Skip to main content

Maverick Ad

Home

Main navigation

  • Home
  • Cover Stories
  • Features
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Cashbox Legacy Awards
  • Past Covers
  • Weekly Archive
Canadian Rocker Chris Nine Unleashes New EP, the heavy

Breadcrumb

  • Home
  • Canadian Rocker Chris Nine Unleashes New EP, the heavy
Chris Nine
Fri Dec 03, 2021
Cashbox Canada

Canadian artist Chris Nine’s recently unleashed EP of adrenaline-inducing post-hardcore punk-pop, the heavy, is proof positive the Toronto-based rocker is a force to be reckoned with all his own.

Featuring “fracture,” “ghosts,” and “the rage,” the blistering trio of tracks serve deeper purpose than an all-out, high-octane sonic sojourn; in fact, they nothing short of extricated the singer/songwriter after a devastating series of events — a concussion, a breakup, a global pandemic, to start.

Watch “fracture” here:

“The songs on the heavy all resemble the past, present, and future components of dealing with relationships and trauma,” Nine reveals. “I was navigating this mental fog, and confronting shadows of my past. From this, the heavy was summoned; each song sheds light on the different perspectives each version of self brings to the table, and the emotions that follow.”

“This EP was a way of voicing frustration and growing pains in an incredibly cramped space that was the ‘quarantine,’” he continues. “I was lonely after a breakup, after losing friends, and I was feeling brain fog effects from a concussion.

“I felt I needed to become something new, and grow from it. With residual effects from my post-concussion syndrome, my eyesight and sense of self were removed. Ultimately, it forced me to adapt, and to start playing and writing in a different manner.”

One such way was using chord variations due to the decline of muscle memory. Focusing on simple, ‘to the point’ solos, all to avoid getting lost, Nine worked diligently to not only prevent forgetting ideas, but to not to create over-stimulus — which could have potentially worsened his symptoms.

“The first track started at ‘the rage’ and, vocally, something else came out of me,” he recalls of the process. “The harshness and sizzle in my vocals, that usually had to be held back, became paired with this aggressive rock sound my hands now shaped. Grit, and punchy, melodic vocal lines became my style of singing, and I knew I had stumbled onto something and needed to explore this true side of my voice, and myself.”

Nine also found the ongoing pandemic was exacerbating his experience and, after returning from a trip to the grocery store, feeling overwhelmed by the situation and its effect on his life, he experienced a breakthrough. “I came home, quickly grabbed my guitar, and played a riff I had never been able to write a melody line for,” he recalls. “I started to scream the first verse lyrics and, suddenly, a new style of lyric writing had become available to me.”

“fracture” was the first to receive this treatment, with “the rage” and “ghosts” followed soon after. “‘ghosts’ was conceived in the idea of telling a full story, similar to the anime openings that had kept me sane and feeling secure the whole quarantine,” he shares. “Overall, this was the first time I delved into a more compressed tone, and really learned how to excel as a vocalist. Songs became more about melody and tight structure than they ever had before, and attention was paid to performance and emotion over what was ‘correct.’ It allowed me to open my writing to darker conversations, and take risks in my songwriting.”

The searing series of songs serve as a two-way mirror, stripping away ego and pride as he parses pain through earnestly raw and scathingly honest sonic storytelling. From there, a polished orchestration of razor-sharp guitar riffs and stadium-filling drums deliver Chris Nine’s supersonic yet melancholic musical offering.

Getting to that point would prove tricky due to covid-related restrictions; with studios shuttered, Nine soon struggled to find the team to help leverage the release’s maximum potential. “I was previously working with another engineer, but the songs just wouldn’t come together. I knew these songs were destined to be the redefinition of myself, and I made the hard choice to make a change, and reach out to Darren Benner in Alberta.

“He’s a fantastic engineer, and we were on the same wavelength once we met up but, initially, I didn’t know what would come out of it,” Nine continues. “Soon, he sent me his first version of ‘the rage’ and I broke down with relief; I was finally getting somewhere when hope had seemed lost.”

