“This album has a perfect melodic mix of vocals, with hard, crunchy riffs, surprising, heart throbbing bass licks and old school “hey Man! we’re going to rip your gotchoff” arpeggios and bass drum… and just when you are getting into the groove and thinking “we’re going to rock out and guzzle some Jack”. This album isn’t just in my collection because of my support of local music… it’s in my collection because… I physically can’t take it outta my c.d. player… it’s too awesome… almost as good as the amazing live show they put on! Great job guys… keep it up.”
“Cletis is one of those acts everyone wants to be a part of. An amazing album and a killer stage show to back it up. Definitely a must see.”
“Having high energy with songs that can’t be beat, this is definitely a band to watch out for”
Hurricane Cletis - Hurricane Cletis
Review: The greatest strength of Hurricane Cletis is that they do not have to rely on a barrage of heavy guitar riffs to make an impact. The group works together to create a fantastic moodiness to their music, ranging from beautiful acoustic bits, to catchy hooks and superior melodic guitar riffs. You are being presented with a success story in the making.
Track listing: Disgusted
Don’t Wanna Wait
Stained
Spend My Time
Little While
Break You
Can’t Follow
Wastin’ Time
The Vicious Cycle
Stories Before
Pieces Left Behind
On My Way
Running time: 43:13
13 Personnel: Greg Dyck - Guitars, vocals; Rob Dyck - Drums; Darren Dyck - Vocals; JK - Bass; Chris Smith - Guitars, vocals.
For fans of: Nickleback, Alter Bridge, Motley Cru
Review conducted June 22, 2007
For Music Vualt http://musicvault.shoutpost.com/
Year a whirlwind for Hurricane Cletis
One year ago, Hurricane Cletis took first place at the Ultimate Band Warz at the Roxy on Broadway and, according to the band, life after the win has been a whirlwind.
The Saskatoon rockers, brothers Greg, Darren and Rob Dyck and JK and Chris Smith (no relation), released their first album in October. In January, Greg Dyck was picked as the regional winner in the Canadian Radio Star Song Writing competition for his song Stained. That same month the band traveled to Toronto to showcase the song and their sound at Canadian Music Week, a major event in the world of Canadian music.
A schedule full of short, compact showcase performances followed Hurricane Cletis through the spring. This weekend the band will have the chance to stretch their legs on stage at the Roxy on Broadway where they will play regular sets, something drummer Rob Dyck and guitar player and singer Chris Smith said the band is looking forward to.
“In the shorter showcases, even at the Juno weekend where we were so excited to play, everything is compacted into one high- energy set. When you’re playing a longer set it has got a different feel,” said Smith. “It’s about people who want to come out and dance and have a few drinks and have fun.”
In addition to their original songs the band plays music by artists like the Ramones and Ozzy Osborne as well as more modern roups like Three Days Grace and Hinder to give the crowd something familiar to groove to, explained Smith. The covers don’t take away from Hurricane Cletis’ sound, he said, a prairie - rock vibe created by influences ranging from Motley Crue to Nickelback.”
I think our album hits on a bunch of different sounds. Some people will say ‘that sounds like Nickelback,’ but someone else will say ‘that one sounds like Godsmack,’ ” Chris said with a laugh. “I’m not sure if we sound like them, maybe Godsmack-light.”
The band’s self - titled album was produced by Ryan Andersen, a well - known music maker who has worked with bands like Nickelback, Thornley and Theory of a Deadman. Dyck said the producer guided Hurricane Cletis through the album but let them experiment with their own sound.
“(Working with) him opened up a lot of doors. He’s a creative genius , he knows what he’s doing and he still lets the band focus on what they wanted to do,” Dyck said. Even with all the big steps the band has taken int he last few months, Dyck said the band’s focus on playing good music and showing the audience a good time hasn’t changed.”
