Master Volume
The Dirty Nil
Master Volume is the second studio album by Hamilton, Ontario punk rock trio The Dirty Nil, released on September 14, 2018 through Dine Alone Records. Produced by veteran alt-rock architect John Goodmanson (known for his work with Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney), the album marks a deliberate sonic step forward from their 2016 debut Higher Power — tighter, more controlled, and more precise, though no less ferocious. As frontman Luke Bentham described it to Dine Alone Records, "It's less of a sprint and more of a strut," crediting much of the tonal shift to the arrival of new bassist Ross Miller. The 11-track, 33-minute record crests on a wave of wailing riffs, hard-rock stomp, and gut-punch lyrics, drawing comparisons to the best of 1970s and 1980s classic rock while keeping one boot firmly planted in the punk underground.
Thematically, Master Volume takes a notably darker turn, circling death, mortality, and existential dread beneath its chest-beating surface. The album opens with "That's What Heaven Feels Like," which climaxes with Bentham bellowing about dying through a windshield, while the lead single "Bathed in Light" was inspired by a dream about dying behind the wheel. Road-weary exhaustion seeps through "Super 8," with Bentham singing "I'm halfway to hell / It's called Super 8 Motel," a sentiment drawn directly from years of relentless touring. Standout track "Pain of Infinity" is widely cited by critics and fans as a highlight, and the album closes with a full-throated punk cover of Metallica's "Hit the Lights." NOW Toronto called it "a delightful, precise record" that still feels like "a no-stakes basement jam session between three friends," and Cryptic Rock praised it as "one of the most exciting releases of the year."
Master Volume
The Dirty Nil
Master Volume is the second studio album by Hamilton, Ontario punk rock trio The Dirty Nil, released on September 14, 2018 through Dine Alone Records. Produced by veteran alt-rock architect John Goodmanson (known for his work with Bikini Kill and Sleater-Kinney), the album marks a deliberate sonic step forward from their 2016 debut Higher Power — tighter, more controlled, and more precise, though no less ferocious. As frontman Luke Bentham described it to Dine Alone Records, "It's less of a sprint and more of a strut," crediting much of the tonal shift to the arrival of new bassist Ross Miller. The 11-track, 33-minute record crests on a wave of wailing riffs, hard-rock stomp, and gut-punch lyrics, drawing comparisons to the best of 1970s and 1980s classic rock while keeping one boot firmly planted in the punk underground.
Thematically, Master Volume takes a notably darker turn, circling death, mortality, and existential dread beneath its chest-beating surface. The album opens with "That's What Heaven Feels Like," which climaxes with Bentham bellowing about dying through a windshield, while the lead single "Bathed in Light" was inspired by a dream about dying behind the wheel. Road-weary exhaustion seeps through "Super 8," with Bentham singing "I'm halfway to hell / It's called Super 8 Motel," a sentiment drawn directly from years of relentless touring. Standout track "Pain of Infinity" is widely cited by critics and fans as a highlight, and the album closes with a full-throated punk cover of Metallica's "Hit the Lights." NOW Toronto called it "a delightful, precise record" that still feels like "a no-stakes basement jam session between three friends," and Cryptic Rock praised it as "one of the most exciting releases of the year."