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The Dirty Nil has always brought a bit of flash and colour to rock ‘n’ roll. Whether it’s the bejeweled stars and lightning bolts emblazoned on frontman Luke Bentham’s stage outfits or the multi-dimensional, psychedelic artwork splashed across album covers, the Hamilton, Ontario-based band likes to add a little flair. But on their fifth album, The Lash, the Nil is stripping it all back. No more flash. No more colour. The slate is getting wiped. Back to basics.

Ultimately, The Lash sounds exactly like what the title implies—a cold, hard crack of the whip by the Canadian rock band, one that snaps them with a much needed reset after nearly 20 years of exploring the light. Where they’ll go from here, they’re not sure. Maybe the colour shall soon return. But for now, they’re content to enjoy the darkness.