Jon Creeden has a pretty infectious voice. I have been a fan of his past solo acoustic work, as well as his work with his new band The Flying Hellfish for a few years now. The most recent release, which is a split featuring fellow Canadian band Benevenstanciano, is a solid addition to Jon’s past catalogue.

The Flying Hellfish songs are catchy, and put a primary focus on Jon’s sweet-but-rough vocal style. My favorite track from side A is a re-record song from one of Jon’s solo records called “Miles Between”, the full band really picks up the feel and adds to the dynamic of the song. If you were previously a fan of Jon Creeden’s work, this split does not pull many new punches, but is sure to satisfy anyone looking to indulge in some folky and raspy punk rock.

I was pleasantly surprised with the Benevenstanciano side of this split. I went into side B of this split totally cold, with no particular expectations, and it was a nice surprise. The band does a similar take on a mid-tempo punk rock style with raspy vocals, but the vocal delivery is more akin to 90’s scream than Fest style punk rock. The songs have a nice flow, with catchy music to go along with the raspy crooning. The track “Sweeping Up” is a solid contender for strongest track of side B, as well as the fastest track on the split.

This release is a no-brainer for any low-fi oriented punk rock fan. The Flying Hellfish side has a focus on a folk-rock approach, and the Benevenstanciano’s pick up the pace with a more traditional southern Ontario punk rock/screamo (the good kind, not the swooped kind) vibe. My only recommendation is that I want to hear more from each group represented, I am looking forward to hearing new full lengths from both bands. Again, The Flying Hellfish put out awesome songs; I am just waiting to see what a slightly more polished production can do with their potential.