For us not much has changed. Maybe we’re getting some more attention from some people, but nothing is really any different. Some people might be taking us more seriously, and that’s not a bad thing.” In addition to their Saskatchewan gigs, the band plans to use the summer to tour in Manitoba and Alberta and work on new songs. Smith and Dyck say the band would like to record again in the winter, if they survive their upcoming tour. So far, there haven’t been any problems. Besides the odd night you forget a cord or something or forget some lyrics, nothing too embarrassing has happened so far,” said Smith. “We’ll have to report back with some stories when the summer is over.”
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. CA
Printed Thursday, May 17, 2007
By Cassandra Kyle
Album Review for Instrumental Observer
Genre: Pop Metal/Heavy Rock/Grunge
Review: Perhaps the greatest part of Hurricane Cletis is that they do not have to rely on a barrage of heavy guitar riffs to make an impact. The group works together to create a fantastic moodiness to their music, ranging from beautiful acoustic bits, to catchy hooks and superior melodic guitar riffs. You are being presented with a success story in the making.
In this reviewers mind catchiness is very important. Anyone can train themselves day in day out to become the most technically proficient musician possible, but musicianship is art before skill, so when an album full of recognizable songs is released, that is the most important factor when appreciating good music. I expect the debut to lead Hurricane Cletis out of their native land and onto the international stage.
Track listing: Disgusted; Don’t Wanna Wait; Stained; Spend My Time; Little While; Break You; Can’t Follow; Wastin’ Time; The Vicious Cycle; Stories Before; Pieces Left Behind; On My Way.
Personnel: Greg Dyck - Guitars, vocals; Rob Dyck - Drums; Darren Dyck - Vocals; JK - Bass; Chris Smith - Guitars, vocals.
For fans of: Nickleback, Alter Bridge, Motley Crue
Running time: 43:13
Review conducted April 28, 2007
By metalhaven
For Instrumental Observer
http://metalhaven.livejournal.com/
Album Review for Monkeyfeesh Music
I first listened to this album, I was wondering if Metallica had written an album using a secret identity, due to the similarity of the bands in the music they play.
Is this actually a bad thing? No, it’s totally the opposite, in fact, a very good thing. Don’t think about them as a Metallica cover band, or Metallica wanabees, because they definitely aren’t.
They mix their styles very well, with the occasional flourish of softer rock, with one standout track, ‘Stained’. This starts out as a slow, soft, acoustic track, which becomes heavier, but still remains a slower paced and powerful track. This can also be said about ‘Stories before’. The occasional softer track is a relief from the brutal sounds of the rest of the album.
Every track shows a very well crafted style, and it is clear that a lot of effort has been put in to make the album as close to perfect as possible.
Hurricane Cletis also show an experimental side by trying to deviate away from just pure metal. Normally this would fail, but not here. HC pull it off with the success and conviction that takes the album to another level. This is evident on ‘Pieces Left Behind’, starting off with a very deep bass line before turning to metal with an experimental twist, a progressive twist in some ways that really makes this track stand out.
However you decide to look at this album and its tracks, whether as a neutral, a metal fan, or as a person who hates metal, there is a track for everyone.
Each track has different but impressive qualities. Tracks like ‘Can’t follow’ start off with a deep bass line, which makes the track sound dark and heavy. If this track was a person then it’s not someone you’d want to meet down a dark alley!
If Canada can keep producing bands of the quality of Hurricane Cletis then the whole world will benefit. There isn’t a major weakness with this album, no one track sounds the same, and they all have potential.
If you love metal, you need Hurricane Cletis in your life. They offer a new perspective to metal, and it’ll refresh you. However, if you don’t, you still need to check them out - they may change your opinion of metal. They will make you like metal, if not fall in love with it all over again.
MFM PICK OF THE BUNCH: - PIECES LEFT BEHIND
Rating: 9/10
Review conducted April 6, 2007
By Matt
For Monkeyfeesh Music
www.monkeyfeeshmusic.com/
Album Review for World of Music
Hurricane Cletis has introduced themselves with their Self Titled album with 12 tracks consisting of similar conception, psychology and realization. Judging by their choice of genre, we could characterize their style as an untypical combination of rock and metal.
