The Decay

"It’s a very rare occasion when I’m blown away by any new punk band. I’m a bit of a nostalgist and if it’s not something like Kid Dynamite, The Bouncing Souls, Bad Religion, Good Riddance, or Pennywise chances are I’m going to hate it. That is until I came across Canada’s, The Decay and their album This Month’s Rent. They can be also considered your new favorite band.

Take the punk-hardcore of Avail, the melodies and choruses from The Souls, Mike Ness’ voice and the honky-tonk of Social D, throw in some Rancid and pop-punk for good measure and you have the general idea of what The Decay sounds like. These guys even make use of non-traditional punk instruments such as the harmonica, tambourine, and I swear I heard the piano. In a genre that is normally a very simplistic style, these cats show their song writing capabilities and formulate 12 tracks that are all equally as impressive and pleasing as the last.

I feel like this album could be considered a concept album of sorts. The title of This Month’s Rent seems to be the perfect name for it. Working a dead end job just to pay the bills, heartbreak, and other every day hardships are a constant theme throughout the record. But at the same time the band makes it very clear that at the end of the day, having your friends by your side can sometimes be all that you need. The combination of gritty vocals and the ultra catchy delivery will have listeners singing along in no time. Personally, I have had this disc for a little over a week and I practically know every word already.

Production wise this album is pretty flawless. I stated earlier that the band makes use of very non-traditional punk instruments and whoever mixed this did a great job of bringing those instruments out just enough to shine without taking away from the focus of the rest of the music. Every single instrument stands its ground while blending perfectly with the rest. Even the sound clip that was thrown in during Winterlude is placed just right in the background. I’m very impressed with the production of this record.

No matter what I write, I feel like I’ll be doing this band an injustice. This record is that good. I know just in my circle of friends that I can just picture all of hooligans I know singing and dancing along while getting drunk on their favorite brews. I highly suggest everyone that reads this to check them out. Hopefully these guys get on a good tour soon. I’m there front and center when it happens. "

http://www.stereokiller.com/newsreviews/article.cfm?Review=The%20Decay-This%20Month's%20Rent&intarticleid=9076 - StereoKiller

"This Month’s Rent est le premier album du groupe THE DECAY. Lorsque je l’ai entendu, j’ai accroché tout de suite. Les deux premières chansons, Humble Beginnings et These Days , captent tout de suite votre attention. L'intérêt se maintient jusqu’à la pièce instrumentale Winterlude qui nous fait décrocher un peu car elle ressemble beaucoup à une autre courte pièce instrumentale présente un peu plus tôt sur l’album. Heureusement, la suite du disque est tout aussi captivante que la première partie, sinon meilleure. Fait intéressant, l’album est téléchargeable gratuitement via Juice Box et si vous le désirez, vous êtes également invité à faire un don pour CHGlobal qui vienne en aide à l’Haïti.

La chanson qui, selon moi, se distingue le plus se nomme I’m Moving To B.C. . Elle est composée avec un air un peu plus folk qui s’associe très bien au style de punk/rock de la formation. L’un des seuls points faibles de cet album est que le produit final est un peu homogène. Cela n’enlève rien cependant à sa qualité. Les textes sont surtout inspirés par la vie en général et je crois qu'un peu de diversité n’aurait pas fait de mal. J’ai donc été un peu déçu sur se point. Par contre, on peut vraiment ressentir l’énergie du groupe dans chaque pièce et je pense bien que c’est se qu’il voulait. Après chaque écoute, j’avais envie que de me retrouver dans le pit d’un spectacle de musique punk!

. Pour conclure, je croîs que le groupe à réussi à faire un excellent album que je recommande fortement et j’espère avoir la chance de les voir en spectacle à Montréal bientôt car s’ils sont aussi bon en spectacle que sur l'album, je croîs qu’un bel avenir les attends.

+: Très accrocheur et mélodieux
-: Sujet peu diversifié " - Punk Me Up

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v338/aethylfilth/mrnr.jpg - Maximum RnR

The Decay
This Month’s Rent
By Brad Schmale

When growing up in the suburban confines of a small city, boredom tends to strike and finding an outlet for such weariness will either drive you to a guitar or to an early and forlorn adulthood. Luckily, Guelph, ON's the Decay chose the former and decided to create dedicated, energetic punk rock that proves they aren't afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves while raising defiant fists in the air. With their generous use of gang vocals and a socially earnest lyrical content, the Decay exhibit elements of blue-collar punk predecessors like Swingin' Utters and Jawbreaker while also conveying a hint of beer-stained pub rock. Each song blasts promptly into the next, leaving no time for reaction, as every sing-along anthem drips devotion and thirsts for change. This Month's Rent is a stalwart effort and the Decay have enough fight in them to keep from deteriorating. (Juicebox) - Exclaim! Magazine - Brad Schmale

Schwaben Club - Kitchener:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-q15nzg0TI

Siesta Nouveau - Toronto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJoOjmYDElc

Sneaky Dee's - Toronto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyzasMjUzeM - The Decay