Location: London, Ontario - Year:
2002. Behind a basement door
emanated a series of notes and
rhythms intricately carved out on two
guitars. 1200 miles away, hungry and
alone, a young man begins hitching his
way from Truro, Nova Scotia to
southern Ontario, following a hunch
and an opportunity. 2 hours east
nestled in a suburb of Toronto, a
drummer kills a steady 4/4 count
breaking into a 6/8 movement, followed
by a 7/4 breakdown forcing his band to
compelling new levels. And less then
20 minutes away, a bass guitarist in his
dimly-lit apartment lies alone in bed
listening to Les Claypool twist his
wizardry up and down his spine. Over
the next 24 months, these 5 lives
would collide to form Shotgun Rules.
On a dark and rainy afternoon in June
2004, Shotgun Rules sat inside a
remote farmhouse waiting. Over the
sound of rain pounding on the tin roof
they heard a faint knock at the door.
Hunched-over, hiding his face away
from the harsh rain lashing down on
him, the messenger spoke. He
wheezed his way through the great
distance traveled, the challenges
faced, the mountains toppled and new
passages forged. Then hidden away,
deep in the folds of his red and blue
ski jacket, he pulled a transcribed note
detailing his cargo carried. Stepping
aside, guitarist, Shotgun Ric closely
examined the freight to his satisfaction.
Content his job complete, the
messenger turned and walked away,
disappearing into the rain.
Less then 72 hours later, an unmarked
van pulls up to The Embassy. Located
in the southeastern district of the city;
a part of town often loathed by city
officials and police, where clandestine
strangers meet other strangers
roaming the streets under the cover of
night. In the reflection of the vans
windshield, an illuminated billboard
reads: June 11th | Shotgun Rules CD
Release Show. And with a gracious
smile, Dusty Mattingley will tell you its
one of his proudest moments as
drummer of Shotgun Rules.
The bands passion exploded from their
debut EP, Estimated Time of Arrival
(June 2004). On this album Shotgun
was finally able to expand their fan
base and introduce their intricate and
emotional sound to a larger audience.
Delivering mesmerizing riffs, striking
vocal melodies and pumping drums,
Estimated Time of Arrival truly
showcased Shotguns musical mastery.
Sam Sutherland from Exclaim
Magazine wrote, the EPs phenomenal
opening track, demonstrates a dazzling
technical proficiency woven through
tight songwriting and gut-wrenching
vocal layering. The stand out here is
the six-minute-plus closing piano
ballad, No Sense of Consequence,
whose sonic restraint proves the band
capable of producing strong music
outside of the eardrum-wrecking range.
Overwhelmed by the admiration
earned, and driven by their desire to
spread their ground-breaking sound,
Shotgun Rules launched a
cross-country tour of Canada in the
summer and fall of 2004. This massive
tour stimulated even more enthusiasm
for Shotgun Rules, and was soon
followed by more tours in 2005 where
fans quickly snatched-up the bands
new 4-song sampler simply entitled,
The Demo Sessions: Vol.1. While
completing over 200 individual
showcases across the country, the
members of Shotgun Rules found
themselves sharing the stage with
such up-and-coming bands as Rufio,
Midtown, Bleed the Dream, Stutterfly,
Boys Night Out, Matchbook Romance,
The End, Motion City Soundtrack, The
Fully Down, Protest The Hero, Closet
Monster and more. Their plans for the
future, complete tour coverage of
North America, Europe and Asia.
The collision of talent between Ric
Mattingley (guitars), Corry Van
Spronsen (guitars), Dusty Mattingley
(drums), John MacKenzie (vocals) and
Joe Giugno (bass) resulted in
unconventional songwriting, and an
intoxicating and explosive live
performance. The songs of Shotgun
Rules are impulsive and volatile, yet at
the same time are not chaotic but
completely directed. Their songs burst
and recoil and flow so smoothly
between buildups and breakdowns that
by the end of the song, you will be
amazed you are still listening to the
same song you started with. Inspired
by everything from eighties metal to
progressive rock to piano ballads, the
band thrives on challenging
expectations and delivering an intense
authenticity to their fans.
At the end of the night, exhausted from
giving their all, the final piece of gear is
loaded and their van pulls away from
The Embassy. Much like pressing play
on a Shotgun Rules album, their
experience is all about the raw energy
and element of surprise uniting their
hard rock sound!
