MUSIC
Smoke Em’ in Paradise: Live & unplugged from the ccm (2025)
Smoke ’Em in Paradise: Live & Unplugged from the CCM is a two-song release capturing Matt Cory at his most raw and stripped-down. Recorded live at the Creative Media Centre at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon, Manitoba, this intimate session features acoustic renditions of “Another Day in Paradise” and “Smoke ’Em If You Got ’Em.”
Unapologetically honest and unfiltered, the performance showcases Matt’s dynamic vocal delivery and songwriting in a bare-bones setting—removing the polish to let the emotion, grit and storytelling shine through. It’s a brief but powerful glimpse into the heart of his music, offering fans a different side of two fan-favorite tracks.
Dust. (2025)
With “Dust,” Matt Cory set out to create something heavy, slow and sludgy—a track that would carry the weight and grit of classic grunge while pushing his sound deeper into darker territory. The main riff was heavily inspired by Jerry Cantrell and Alice In Chains, capturing that brooding, dissonant energy. To add a unique twist, Matt built the song around a drum groove that felt slightly off-kilter and unsettling, yet still grounded in the thick, sludgy atmosphere he envisioned.
A standout element of “Dust” is the slide guitar in the main riff, which Matt used to make the instrument feel like it was melting into the track—adding a warped, haunting texture that defines the song’s tone. The track also features Craig Metruk on drums, whose performance helped bring the rhythmic tension and weight to life.
Released as Matt’s first single of 2025, “Dust” continues the darker, heavier path that began with his earlier track “Runaway (Can’t Hear a Thing).” It marks another step in his evolution toward a more unapologetically raw and intense sound, carving out a space where grunge, sludge and personal expression collide.
Runaway (Can't Hear a Thing) (2024)
“Runaway (Can’t Hear a Thing)” began as a track Matt Cory originally wrote for an EP that was never released. His vision was to create something slow, sludgy and heavy—a riff full of deep, bending notes designed to drag with weight and grit. But as the recording process began, he felt the bends weren’t landing with the impact he envisioned. Searching for a way to amplify the heaviness, Matt picked up a slide—and that’s when everything clicked. The tone turned grimy, crushing and raw, capturing the gritty vibe he had been chasing.
Lyrically, the song draws from a personal and unsettling experience Matt had while staying at his cousin’s reportedly haunted house in Winnipeg. One morning, as he was waking up, he heard a voice ask, “Where is Craig?”—even though he knew he was alone in the house. At first, he questioned whether it was just a dream, but the voice repeated itself. Matt searched the house and found nothing. The story was made even stranger by the fact that Craig, the person mentioned, is his cousin’s brother who lives far away in Ontario. Having already heard stories about odd occurrences in the house—objects moving or falling on their own—the moment left a lasting impression.
Blending that eerie, personal inspiration with his relentless pursuit of sonic heaviness, “Runaway (Can’t Hear a Thing)”became a standout in Matt’s catalog. It’s a song that hits hard—both musically and emotionally—and showcases his ability to turn a haunting memory into something powerful and unforgettable..
Let’s Go Downtown! (2024)
Let’s Go Downtown! is Matt Cory’s high-octane tribute to the raw, gritty energy of early ’70s Detroit punk and garage rock. With overdriven guitars, relentless rhythm and beer-soaked barroom anthems, the EP marks a deliberate shift away from the darker, more introspective themes of his earlier work—embracing a louder, looser and more rebellious spirit.
The track “There Goes My Baby” had been written years prior, heavily inspired by the swagger and stomp of Aerosmith’s Toys in the Attic and Draw the Line era. It fit seamlessly into the EP’s raucous vibe.
“Another Day in Paradise” channels the wild, hard rock sound of ’90s Iggy Pop, Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper’s The Eyes of Alice Cooper. It tells the chaotic tale of a night gone off the rails, ending in a ditch and a haze of forgotten memories—a raw and unapologetic ode to losing control and living in the moment.
The title track, “Let’s Go Downtown!” was written with a vivid scene in mind: blasting from the main stage at Minnedosa’s Rockin’ the Fields festival as the sun dips behind the hills. With its anthemic energy and feel-good vibe, the song pays homage to classic Canadian rock icons like Streetheart and Tom Cochrane.
“Ride On” was the final song recorded for the EP and marked Matt’s first foray into using horns in his music. Longtime collaborator Wes Lipischak played all the horn parts, adding a dynamic layer to the track. Matt recalled writing the music late at night and waking hours later with the melody and lyrics stuck in his head. Unable to shake the inspiration, he recorded the vocals on the spot—his raspy, late-night delivery adding extra grit. The track nods to Alice Cooper’s arena rock anthems like Guilty and Department of Youth.
“Shake This Whole World” came to life after Matt bought a new bass and started jamming on a groovy lick. He was deep into a David Bowie phase at the time and the solo radiates a strong ’70s Bowie influence, blending glam and grit into something uniquely his.
With Let’s Go Downtown!, Matt Cory lets loose, celebrating the reckless joy and raw sound of ’70s garage rock. It’s bold, high-energy and unapologetically fun—one of the most enjoyable and freeing projects of his career.
Ghost Rising (2023)
While every new project aims to raise the bar, Ghost Rising felt different from the start. After taking time away from recording, Matt approached this release with a renewed focus and the intention to open new doors, including opportunities to perform in more cities.
The first track written for the EP was “Lit Up and Out of Line.” Tuned to drop C, the song carries a heavier edge, drawing inspiration from Saliva’s Survival of the Sickest era, Jerry Cantrell’s solo work and Alice Cooper’s Brutal Planet. Once that track was finished, Matt realized he had more to say—an entire EP began to take shape and the rest of the songs were written in under a week.
Matt enlisted the help of Fat Puppy Studios on mixing and mastering duties. The results exceeded expectations. the production elevated the EP to a new level and helped bring Matt’s sonic vision into sharper focus.
“Prison” emerged as Matt’s take on a fun, party anthem—his version of hair metal. It’s raunchy, high-energy and unapologetically rowdy—built to make listeners crack open a beer and let loose.
“Stuck in a Memory” was born from a riff Matt wrote as a teenager and had long forgotten. When it resurfaced years later, it sparked the creation of one of the EP’s most technically challenging live tracks—and one of the most rewarding.
But it’s the title track, “Ghost Rising,” that stands out as Matt’s personal favorite. A collaboration with Dave McNabb—known for his work with Ash Halo and Vikings—the song evolved from something with a Ghost-like feel into what Matt describes as a “goth stripper anthem.” With massive drums, a pulsing EDM-inspired guitar line and a touch of auto-tune on the vocals, Dave’s influence helped shape the track into something dark, bold and genre-bending.
Ghost Rising ultimately marked a turning point in Matt Cory’s musical journey—not just in terms of sound, but also in production quality and creative direction. It remains one of his proudest accomplishments to date.