Their music consists of alternative rock elements, hidden grunge details and emo variants. Fronting the band is a very convincable vocalist, and it is important to say that all members of the group reflect specific energy. Most influences in their music come from the 90’s period, but they have successfully offered their own original view. A few tracks possess an evident ‘radio hit’ dimension, especially the opening track “Disgusted”, as well as other songs like “Don’t Wanna Wait”, “Stained”, or “Pieces Left Behind”. It seems that Hurricane Cletis is a band that has a respectable future, so don’t hesitate to find their CD.
Rating: 8.5/10
Review conducted March 2007
By Barikada
For World of Music www.barikada.com
Interview for Faded World Productions
Katrina: How did you come up with the name for your band?
Chris: I’ll field this one. No, I have no clue. Go ahead.
Greg: That’s a question we never seem to be able to answer.
Darren: I can answer it. It was a drunk night and Curtis better known as Cletis was totally hammered and a friend of his said “hey look it’s Hurricane Cletis”.
Chris: And we’re not paying any royalties to anyone.
Darren: It basically means a hick who likes to giver shit.
Who were your musical influences growing up and have they changed?
Greg: Motley Crue and Motley Crue, for me.
Rob: Anything good. Anything from Johnny Cash to Motley Crue to Metallica.
Darren: Skid Row, Godsmack.
Chris: Simon and Garfunkel. Nana Mouskouri, she’s hot
Rob: I was a big Tiffany fan for a while.
Greg: Zephyr and Abba.
Chris: Actually Abba’s pretty cool.
Darren: The Bangles.
Chris: The Bangles too. I prefer chick singers, more melodic.
JK: Nirvana.
Rob: Anything good really. As long as it didn’t suck. Even some things that sucked. They’re just as important for us.
Greg: According to most of the world our influences did suck.
Katrina: Which artist would you like to tour or work with?
Chris: It would have to be somebody from the same vein.
Greg: Whoever has the number one album.
Chris: Wow that’s lots of chicks. You can never have too many girls.
Rob: Beggers can’t be choosers. We’ll go on the road with anyone.
Chris: We’ll play for anyone, anytime, anywhere, anyhow. Except for old-folks homes. I have to draw the line at old-folks homes.
Greg: What do you mean old chicks know how to party.
Chris: At first. They tire out fast. I get tired from wheeling them around.
Katrina: How do you write your songs and where do you get your ideas from?
Darren: Our brains.
Chris: I get my ideas from Greg humming them. *hums*
Darren: For the most part somebody will have an idea and we just kind of work on it together. (steals Rob’s ashtray)
Rob: Who the fuck do you think you are? (steals ashtray back) Yeah what Darren says is probably about it, someone has an idea and we just work on it as a group.
Chris: Usually Greg comes in or Darren with a guitar riff.
Rob: Pretty much everyone contributes but JK.
Darren: Even JK had a couple ideas.
Katrina: Did any of them actually pan out?
Darren: “Disgusted.”
Chris: We just nod at JK when he hits the right note. No stay there, stay there.
Rob: “Melodramatic” (now called “Pieces Left Behind”) and “The Light” which got dropped fast.
JK: It’s because you guys couldn’t keep up.
Darren: On the account that the idea sucked.
Chris: Time will tell with that one.
Katrina: What’s your favorite venue to play?
Rob: I much rather be inside.
Greg: Hot sweaty clubs.
Rob: The hotter and more packed the better.
Katrina: What’s one of your most embarrassing moments?
JK: Being on stage with Rob.
Chris: Yeah being seen in public with Rob. I actually had my pants and underwear pulled down at a show once. I had the guitar in front of me and I was butt-naked.
Greg: They weren’t pulled down you took them off, I was there.
Chris: No Darcy pulled my gotch down while I was playing “Sweet Child Of Mine” solo and I couldn’t pull them up because I had to finish the show.
