Wax Mannequin was born in the smoke and industry of Hamilton; a damaged, underdog town; a perfect breeding ground for strange, variant things. Incorporating folk, scrappy prog-metal and a tireless creative ethic, Wax infused his local influences with road-broken experience to forge something unsettlingly new. Solo (accompanied by heavy devices and an angry, nylon-string guitar) or band-backed (with Mark Raymond on bass and Aidan Campbell on percussion), Wax Mannequin has toured incessantly within Canada over the past six years, with more recent forays into Europe and Australia.
Wax Mannequin now finds himself a forerunner in a strange new movement: roaming recluses and attention-seekers -- solo-performers, equipped with laptops, damaged instruments and decaying minivans, making new sounds, informed by hard travel and rough living.
Wax's thought-provoking live performances and acclaimed recordings have garnered the fervent support of the creative underclass in his home country as well as a burgeoning international reputation. After a comparitively sedentary half-year year of close-to-home travel, teaching grade two students and recording with Andy Magoffin, a wiser, drunker Wax Mannequin emerges. He readies himself again for the glories and pitfalls of the trans-Canada, and the trans-atlantic. Wax's impending release 'Saxon' (summer 2009) will mark a gritty return to the psych-folk roots of this rambling iconoclast.
[Wax Mannequin's] Saxon is one of the sharpest bursts of surreal folk-rock to emerge this year... the masterful Saxon, [is an] earnest batch of songs, most of which are performed on classical guitar and blend Wax Mannequin's trademark theatricality and darkly humorous perspective like nothing he's ever issued. Exclaim! (Canada) | Feature article | August 2009
"By training his inner animal enough to let it run free with his muse, Wax Mannequin has given birth to a brilliant bestial gem of audio mythology." -Exclaim! (Canada) | Review of 'Orchard and Ire' | August 2007
"Part wandering minstrel, part rock animal, Wax Mannequin combines a fine sense of prog-rock parody with intense sincerity and lyrical smarts. He will indoctrinate you with chilling harmonies, absurd lyrics and the almighty power of the guitar." - dB Magazine (Australia) | September 2004
"I could start off with a catch-all like 'shockingly good songwriter' or 'eclectic artist,' and while that would partly describe Hamilton's Wax Mannequin, it would do the man a great disservice to leave it at that." -Now Magazine (Toronto)| Disc of the Week | JUNE 28 - JULY 4 2007 | VOL. 26 NO. 43
Hi Chris, once again: great album! In case you didn't notice yet: I'm the guitar player of mark's band, I bought your album on tuesday:) listened to it yesterday and it's fucking good. Espacially Doin' keeps sticking in my head.
As a devout follower of the Invisible Pink Unicorn, I find your "Volcano God" song highly offensive. First of all, there is no Volcano God. That's just something that somebody made up. The Invisible Pink Unicorn is the Supreme Deity of the Universe. Second, the Holy Hoof of the Invisible Pink Unicorn does NOT take away. It only gives. Sometimes you don't like what it gives you... but that's because you don't understand that it's exactly what you need.
I'm afraid I won't be buying your album until you either remove the song "Volcano God," or make it about the Invisible Pink Unicorn.
Oct 04: Montreal @ The Gamiq Awards, Club Soda Oct 07: Toronto ON @ Younge and Dundas Square 12;30 (Noon) OCt 08 Cobourg ON @ we are working on it Oct 10:Fredricton NB @ The Capital Oct 11: Sydney NS @ Sydney Marine Terminal Oct 15: Peterbourgh ON @ The Red Dog Oct 16: Kingston ON @ The Living Room Oct 17: Ottawa ON @ OCFF Oct 21: London ON @ London Music Club w/The Fugitives Oct 22: Toronto ON @ The Rivoli w/The Fugitives Oct 23: Wakefield QC @ The Black Sheep w/The Fugitives Oct 24: Montreal QC @ Divane Orange w/The Fugitives Oct 31: Montreal QC @ Grumpy's Bar 8th Annual Bash up on Bishop
1)First of all we have a brand new Myspace profile, thanx to:
Ozone: (Main Artwork)
The Kid Designs: (Myspace Layout and arrangement) and
Demise Art: (Logo design)
2)Starting from today we will be uploading our songs from "Abominable
Confessions", our brand new EP wich was recorded at SL Studios.
The upload dates will be the following:
♦ Already Uploaded : Nothing Below Zero
♦ September 25th 2009: Call Of Discord
♦ October 3rd 2009: Reborn Through The Ashes Of Darkness