| The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer — Apocalipstick (March 27, 2017) |
The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer — Apocalipstick (03/27, 2017) 
♣ι•ιι Sensational band!
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Album release: March 27, 2017
Record Label: Tonic Records
Duration: 44:35
Tracks:
01. Get Ready 4:18
02. Nancy 3:42
03. Forever Fool 4:33
04. I’m Back 4:55
05. Pretty Please 2:57
06. Treat Me Kind 2:34
07. Running 3:48
08. Promises, Promises 2:53
09. Save Me From Another Day 3:39
10. Marianne (20,000 Acres of Moonlight) 3:22
11. Father’s Son 3:19
12. Situate Yourself 0:44
13. Fragile 3:51
The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer are:
♣ι•ιι Shawn Hall — Vocals, Harmonica
♣ι•ιι Matthew Rogers — Guitar, Bass, Synths
With guests:
♣ι•ιι John Raham — Drums, Percussion
♣ι•ιι Geoff Hilhorst — Organ, Piano, Wurli
♣ι•ιι Dawn Pemberton — Vocals
♣ι•ιι Andrina Turenne — Vocals
♣ι•ιι Alexa Dirks — Vocals
♣ι•ιι Ben Rogers — Vocals
♣ι•ιι Khari Wendell McClelland — Vocals
♣ι•ιι Erik Nielsen — Vocals
♣ι•ιι Ricardo Khayatte — Vocals
♣ Mastered by Brian Lucey’s Magic Garden Mastering
♣ Produced by Matthew Rogers, Shawn Hall and John Raham
♣ Recorded at Afterlife Studios and Neighbourhood Studios by Matthew Rogers, John Raham and Erik Nielsen
♣ Mixed at Neighbourhood Studios by Matthew Rogers
♣ Album art by Ben Rogers
Description:
♣ There once was an era when records were made in castles, abandoned airplane hangers, barns, or on a yacht off the coast of the Bahamas, its passengers as high as paper kites. This is not that record! It is an album that came together from the desire for companionship, the endless pursuit of tone, the strength and glue of family, and above all, the love and admiration for each other’s skills. Whether it was operating a tape machine with Jedi precision, creating meals that fuelled us, or belting out glass shattering ohs and ahs, it was the elbow grease of many individuals that brought this project to life.
♣ Thank you to our families for continuing to put up with all that comes with being a touring musician. Emily, Oliver, August, Lindsay, Quincy, and Leo, we couldn’t do it without you. Our parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins for continued love and support. Ben Rogers for helping keep melodies catchy and lyrics on point, as well as for turning our sonic world into a graphical world. John Raham for keeping us calm and collected and laying down some fat beats. Erik Nielsen and Brendan Guy for keeping the studio tubes warm. Cam Boyer for popping into the studio at the drop of a hat. Dawn Pemberton, Alexa Dirks and Andrina Turenne for singing their fucking hearts out. Georff Hilhorst for understanding what a “school bus on a skating rink” sounds like on the organ. Khari Wendell McClelland, Ben Rogers, Erik Nielsen, and Ricardo Khayatte for adding some vocal beer. Kate Wattie and the team at Tonic for keeping the biz wheels rolling. Kali Malinka for keeping the presses printing. Grant Paley and the team at Paquin for keeping us gigging. — Matt & Shawn 
Review
By Brandon Choghri, Published Mar 22, 2017 / Score: 8
♠ The first time audiences lay eyes on Vancouver duo the Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer’s live setup can be jarring, with just two people tasked with producing a full band’s worth of noise. Shawn Hall and Matthew Rogers might not look like very imposing, but they expel a hell of a lot of sound for a couple of dudes with a harmonica, guitar and some impressively finagled foot~percussion.
♠ That trend continues on new album Apocalipstick, a toe~tapping record that explores the boundaries of boisterous blues jams and ripping fuzz tones via busy arrangements and a varied palette of tones. There are some stripped~down tunes in the 13~song track list, but many of them are layered with fiery grooves and intertwining melodies.
♠ The harp~driven “Pretty Please” is a headbanging barnburner that features Hall and Rogers trading solos; it’s a spirited track that shows off the best of the band’s energetic writing. The following track, “Treat Me Kind,” is a sleepy acoustic cut with group choruses and sauntering harmonica passages. It adds a welcome balance to the high~octane cuts that keeps the album from flying off the rails.
