Self-released, June 5, 2020
Matt Ellis loves Ramones and you’re going to hear about it.
Hamilton, Ontario’s Matt Ellis doesn’t much care for what we think about his music. He does what he does, mixing a bunch of Ramones vibes with maybe a dash of G.G. Allin, and he moves on to his next thing. In fact, this is his third 4-song EP in three months.
On Halfway To Insanity, Ellis crafts some positively buzzing Ramonescore songs. Opener “D.M.T. Is Good For Me” is a buzzing number with some super snotty vocals and insistent guitars that jump out at you. On this one, the chorus is quickly implanted into the brain and it becomes instantly repeatable and fun, likely the most memorable song on the record. Closer “I Don’t Wanna Know” falls into the same camp, flying the Ramones flag proudly. With it’s opening line “I don’t wanna know what you think about me now”, it’s like Ellis is giving a sort of mission statement. It’s all humming energy, but the hooks aren’t quite as memorable as “D.M.T.”. The other original on Insanity is “Death Rattle”, a mid-tempo number that follows suit, but never quite gets going for me. I think the slow-down feels like an energy drop in my head, rendering the song a little lesser than the others. But maybe that’s just me.
Ellis also manages to throw a cover into the mix of Insanity, a nice run on “Monster Under My Bed” (originally a song by The Scabs). I’m admittedly unfamiliar with the original, but Ellis’ version has me trying to track it down. It’s simple and buzzing, really much like the rest of this, and it’s got some really cool hooks and some lead guitar that sounds made for a sort of twisted sock hop. It rivals “D.M.T.” as my favorite on here.
Halfway To Insanity is a pretty good estimation of Ellis’ thing. There’s nothing to fuss about and there’s nothing new being offered. Just a bunch of snot-nosed angst tied up with Ramones riffing guitars and primal drums. If that’s your thing, then this will be too.
You might like this if:
- You like Ramones bands and like when the angst is really dialed in
You might not if:
- You want something more than simple snotty buzzing punk rock
ryan is a reviewer and news editor for TGEFM. He’s very secretive, he might be an alien.
