Stereo Six: Dammit Goldie Ration Out Some of Their Favourite Records

It’s time to turn the guitars and the intensity up with the evolution of Dammit Goldie. In January, the Hamilton, Ontario act released their latest single, “Medusa,” a heavy dose of post-hardcore and pop-punk that is probably the group’s most intense track. It fits well within the context of the sound the quartet has been developing over the last few years, particularly since the release of their 2020 single “Low Then Up.” Punk and hard rock motivate these men, a talented bunch including singer Josh Smith, guitarist Evan Cannavicci, drummer Tommy Metcalfe, and bassist Cam Watson.

“Medusa” is the latest in a string of singles the guys have released over the last few years. It is the follow-up to their 2022 cuts “Something’s Missing” and “Moods.” They continue to define themselves and their sound with each passing single, but you can easily trace the band’s evolution from single to single. Within the context of hardcore and punk rock, they do their best to be experimental while still grasping the classic spirit of punk rock.

To hear some more about their influences and some of the music they hold in very high esteem, the members of Dammit Goldie join us today for a session of Stereo Six, in which they run down six albums that have played a prominent role in forming and shaping their sound.

1. No-Cash – Run Your Pockets (2003, Morphius Records)

Evan Cannavicci: “This album has been the most influential in all my songwriting since I heard it roughly 20 years ago. It took a very simple genre and made it abrasive, fast and chaotic. It taught me that aggressive music could have some structure to it. That you can harness that energy and make a dope song out of it.

“Prior to this album, I was still relatively new to song structuring, especially structuring a punk tune. Hardcore punk and crust punk isn’t music that is generally written for listeners to go, ‘oh wow, did you hear what they did there?’ It’s more, so it elicits the feeling. Structure is thrown to the wayside. This album taught me the importance of structure, the importance of a riff and how punk can also be a type of music that you admire for its musicality.”

2. Maximum The Hormone – Bu-ikikaesu (2007, VAP)

Cannavicci: “It’s not often that bands can find their sound and perfect it. It’s even rarer that a band finds multiple sounds and does the same. This album does it. It’s an amalgamation of so many genres that it can become confusing to listeners. It’s heavy, catchy, and it’s goofy. It’s got some groove, and it’s outright weird. It’s everything I like in music. It taught me that music doesn’t need to have a label and that it doesn’t need to fit neatly in a box. Sometimes it can fit in many boxes and still sound great.

“When I write, I struggle sometimes with the notion that what I’m writing won’t fit Dammit Goldie; this album takes the idea that a band needs to find a lane and stay in it and flips it on its head. I take a lot more chances with my songwriting after hearing this album.”

Artwork for the albums Dammit Goldie list in this Stereo Six

3. Deftones – Around the Fur (1997, Maverick Records)

Tommy Metcalfe: “Big riffs, big drums. Discovering this album was huge for me and definitely informs the way I approach Dammit Goldie. Abe Cunningham can be big and heavy, but also dynamically driven. He’s a guy that plays with metal-ish riffs while only using a single bass drum pedal which I relate too.

“Our songs can differ in sound, but my approach always stays the same. Compliment the song. This album does that well. It can be soft in parts but also super intense. The time signatures stay relatively simple, yet the patterns used can be super interesting. It can be fast and grinding at times but also slow and heavy. All of this was an influence on the process.”

4. Faith No More – Angel Dust (1992, Slash Records)

Josh Smith: “Discovering these guys felt like a gift. Their first album, The Real Thing, was amazing. Dynamic. Was enjoyable from start to finish. So many different styles. Then bam, their second album is wildly different and so cool, was a big FUCK YOU to their label, who wanted them to basically repeat what they did on the first album. Mike Patton is one of the best vocalists ever. Check out basically anything he’s a part of. One of my other favourites being Mr. Bungle’s self-titled albums. Crazy shit for when it came out. One of my favourite songs is ‘My Ass is On Fire.’ Mike Patton is definitely a huge inspiration for me.”

5. Falling In Reverse – Fashionably Late (2013, Epitaph Records)

Smith: “So I was a fan of early Escape the Fate. The singer from the first album went to jail and later started Falling in Reverse. Since the first album, The Drug in Me is You came out, I have been a huge fan. But when Fashionably Late came out, I was blown away. They added rap, the breakdowns got heavier and more complex, the solos got crazier, the fact that it goes from hardcore to rap to pop to punk rock to dubstep all on one album blew me away. Ronnie’s vocal abilities are unreal. The last handful of singles they’ve put out are really great too. Check out ‘Watch The World Burn.’”

6. Periphery – Periphery IV: Hail Stan (2019, eOne Records)

Cam Watson: “I took a lot from these recordings. I love the way their bass player Nolly (Adam Getgood) plays, his tone, and the way his lines fit nicely together with both guitars and drums. His sound on this album was something that I had in mind when deciding what I wanted mine to be, fitting nicely in the mix while also having a character of its own. I also really admire his time feel and consistency. I put a lot of practice in before hitting the studio with a pick and without to make sure I could nail every part as consistently as possible regardless of how I played it.”

Artwork for the album ‘medusa’ by Dammit Goldie