Genres Indie rock
Indie Pop | Labels (weewerk), BBIsland | |
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Origin Peterborough, Ontario, Canada Associated acts Nick Ferrio and His Feelings, Stanley Brinks, Freschard, Construction & Destruction, Jeffrey Lewis, Wax Mannequin, Shotgun Jimmie, The Wave Pictures Website wearetheburninghell.com Members Mathias Kom
Nick Ferrio
Ariel Sharratt
Darren Browne Albums Flux Capacitor, People, This Charmed Life, Tick Tock Profiles |
The Burning Hell is the songwriting project of Mathias Kom. Particularly known for their literate—often literary—and humorous lyrics, they have drawn comparisons to The Silver Jews, They Might Be Giants, Belle and Sebastian, Jonathan Richman and The Velvet Underground.
Contents

History

The Burning Hell is the songwriting project of Mathias Kom. During the first few years of the band's existence band members fluctuated from tour to tour and album to album and the band's instrumentation was often determined by what instruments Kom's friends played. However, the regular touring and recording lineup from 2011 to 2016 was consistently Kom, Ariel Sharratt (clarinet), Darren Browne (guitar), Nick Ferrio (bass) and Jake Nicoll (drums). Since 2013 Kom and Sharratt have embarked on occasional duo tours.

Known for their strong live show and hyper-literate lyrics, The Burning Hell have toured extensively in Europe and Canada and have been featured at many festivals including Glastonbury Festival, Dawson City Music Festival, Calgary Folk Music Festival, Vancouver Folk Music Festival, Hillside Festival, Paris's Mofo Festival, Norway's Bukta Festival and Slovakia's Pohoda. Kom's songs frequently take the form of fantastic narratives (The Stranger, Barbarians, Nonfiction, Grave Situation Pt. 1). Other subject matter has included the minutiae of the social gladhanding of historical conferences (Berlin Conference, Bretton Woods); failure and amateurism (Give Up, Amateur Rappers, Professional Rappers); and nostalgia and pop music (Nostalgia, Men Without Hats, Grown-Ups).

In 2011, Kom and Sharratt co-founded the Lawnya Vawnya festival in St. John's, Newfoundland, an independent music and arts festival. Kom is currently a PhD student in ethnomusicology at Memorial University in Newfoundland where he studies the political economy of DIY music.
In 2012 the band played 10 shows between the Netherlands and Slovenia in twenty-four hours. The band claims the unofficial world record for playing the most shows in different countries in 24 hours.
In 2014, the tribute album My Name Is Mathias, featuring Canadian and international musicians performing the band's songs, was released, featuring covers by artists such as John K. Samson, Mike O'Neill (musician), Mike Feuerstack, Dan Mangan, and Susie Asado.
Singles and EPs
Albums
Cassettes
Songs
Amateur RappersPeople · 2013
Fuck the Government - I Love YouPublic Library · 2016
It Happens In FloridaTick Tock · 2008