Edkins: “It’s a fun, no nonsense rock ‘n’ roll song. It’s about searching for meaning and inspiration all around us. In my mind, the “you” in the chorus refers to something bigger
than companionship or love; it’s that intangible thing we all look for but never find.”
Searching For You is a riff-rolling ripper sounding like rockabilly on skates. It’s a straightforward steamer ringing like Bob Mould‘s guitar ruckus to my excited ears.
I’m quite sure Edkins wrote this cracker while having an electrical nightmare.
James Cox (frontman): ““I used to be quite obsessed with true crime, and this song was
kind of born out of researching H.H Holmes and the World Trades Hotel in the 1860’s where
he would murder people staying at his hotel informally called ‘The Murder Castle’. I also got quite obsessed with a faith healer from the early 1900’s called Reverend Major Jealous Divine and reading transcripts of his old sermons, so this is basically just a weird amalgamation of mad shit I read about.”
A wham-bloody-bam drum intro, scorching guitars, filthy grooves, angry vocals,
all in just 50 seconds. Sounds like Nick Cave and his freakish gang The Birthday Party
are back with a filthy blues-injected blast. If you like creepy doom and gloom hullabaloo from a smelly basement you’ll love this to death.
A razorblade uppercut as intimidating as a bulldozer and
cutting as a Swiss knife. No rest for the wicked. One of the
clamorous highlights of these hardcore junks’ debut album A False Glimmer Of Hope.
Garage blues-rock junk Jon Spencer is back in town.
This time with his HITmakers. This razzle-dazzle cracker
is pushed by a bouncy synth touch and, schizophrenic
guitars and, of course, Spencer‘s freaky vocals.
The wonderful Kristin Hersh has an impressive résume.
10 albums with Throwing Muses, 10 solo albums and one
full LP and several EPs with50 Foot Wave (trio with Throwing Muses‘ bassist Bernard Georges).
And Hersh doesn’t think about retiring yet, she never will.
A new 7-track 50 Foot Wave album, entitled Black Pearl
comes our way on 15 April. Order info here.
Taster Staring Into The Sun is, a boisterous and metallic
slo-mo groove with a hammering beat, pumped-up guitars,
and Hersh’s manic vocals augmenting the shadowy tone of
this belter.
So what’s next for 50 Foot Wave? Playing at
metalfest Aftershock in Sacramento in October?
8. ‘Clowns For President’ by BAD SKIN (Montreal, CA)
Think legendary gritty grrrls Bikini Kill having a ball with Pussy Riot while kicking Russian president Putin up the ass.
These 4 steamy sisters in punchy punk crime buzz and fuzz
like a hot rod on the run.
Bad Skin storm full steam ahead with front Amazon Dope sneering
like a raging riot grrrl. Yep, Dope is dope. And this stunning stonker
is dope too!
Sounds like Patti Smith‘s Because The Night ends in a painful break-up
for the lovers. Ava Vox‘s heartache vocality and hurt timbre emphasise
the confused state of mind of the abused one and the melodramatic
sonic boom of this emotional eruption expresses sorrow, distress,
and angst. Another gripping Vox piece.
10. ‘This Cost Of Life’ by TIDAL WAVE (Toronto, CA)
Oh my, oh my. This sky-reaching gem left me out of breath after just one spin.
A tower of a song with an imposing impact. A masterstroke that explodes after the foreplay-intro and moves up and down like a roller coaster. Stellar tune, stellar sound, stellar guitars, stellar emotions, and a stellar chorus. Anthemically orchestrated with goosebumps arrangments. I’m quite sure their awesome fellowmen Arcade Fire would
like this grand exploit.
This is one of those songs that hypnotise from the get-go
to the eager finale. A feverish chant, one long chorus with Marglin‘s delirious voice causing goosebumps.
This is classic heavy metal. Huge sound, huge vocals, huge tune
with a huge chorus. If you’re a metal addict you will not mind if this
Swedish hit team stalks you. After an ominous violin intro, all burners
are on and frontman Michael Storck’s overwhelming pipes take over.
Self-titled debut longplayer comes on
11th February 2022 via WormHoleDeath.