♠ Hall and Rogers are joined by several vocalists on the record, and the pair share production duty with John Raham. The result is a diverse and dynamic album reminiscent of the band’s acclaimed live performances. Apocalipstick is a sonic triumph, and is sure to become a favourite in the band’s discography. ♠ http://exclaim.ca/
Website: http://www.harpoonistaxemurderer.com/
Label: http://tonicrecords.bigcartel.com/
Bandcamp: https://harpoonistaxemurderer.bandcamp.com/album/apocalipstick
♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣♣
| The Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer — Apocalipstick (March 27, 2017) |
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Album release: March 27, 2017
Record Label: Tonic Records
Duration: 44:35
Tracks:
01. Get Ready 4:18
02. Nancy 3:42
03. Forever Fool 4:33
04. I’m Back 4:55
05. Pretty Please 2:57
06. Treat Me Kind 2:34
07. Running 3:48
08. Promises, Promises 2:53
09. Save Me From Another Day 3:39
10. Marianne (20,000 Acres of Moonlight) 3:22
11. Father’s Son 3:19
12. Situate Yourself 0:44
13. Fragile 3:51
The Harpoonist & The Axe Murderer are:
♣ι•ιι Shawn Hall — Vocals, Harmonica
♣ι•ιι Matthew Rogers — Guitar, Bass, Synths
With guests:
♣ι•ιι John Raham — Drums, Percussion
♣ι•ιι Geoff Hilhorst — Organ, Piano, Wurli
♣ι•ιι Dawn Pemberton — Vocals
♣ι•ιι Andrina Turenne — Vocals
♣ι•ιι Alexa Dirks — Vocals
♣ι•ιι Ben Rogers — Vocals
♣ι•ιι Khari Wendell McClelland — Vocals
♣ι•ιι Erik Nielsen — Vocals
♣ι•ιι Ricardo Khayatte — Vocals
♣ Mastered by Brian Lucey’s Magic Garden Mastering
♣ Produced by Matthew Rogers, Shawn Hall and John Raham
♣ Recorded at Afterlife Studios and Neighbourhood Studios by Matthew Rogers, John Raham and Erik Nielsen
♣ Mixed at Neighbourhood Studios by Matthew Rogers
♣ Album art by Ben Rogers
♣ There once was an era when records were made in castles, abandoned airplane hangers, barns, or on a yacht off the coast of the Bahamas, its passengers as high as paper kites. This is not that record! It is an album that came together from the desire for companionship, the endless pursuit of tone, the strength and glue of family, and above all, the love and admiration for each other’s skills. Whether it was operating a tape machine with Jedi precision, creating meals that fuelled us, or belting out glass shattering ohs and ahs, it was the elbow grease of many individuals that brought this project to life.
♣ Thank you to our families for continuing to put up with all that comes with being a touring musician. Emily, Oliver, August, Lindsay, Quincy, and Leo, we couldn’t do it without you. Our parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins for continued love and support. Ben Rogers for helping keep melodies catchy and lyrics on point, as well as for turning our sonic world into a graphical world. John Raham for keeping us calm and collected and laying down some fat beats. Erik Nielsen and Brendan Guy for keeping the studio tubes warm. Cam Boyer for popping into the studio at the drop of a hat. Dawn Pemberton, Alexa Dirks and Andrina Turenne for singing their fucking hearts out. Georff Hilhorst for understanding what a “school bus on a skating rink” sounds like on the organ. Khari Wendell McClelland, Ben Rogers, Erik Nielsen, and Ricardo Khayatte for adding some vocal beer. Kate Wattie and the team at Tonic for keeping the biz wheels rolling. Kali Malinka for keeping the presses printing. Grant Paley and the team at Paquin for keeping us gigging. — Matt & Shawn
By Brandon Choghri, Published Mar 22, 2017 / Score: 8
♠ The first time audiences lay eyes on Vancouver duo the Harpoonist & the Axe Murderer’s live setup can be jarring, with just two people tasked with producing a full band’s worth of noise. Shawn Hall and Matthew Rogers might not look like very imposing, but they expel a hell of a lot of sound for a couple of dudes with a harmonica, guitar and some impressively finagled foot~percussion.
♠ That trend continues on new album Apocalipstick, a toe~tapping record that explores the boundaries of boisterous blues jams and ripping fuzz tones via busy arrangements and a varied palette of tones. There are some stripped~down tunes in the 13~song track list, but many of them are layered with fiery grooves and intertwining melodies.
♠ The harp~driven “Pretty Please” is a headbanging barnburner that features Hall and Rogers trading solos; it’s a spirited track that shows off the best of the band’s energetic writing. The following track, “Treat Me Kind,” is a sleepy acoustic cut with group choruses and sauntering harmonica passages. It adds a welcome balance to the high~octane cuts that keeps the album from flying off the rails.
♠ Hall and Rogers are joined by several vocalists on the record, and the pair share production duty with John Raham. The result is a diverse and dynamic album reminiscent of the band’s acclaimed live performances. Apocalipstick is a sonic triumph, and is sure to become a favourite in the band’s discography. ♠ http://exclaim.ca/
Website: http://www.harpoonistaxemurderer.com/
Label: http://tonicrecords.bigcartel.com/
Bandcamp: https://harpoonistaxemurderer.bandcamp.com/album/apocalipstick