About Sadie Hell ~
"Sadie Hell are
just one of many examples of why the Ottawa independent music scene may
be one of the best kept musical secrets in this country."
~ March 2010. NxEW
"a record of
substance and style" "No frills, no fancy pants bullshit; just
fantastic." ~ March 2010. QuickBeforeItMelts
"Along comes
“Sadie Hell“ which now ranks right up there and is certainly the best
album I’ve heard this year." ~ March, 2010. Lysten
The music of
Sadie Hell is a little difficult to put your finger on. Welland's voice
is unique and is, for the most part, soft – but don't be fooled, there's
a hard side too. He can belt/scream out of nowhere. Sadie Hell's sound
is almost breaking the boundary between punk and indie rock music. It
teeters a little bit towards indie rock but definitely has some subtle
punk rock elements layered within it." ~ February 2010. Beyond Robson
"Vancouver Islanders may be used to Ottawa sending
us hell. But this is hell of a different kind." ~ February 2010. Cowichan News Leader
"Coming from
the focused energy of punk, it was as if a musical atom were split: an
intricate explosion of sounds, some mellow, some raucous, some
stunningly gorgeous - but all blending together to make a majestic
record." ~ February 2010, NxEW
"an ambitious
album of such varied sounds and textures, all of them underscored with
ardent, almost plaintive vocals and a driven approach to craft, that to
classify the music would do a disservice to the band's willingness to
explore a diversity of approaches." ~ February 2010, Hour
"Quiet and
contemplative at times, lush and orchestral at others, the willingness
to stradle and traverse a wide variety of styles is the band's real
strength and one that makes this record such a joy to discover." ~
February 2010. Ottawa Xpress
"riotous
orchestration and roller coaster progression" "Attempting to describe
Sadie Hell's sound concisely is like trying to put a cream puff through a
key-hole." ~ February 2010, 24 Hours
"cathartiques"
"mélancoliques" "glorieux" ~ January 2010, Voir
"Is Sadie
Hell chamber pop? Not sure precisely where that line starts and ends,
but there is something lush about the Ottawa band's music" ~ January
2010, The Ottawa Citizen
"Even if
Welland likes to dabble in different sounds and styles, it's clear that
he's bringing them all together with one singular vision in mind. It's
an ambitious goal, but, as Welland and his bandmates show throughout
Sadie Hell, it's one that the band is more than capable of pulling off" ~
January 2010, i(heart)music
"a
well-seasoned Ottawa act" ~ January 2010, DharmaArts
"The sound can sometimes be described as quite dark
which is fitting to the band name (sad ie. hell), but that does not
eliminate the beautiful atmosphere captured in the music." ~ December
2009. Bands Undone
"The timbre and tonal qualities of his
music are constantly shifting, but the vocals and guitar work remain
unmistakably, Sadie Hell. It’s a brand that’s becoming more
recognizable, associated not with a particular sound, but with a
distinctive feeling." ~ December 2009, Ottawa Tonite
"a band that
redeems screamo from its petulant, ninny-rock origins and writes it
large and choral" ~ December 2009, The Ottawa Citizen
"easy-to-listen-to
but hard-to-classify" ~ December 2009, Ottawa Sun
"a disarming
mix of musical energy, by turns punk, abstract, melodic and
orchestral—all tied together with Welland's impassioned vocals and
distinctive guitar. You can hear and admire the meticulousness in Sadie
Hell." ~ December 2009, Guerilla
"Sadie Hell's
self-titled debut LP is a remarkable display of anguished/angelic howls
and grandiose guitar work decorated with a multitude of strings, brass,
polyrhythms and allusions that often journey into the seven-minute
mark." ~ December 2009, Exclaim!
"expect the
unexpected; expect to be blown away." ~ December 2009, Ottawa Xpress
"the
unpredictability makes people turn their eyes toward the stage – the
whole thing's a spectacular bender" ~ August 2009, The Ottawa Citizen
"bearer of a
powerful voice and the look of a Maori doing the Haka when he hits those
emotional highs" ~ April 2008, Exclaim!
"dark and
mellow and expressive" ~ June 2008, Nepean This Week
"Sadie Hell
got things off to an appropriately dramatic start, as vocalist Ben
Welland’s beautiful strumming and guttural howl felt perfect in the
enclosed, and somewhat creepy, setting" ~ April 2007, Exclaim!
"huge with
key changes, disconnected parts and hollers – a kind of Bohemian
Rhapsody for the post-screamo set" ~ March 2007, The Ottawa Citizen
"emotionally
raw, cello-laden" ~ November 2006, Ottawa Xpress