The Canadian outfit, comprised of vocalist Matty Matheson (chef, restaurateur, and actor from FX’s ‘The Bear’), guitarists Wade MacNeil (Alexisonfire, Dooms Children) and Daniel Romano, drummer Ian Romano (Daniel Romano’s Outfit), and bassist Tommy Major (Daniel Romano’s Outfit, Young Guv) combine their love of ‘80s hardcore and rock ‘n’ roll into a grimy, introspective album.
After spending months passing along riffs and playlists filled with inspiration, the ten tracks on ‘Mental Madness’ were written in a day and recorded the next. With a band made up of career musicians, the do-it-yourself approach for the album was a no-brainer, taking the wheel by self-recording and producing.
The tracks were sent off to Arthur Rizk (Cold World, Fucked Up, Power Trip) for mixing and Grammy–award-winning engineer Alan Douches for mastering. The ten songs are tough and harsh, dark and noisy, and pack depth within the lyrics. The subject matter on ‘Mental Madness’ sticks to themes that Matheson describes as “mental health shit”: topics like isolation, loneliness, and “letting your mind destroy you.” It’s built on pushing through negative mindsets with positive energy and profound friendship, latching onto formative years of the hardcore scene the members of Pig Pen participated in.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
July 3rd – Welland Legion Branch 4 w/ Exhibition, Big Dog, Corrosives – Welland, ON
July 5th – TV EYE w/ Jivebomb, Dog Breath, Corrosives – Brooklyn, NY
October 3rd – Furnace Fest – Birmingham, AL