Darren: I think my worst one is at Ryly’s when we took of my shirt and my boxers were up above my belly- button.
Chris: Cool. Rob: His pants were really low.
Chris: That’s going to come back in style too. I know in the 50’s everybody wore their pants really high like that.
Rob: I don’t think I really had an embarrassing moment. I’m pretty much always cool on stage.
Katrina: What’s your most memorable moment?
Rob: When three chicks flashed me at the Sutherland last year.
Chris: One was a guy. You were drunk.
Rob: No all three were flat but they were all chicks.
Chris: They were all guys. Did you see the hair on their chest?
Rob: I think that was probably the best. Either that or when Darren was crowd surfing. That was cool. That wasn’t this band really.
Chris: Way to leave us out. We’ve done nothing fun with them. Screw them.
Darren: We did everything cool before you guys came.
JK: I don’t know. Probably the first show, that was fun. Nervous as hell.
Chris: Actually I’m pretty happy when I can walk across the stage and not bang into anyone. It’s kind of nice, guitars clunk and both go out of tune.
Katrina: What’s your favorite song to perform?
Greg: You’ll probably get five different answers here.
Chris: Mines “No Name 2″, I don’t know what the real title of the song is.
Greg: “Don’t Wanna Wait”.
Chris: Oh that’s it. “Don’t Wanna Wait”.
Rob: Mine is not that one.
JK: Yours is probably “Rob’s Least Favorite” (now called “The Vicious Cycle”).
Rob: I think right now probably “On My Way” is my favorite.
Greg: Ditto for me.
Chris: I like “A Little While” too.
JK: Can I say a cover?
Chris: No you can’t say a cover.
Greg: Holy fuck you are so out of this band.
Rob: Add to your interview that we are currently seeking a new bass player.
JK: Fine then “On My Way”.
Chris: Auditions will be held at our cd release. You were going to say “Sedated” right?
JK: No.
Greg: We can find another guy with the initials J.K.
Chris: We’ll just search in a phone book under J or K.
Rob: Which one do you like DD?
Darren: Anything that makes the chicks wild.
Chris: That’s deep.
Katrina: Who causes the most trouble in the group?
Darren: JK.
Katrina: How, he just stands there and does nothing.
Rob: Oh you didn’t say who screws up the most.
Chris: Yeah causes the most trouble musically in the group. That’s not true, we usually have him right out of the mix so you can’t even hear him.
Greg: We have a member that occasionally knocks down monitors.
Rob: Advertises shows at other bars. Falls off stages after winning awards.
Chris: We have other members who will date two waitresses that work side by side at the same time.
Katrina: What do you think makes a good live show?
Darren: Energy.
Rob: Energy and booze.
Chris: I like booze. Darren: And just knowing how to rock and roll.
Katrina: What advice can you give to people who are wanting to create a band?
Rob: Don’t have three brothers in it.
Katrina: Well you got a complete band right there, you don’t even need JK.
Chris: We never really needed JK.
Greg: There’s an underlined theme here.
JK: Apparently.
Chris: Poor JK. I fly under the radar because I’m short.
Rob: I think the biggest thing is find guys that you get along with.
Chris: Musically everyone’s got to be on the same page otherwise it falls apart. This is the first band I played in where everybody’s kind of got their head in the same direction.
Darren: And willing to sacrifice what you like for the song.
Chris: Just to appease the other people. Yeah it’s all about the songs.
Greg: To avoid conflict.
Interview conducted September 30, 2006
By Katrina K.
For Faded World productions
www.fadedworldproductions.com
Hague rock band on a roll
Hurricane Cletis is turning heads and becoming a force on the Saskatoon music scene this year. The just recently rejuvenated rock band, which has four members from Hague, has recently been recognized on two fronts.
