a very wide range of sounds and styles we like to explore… It wasn’t until we started recording that we tried to create a sonic through-line between the tracks, which was helped along by John Mills (who recorded and mixed the record)… Basically, we wanted to keep it all over the place and simultaneously make it a smooth, complete piece.”
In all, Psych! is a strong, aggressive debut from a group that shows a lot of promise. Shaolin makes this rock thing sound pretty damn easy. With this being their debut, they are certainly a name to keep an eye out for in the future.