Hamilton, Ontario’s The Dirty Nil have unveiled their fifth album, The Lash, via Dine Alone Records. Ultimately, The Lash sounds exactly like what the title implies – a cold, hard crack of the whip by the Canadian rock band, one that snaps them with a much needed reset after nearly 20 years of exploring the light.
To further the celebrations, The Dirty Nil have announced a run of Western Canadian shows alongside Chastity this November in addition to their already announced Ontario Dates..
Tickets are available HERE.
WESTERN CANADA TOUR DATES:
November 19 – Saskatoon, SK @ Capitol Music Club
November 20 – Red Deer, AB @ Bo’s Bar & Stage
November 21 – Calgary, AB @ Modern Love
November 22 – Fernie, BC @ The Northern Bar & Stage
November 25 – Vancouver, BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
November 26 – Victoria, BC @ Capitol Ballroom
November 28 – Edmonton, AB @ The Buckingham
November 29 – Regina, SK @ The Exchange
November 30 – Winnipeg, MB @ The Park Theatre
Listen to The Lash HERE.
Watch Luke Bentham’s solo live performance of “This is Me Warning Ya” HERE.
ONTARIO TOUR DATES:
September 11 – Barrie, ON – Rec Room
September 12 – London, ON – London Music Hall
September 13 – St. Catharines, ON – Warehouse
September 14 – St. Catharines, ON – Warehouse
September 16 – Oshawa, ON – Biltmore Theatre
September 18 – Peterborough, ON – The Venue
September 19 – Kingston, ON – Broom Factory
September 20 – Ottawa, ON – Bronson Centre
September 21 – Montreal, QC – Café Campus
September 23 – Vandorf, ON – Harmony Hall (*)
September 25 – Burnstown, ON – Neat Café (*)
September 26 – Galt, ON – Farm League Brewing (*)
September 27 – Windsor, ON – Meteor (*)
September 28 – Windsor, ON – Meteor (*)
(*) NO Heart Attack Man on these dates.
The LashTracklisting:
2. Fail in Time
3. That Don’t Mean It Won’t Sting
6. Do You Want Me?
7. Spider Dream
8. They Won’t Beat Us
9. Hero Narrative
10. I Was A Henchman
Everything about The Lash evokes a certain sort of brutality.
During a trip to the Vatican, Bentham found inspiration in some of its forgotten art: I was in a very dusty part of the basement, and they had these crazy bronze reliefs that were some of the most brutal things I’ve ever seen. There was a particular one called The Horrors of War. It was two guys fighting over a knife. That image ended up guiding a lot of this record.
From there, the band brought in UK designer Jack Sabbat for his acerbic, bootleg punk-flyer style, assuring The Lash would look right at home in a beat-up bin of old Crass records or in a Medieval torture dungeon.
Thematically, the album’s 10 tracks trade Bentham’s usual happy-go-lucky romanticism for a cathartic vent session about everything from music industry bullsh*t to the dissolution of a relationship. Drummer and co-conspirator Kyle Fisher jokes: I’ve been telling people that this is Luke’s therapy record.
Since forming in 2006, The Dirty Nil have always embraced the flashier side of punk. But with The Lash, they strip it all down to the essentials – just two friends in a room, playing like everything is on the line.
For fans of The Jesus Lizard, The Bronx, and Metz, The Lash is a high-stakes rock record from a band that has spent over a decade tearing up stages, building a worldwide following, and even winning a JUNO Award for Breakthrough Band in 2017. They’ve played the game and jumped through the hoops – now, The Dirty Nil are doing things entirely on their own terms.
The Dirty Nil will perform at the CNE Bandshell in Toronto, ON on August 27, 2025. Tickets are available HERE. The band’s full run of Ontario tour dates this September can be found below. Tickets are available HERE.
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