After winning the Rock 102 and Roxy on Broadway’s Ultimate Band Warz on April 20th in Saskatoon, they were selected for Rawlco Radio’s project 10K20 Saskatchewan. That made them one of 29 performers and groups to receive $10,000 to assist with recording a new album. It’s been a rush.Rob Dyck, who plays drums for the group, likes what the money will do for the group. “It gives us the chance to record professionally without going through the stress of raising the money.” “it was finally a chance, after 10 years in the garage , to get into a studio and work with a producer,” added brother Greg who plays guitar and sings back up.
Their brother Darren, is the lead singer in the group. JK, who plays bass guitar, is also from Hague. Chris Smith, who plays guitar and sings back up in the most recent formation of the band, is from Saskatoon.The Dyck brothers have always been the heart of the band. At first it was Friday night jam sessions in the garage. In 2002 they recorded a 10 song CD of their own compositions. Shortly after that, the band broke up and the boys took a three year hiatus.
It was just this last year that they formed the band, welcoming JK and Chris Smith. Named mainly after the energy they project in their performances, Hurricane Cletis has developed its own style of rock, which reflects the musical interests of the group.
“It’s a punchy, driving, rock and roll,” says Rob when asked to describe their sound. “Our music has to be appealing to our ears,” adds Greg. “We are not just about noise.” Bands that have influenced their music include Motley Crue and Nickelback.
Melody and a strong beat are presented together in their songs, which are all their own compositions. “One person will have an idea and the band will build on that to complete the song,” said Greg of the collaborative process used by the group.
In late January, the Rock 102and The Roxy on Broadway’s Ultimate Band Warz provided the group with some very valuable exposure. The organizers were looking for one more band to complete their list for the competition. When they called, the boys figured why not go for the experience.
“It was just an opportunity for us to get on stage and try some material we were working on,” explained Rob. “It had been over two and a half years since we’d been on stage, so we went just for our own enjoyment.”"We had no thoughts of winning,” added Greg, pointing out they were competing against over 40 bands. “It was just for fun.”
January 26th was the first night they played. Each evening in the competition celebrity judges would listen to the bands and decide which were to continue in the contest. Hurricane Cletis kept moving on in the competition, until April 20th they found themselves in the finals. “We played on five of the nights and just kept going there,” says Greg. The judges obviously liked what they heard.
The judges for the finals were national figures, which included Ralph James, booking agent for Nickelback and other groups and Steve Blair, head of Artists and Repertoire for Warner Music, Canada.With that calibre of judging, winning was a real honour for the group. The prizes weren’t too bad either. The prize package, with a retail value of $6,000, included a RIM Blackberry device for each member, a professional four to six song CD, an Alesis Powered Mixer, and three Audio-technical Mic packages.Hurricane will also get to open for a major headliner at Credit Union centre and will be featured on Rock 102 FM’s the Zone and have one of their songs played on air as well.
The boys saw another opportunity too. Rawlco was sponsors of the Band Warz and they announced in May that they would be providing the $10,000 Rawlco 10K20 awards to bands to encourage more groups in Saskatchewan to record their music. Now that they were known in the Saskatoon and indeed, the provincial scene, they felt their chances were much improved to receive an award.”
Because of the exposure this (The Band Warz) gave us on the radio, we felt that we would have a better chance at the awards.” With the $10,000 award from Rawlco, came some responsibilities. The group must be able to demonstrate by September that they are well on their way to completing their CD. And that’s just what they are doing. They are very pleased to be working with Ryan Andersen at his studio in Delisle. Anderson was a studio hand for bands such as Nickelback and AC DC, while working in Vancouver, has also worked as a studio assistant for Sarah McLachlan, Bryan Adams and Sheryl Crow and many others.The Saskatoon native has now returned to Saskatchewan and set up a studio, RedDoor Recording, to begin his producing career here. The boys are working five or six evenings a week, including weekends, as they prepare their latest work. They’ll introduce their new album of original tunes, on October 20th at the Odeon Events Centre in Saskatoon.
Article taken from the Saskatchewan Valley News.
Printed Wednesday August 30, 2006
By Jim Craik