From there, the two would have long chats, some even at 2:00 am, all aimed at injecting a sense of power, simplicity, and unadulterated rock energy into the release. That very presence of power translates to the record’s raison d’être overall, as well; Chris Nine hopes the tracks bring strength to those seemingly broken, seeking new light within the dark.

“Simply, the EP was there to support me,” he reveals. “It was there to give me strength, and make me feel like I could be in the world once more.

“the heavy represents relentless energy, and hopefully teaches people to look inside and dig deep; to never give up, and never back down.”

the heavy — featuring “fracture,” “ghosts,” and “the rage” — follows additionally available singles “Stitches” and “jawbreaker.”

For more on Chris Nine visit these links:
chrisnine.com/
instagram.com/heychrisnine/
facebook.com/heychrisnine
twitter.com/heychrisnine
open.spotify.com/artist/5HP02duX8a5RSaVYtkdhBy?si=MQjT7mdYTOyNGUTU9sq39w&dl_branch=1&nd=1

Reviews
Album
Chris Nine
Month: Mar 2021
Joshua Sade James It’s Love in the Time of COVID for LGBTQIA Artist Joshua Sade James In New…
Malika Tirolien Artist/Producer Malika Tirolien Wants To 'Grow' 'Higher' with New Single…
Olenka Toronto's Pop-Soul Trap-R&B Artist OLENKA Plucks the Petals of Love…
AVRY Vancouver/Toronto's AVRY Gets Mellow for New Swoon-Worthy Single “Back to You”
Cover Art by Canadian Artist Heidi Teillefer Brazilian Hard Rockers Pentral Arrive with Pummelling & Prescient New…
Vomiting Bunnies It’s Not “Too Late”... Vomiting Bunnies Forges Forward Despite the World Being on…
Samways Samways releases “Untrodden Ways” as an Acoustic Taster of Forthcoming Debut
WithLoveXavier Hip Hop / R&B Artist WithLoveXavier Returns With “For What”
K. Sofia Alt-Pop Duo k. sofia Invite Audiences to Get “Intimate” with Cheeky New Single
Craig Cardiff Craig Cardiff Releases Eponymous Single To Long-Awaited Album “All This Time…
Emily Taylor Hudson Emily Taylor Hudson Discovers Love Is a Dirty Word with New EP & Single…
BigMotorGasoline Southern Rockers BigMotorGasoline are Pedal to the Metal on The Way Things Used To Be…
Cameron & Crawford Cameron & Crawford Releases Edgy Flamenco-Inspired New Single, “Dark Road”
Douglas Von Irvin’s Carnival Douglas Von Irvin’s Carnival Lift the Veil on “Punk Rock Heart” with New Release
Aieysha Haws Enchanted by the Stars Above Chanteuse Aieysha Haws Captivates with New…

Pagination

  • First page « First
  • Previous page ‹ Previous
  • …
  • Page 32
  • Page 33
  • Page 34
  • Page 35
  • Current page 36
  • Page 37
  • Page 38
  • Page 39
  • Page 40
  • …
  • Next page Next ›
  • Last page Last »

CEO/PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF
SANDY GRAHAM

email:sandygrahamemg@gmail.com 

Canadian Journalists:

Contributing Journalist - Canada and Global
Don Graham
email: dongrahamwriter@gmail.com

Contributing Journalist - Canada and Global
Lisa Hartt
email: lisahartt87@hotmail.com

Contributing Journalist - Canada 
Michael Williams
email: greydread@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

International Journalists:

Contributing Journalist - Sweden
Malin Osth
email: malin@musicdays.se

Contributing Journalist - Sweden
Jonas Tancred
email: jonas@musicdays.se

Contributing Journalist - USA
Rob Durkee 
email: rockster2746@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Web Developer/Technical Support
Chris Wardman

email: info@chriswardman.com
website: chriswardman.com

Cashbox Cover Design and Graphic Artist
Jain McMillan

email: jainmcmillan@gmail.com

Contributing Photographer 
Tracey Savein - South Paw Productions
southpawproductions@rogers.com

 

 

 

Footer menu

  • Home
  • Features
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Cashbox Archive
  • Issue Archive
  • Past Covers