Dine Alone Records – Release Date: 1/01/21

In early January, The Dirty Nil released their third full-length, titled F*** Art. Every aspect of this album, from the writing to the performances, as well as the production, represents a significant step forward for the band. The first song, “Doom Boy,” opens with an aggressive thrash metal intro, while singer/guitarist Luke Bentham’s commanding vocals anchor the verse. Palm-muted chords in the bridge lead the way to a sprawling chorus, which is underscored by tongue-in-cheek lyrics. The fact that the band doesn’t take itself too seriously makes the song that much better. “Done with Drugs” is another prominent entry and features a catchy power pop vibe. It boasts hook after hook in its chorus and its lyrics seem like somewhat of a commentary. They compare those who talk about making changes versus those that simply do so and quietly go about their business. It’s undeniably one of the strongest songs that they’ve written thus far.

“Hello Jealousy” enjoys power chords aplenty and is one of the most punk-leaning songs on the album, while “Possession” is reminiscent of ‘80s metal and includes a defiant, attitude-filled chorus. The record’s final song, “One More and the Bill,” is a suitable song to end with in that it brings together many of the reoccurring lyrical themes. A portion of its words include the following: “Gonna smash my TV / Smash my phone / Leave politics alone / Go outside for a while,” which is a feeling that many will find highly relatable nowadays. There’s also some eye-popping guitar shredding that’s present around the middle portion of this song that bears mentioning. As much as F*** Art signifies a new plateau for the band, it doesn’t seem as though they’re anywhere near their ceiling. They continue to evolve their own irreverent brand of rock ‘n’ roll and show no sign of altering from that trajectory anytime soon.