Shelter with Thieves
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Shelter with Thieves

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | SELF

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada | SELF
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"Shelter With Thieves Launch CD"

Shelter With Thieves Launch CD

Ron Foley Macdonald

Nova Scotia heavy rock outfit Shelter With Thieves has taken a defiant turn down the road to intensity with their new album A Dark Chapter In the Human Experiment.

The band--made up of members from long-standing East Coast musical ensembles such as Shyne Factory and Bucket Truck--have left the good-timey frat-style rock and pop from their previous bands behind on this very heavy, precise and passionate record.

Shyne Factory's most memorable moment might have been when they played on the soundtrack to Thom Fitzgerald's award-winning film The Event a few years ago. The pliable power trio's rendition of the old Blood, Sweat And Tears hit And When I Die--originally written and recorded by legendary singer/songwriter Laura Nyro--was central to the film's theme of a man and his family dealing with his upcoming death. Shyne Factory's version of the song become an important calling card for the band.

It's clear, however, that the transition from Shyne Factory to Shelter With Thieves reveals a completely new musical direction.

With song titles that reveal both ambition and poetic insight (Riot Gear Fashion Show, Knife Fight Under The Big Top, Drinks At the Mescal Chop House), the firey foursome reach forward past all those emo and screemo bands while evoking the tough guitar-driven sounds that once defined the Seattle rock scene dominated by the likes of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam.

The band--made up Mike Johnson on guitar and vocals, Matt Johnson on drums, Lloyd Smith on guitar and Dave Mullett on bass--have clearly done some woodshedding while prepping for this new 13-song CD.

Recorded at Andrew Watt's Common Ground studio in Halifax and co-produced by Shelter With Thieves Themselves, A Dark Chapter In the Human Experiment goes where no East Coast Act has dared to tread.

Blending superb, turn-on-dime arrangements with an astute ability to deliver the full fury of four-piece contemporary electric alt-rock outfit, the Bluenose musicians have created a powerful, intriguing slab of modern day rock music that blends issues of alienation, technology and all the conflicts of young adult life into a seamless whole.

The album opens with the one-two punch of Nursery Crimes and Wreckage. Both tunes race along with an undisguised energy and a palpable sense of anguish. As lead singer Mike Johnson positively wails on the vocals, the the rest of the band hurtles through the changes like they're revving up for some speed-metal marathon.

Strangely enough, however, there's enough lightness and lyricism in both selections to reveal Shelter With Thieve's pop pedigree. While the lyrics plumb the depths of anger and despair, the ensemble playing shows off a group sound that is surprisingly smooth and polished.

And while there's definitely some sombre subject matter in songs like Seven Sins Shy and You Are Spitfire, there's enough intimate moments sprinkled throughout the album to make Shelter With Thieves one of the more interesting musical outfits out here on the East Coast.

Armed with a uber-cool new futuristic website--www.shelterwiththieves.com--and a career path accelerated by support from The Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, Shelter With Thieves certainly look like they are primed to take on the rest of 2008 with the kind of confidence that only a solid, relentless and original CD can bring.
Ron Foley Macdonald - Aliant


"Pick of the Week"

Published May 22, 2008.
Shelter with Thieves
A Dark Chapter in the Human Experiment
(I Thought You Were Dead Music)
Like an Atlantic-Canadian version of seminal post-hardcore act Quicks and, Shelter with Thieves incorporate elements of dissonance and melody on their latest release, A Dark Chapter in the Human Experiment. With imagery and lyrics that evoke dystopian modernity, bleak human-made landscapes and the psychological effects of our social environment, Shelter with Thieves' latest release is a sombre and frustrated offering that alternates between introspection and rage. Just returned from a Canadian tour, this Halifax quartet, featuring ex-members of Bucket Truck and Shyne Factory, has been an integral part of the alt-rock scene in this city for quite some time. Released in late 2007 on their own label, I Thought You Were Dead Music, this album further cements the band's reputation. Inspired by the likes of Refused, Trail of the Dead and Queens of the Stone Age, Shelter With Thieves dance a careful line through hardcore, metal and rock territory, sounding stronger than the sum of their parts. Featuring guest appearances by Jon Epworth (The Dean Malenkos), Pamela Under Water and Aaron Collier (JSB) and production by former hHead frontman, Noah Mintz, A Dark Chapter is a solid post-hardcore album with moments of urgency and aggression that calls to mind Helmet's unique style of alternative metal.
Mark Black
categories: Coast pick - The Coast


"Shelter With Thieves Win Radio Contest And Launch Tour"


Thursday April 03, 2008 @ 05:30 PM
By: ChartAttack.com Staff

Shelter With Thieves
Shelter With Thieves

Halifax's Shelter With Thieves, fresh off a victory in local radio station Q104's battle of the bands, have set up an eastern Canada tour to further broaden their fan base.

Band members Mike Johnson (vocals, guitar), Matt Johnson (drums), Dave "Squid" Mullett (bass) and Lloyd Smith (guitar) recorded their second album, A Dark Chapter In The Human Experiment, at Halifax's Common Ground Studio. They released it independently in November. It features guest vocals from Pamela Underwater and Jon Epworth and piano from The Jimmy Swift Band's Aaron Collier.

Shelter With Thieves incorporate influences from The Clash, Operation Ivy and Social Distortion, and they've shared stages with Sum 41, Our Lady Peace and Sloan while having their songs used in MTV's Road Rules and Pimp My Ride.

Here are Shelter With Thieves' tour dates:

* April 16 Halifax, NS @ Reflections Cabaret
* April 17 Moncton, NB @ The Paramount
* April 18 Charlottetown, PEI @ Hunter’s Ale House
* April 19 Fredericton, NB @ Capitol Theatre
* April 20 Montreal, QC @ Bar St. Laurent 2
* April 21 Ottawa, ON @ Zaphod Beeblebrox
* April 22 Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern
* April 23 Quebec City, QC @ Dagobert
* April 24 Saint John, NB @ Elwoods
* April 25 Halifax, NS @ The Marquee Club

—Deidra Lunardon - Chart Attack


"Quick hitters:: Shelter With Thieves"

Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Quick hitters:: Shelter With Thieves


Shelter With Thieves are not really the type of band I gravitate towards. Sure, I used to be pretty big into the punk rawk, but even back in the day I still stayed more on the Ramones-influenced site of the equation as opposed to the screamo, heavier side of things (although I did love me some Sick of It All).

But even an old curmudgeon like me understands that the new record from this Haligonian outfit really hits hard. A Dark Chapter in The Human Experiment cranks up the guitars and blows you over with heavy metal, hardcore, emotional power-power-power ballads (the first two minutes of The Pittiful Applause are terrific) and touches on some classic alternative sounds (back when that was something to be proud of, not an overused, slap-in-the-face descriptor) all of which are filled with conspiracy driven, new world order subject matter.

They find surprising melodies - the driving energy Valley of the Gun is impossible to ignore, as is the almost Queen like breakdown on Knife Fight Under the Big Top - without ever taking their foot of the pedal or turning down the amps. I feel like I'm in some too-loud trailer for the next Die Hard when I say things like, "I'm getting too old for this shit" but even if I don't really get down like I used to, I can't take anything away from these guys. If you are looking for a crushing record full of songs that have something to say, Shelter With Thieves new one is probably a safe bet for you.

http://www.herohill.com
- HeroHill.com


"Musicians Struggle to Get to Juno Site"


" Hundreds of Juno-bound travellers — technicians, musicians, fans, reporters, industry members and even hockey stars — were also stuck in travel hell, with dozens of flights being cancelled, delayed and rerouted by freezing rain and high winds that hit the island on Thursday, followed by a thick blanket of fog that shut down most air traffic Friday. Halifax alt-rockers Shelter With Thieves — one of several acts who spent much of Friday milling about the airport with their gear, making the place seem like the backstage area at a music festival — were also writing off their Friday night performance in St. John’s, where they were hoping to capitalize on some of the JunoFest crowds. “We’re an indie band, so this is going to cost us a bunch of money,” said black-clad player Lloyd Smith, estimating the group stands to lose up to $2,000 if it has to cancel both its weekend shows. "
Darryl Sterdan - Toronto Sun
- Toronto Sun


Discography

"Someday is Never Soon Enough" 2011
"Confessions of a Toxic Generation" 2009
"ECMA Rock Compilation" 2009
"ECMA CBC Galaxie Rising Star Comp." 2009
"Shadows of Influence" - June 2005
"Gun to Head" Vol compilation - Aug. 05
"A Dark Chapter in The Human Experiment" - Nov. 07

Photos

Bio

Delve into the history of thieves and you'll find pain that can only be healed by the taking. It's an affliction that Halifax-based band Shelter With Thieves knows all too well. With their alt-rock and hardcore arena-sized sound and showmanship, the band continues its crime spree across the land, stealing the hearts of rock fans the world over.

Shelter With Thieves (SWT) is made up of twin brothers Mike and Matt Johnson on lead guitar and drums respectively, Squid Mullet on bass and Lloyd Smith on guitar. As lead vocalist, Mike Johnson is unafraid to layer sweet melodies over the roar of distortion, but equally at home screaming dark, politically-charged lyrics. This is songwriting stripped of trend-seeking sap, instead building upon the bones of die-hard rock.

The band has drawn a rabid following from its members previous days in Shyne Factory and Bucket Truck. Now mature and refined for the discerning listener, SWT is winning over new punks and old hardcore fans alike.

The live show is fearsome. It's a war of attrition between the foursome, a mud-slinging, beer-spitting game of one-upmanship. Extended versions of songs and spontaneous classic Nine Inch Nails covers provide guaranteed sweaty satisfaction.

But while these musical beasts have built a reputation for relentless aggression on stage, in person they are sunny, friendly guys who are loyal to their fans and serious about hitting the road to perform. They've toured through their native Canada and the U.S., sharing the stage with bands like Treble Charger, The Trews, Sum 41, Slayer, The Black Halos, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Our Lady Peace, Gob and Finger Eleven, to name a few.

Their peers have awarded them with a nomination in the 2009 ECMA Loud category and two Music Nova Scotia awards. Their glossy, Project Mayhem-inspired video for "Nursery Crimes" recently landed in regular rotation on Much Music.

For their upcoming release, SWT joined forces with Sum 41's bassist Cone McCaslin who lent his ears to produce some killer tracks. The final polished mix was provided by Eric Ratz (Billy Talent, Cancer Bats, Dead and Divine).

The resulting EP hones protest energy and sputtering pace to evoke a heart-thumping, car-wrecking musical emergency. Look for SWT on tour near you!

Praise for the last album, "A Dark Chapter in the Human Experiment "

"A Dark Chapter is a solid post-hardcore album with moments of urgency and aggression that calls to mind Helmet's unique style of alternative metal"

- The Coast, Halifax

"If you are looking for a crushing record full of songs that have something to say, Shelter With Thieves new one is probably a safe bet for you.

- Hero Hill

Blending superb, turn-on-dime arrangements with an astute ability to deliver the full fury of four-piece contemporary electric alt-rock outfit, the Bluenose musicians have created a powerful, intriguing slab of modern day rock music that blends issues of alienation, technology and all the conflicts of young adult life into a seamless whole."

- Ron Foley MacDonald