This boiling-hot-cooking stroke hit me and my ears from
the moment the first chord blasted out of my shaking stereo.
Ardent anxiety and edgy excitability dominate this fanatical
outburst. And when the hair-rising chorus erupts you’ll
go mental just as these wolves do.
A twist and turn prog-pop-rock composition bringing legends Genesis (early years with Peter Gabriel) and YES (with voice Jon Anderson)
to mind. My favorite cut from Odawin‘s triumphant debut EP ‘Untitled.
Sensual, puzzling, tempting, synth-matic,
imaginative, seductive, esoteric, and relaxing.
HVIRESS are here to stay.
The ladies have once again teamed up with Scott Chalmers
to create an unsettling music video that leaves the viewer
pondering what they’ve just seen, a perfect partner to
the song’s opening lines…
“What is it that you see? It almost seems unreal
What is responsible for all the things you feel”
This riff-rowdy ripper flames with fervid fervency and resonates
as if Bob Mould was invited to play guitar. Ace tune, towering
sound, impassioned vocals, and a sickly sticky chorus.
Just what you need to activate your serotonin production.
Maximum result for a minimum wage.
This is what ecstatic pop grandeur is all about. Music that elevates
your state of mind to a titillating level. This new majestic single
generates a spellbinding buzz we all can use in these difficult
pandemic times.
When the multi-layered vocals/harmonies kick in, a gospel-like choir delight
creates an atmosphere of utter joy comparable with the euphoric drive of The Polyphonic Spree. Vitalizing vibe, refreshing rapture.
It’s a split 7” with London-based groupAdulkt Life. The two bands are paired perfectly: their shared, resolute force carries an urgency that belongs to this era alone. Both are capable of goading listeners, both are capable of unearthly moments of alloyed beauty. And both bands are made for that unflinching space between the truths that can’t be absorbed and the truths that can’t be forgotten.
About Demolition Row: “A warning, an unflinching assessment of the vastness and insignificance of this life, is precisely counterbalanced by their lesson, which models the resilience that this understanding demands. ‘Demolition Row’ is persistent, concise, and alarmingly physical.”
Turn Up The Volume: The hard-hitting Canadian bolide is on a supersonic roll here, rockin’ their tails off. Full blast ahead, no brakes, no looking back. On repeat now
on my headphones.
Holy guacamole.
A clear vinyl 7″ (with 2 Adulkt Life tracks)
is available from 4 March on. Pre-order here.
Band: METZ (Toronto, Canada) Who: A trio of noise titans based in Toronto. They spent the majority of their 11-year tenure criss-crossing the globe and bringing their unparalleled energy directly to the people. The release of their stunning 4th LP Atlas Vending last year saw the band
pushing into new sonic territory while retaining their trademark aural maelstrom.
The band: “We were determined to find a way within the confines of the pandemic
to create a live experience that felt dynamic and let us connect with you all. So we
took to the stage in October 2020 at the Opera House in Toronto, a hometown favorite
independent venue, to livestream a performance of Atlas Vending in its entirety.”
(photo by Turn Up The Volume)
Along with the album
came a film of the concert.
More info here.
Turn Up The Volume: To be honest, most live albums do not reflect what the artist(s) accomplish on a podium. This one is remarkably different. As I saw these wall-of-havoc crusaders multiple times, I know what they’re capable of. From the first chord on, the trio explodes as if they’re on a kamikaze mission.
They develop a slash and trash amount of illegal decibels. You actually feel the noise physically. Fact! Several times I really thought that frontman Alex Edkins would run out of oxygen. This live record reflects perfectly what you can expect when these 3 noise titans hit the stage. I hope your speakers will survive.
The band: “We were determined to find a way within the confines of the pandemic
to create a live experience that felt dynamic and let us connect with you all. So we
took to the stage in October 2020 at the Opera House in Toronto, a hometown favorite
independent venue, to livestream a performance of Atlas Vending in its entirety.”
The live performance (2020 album Atlas Vending and two older tracks) is available on all digital service providers, with bundles at Bandcamp and Sub Pop that include also a film of the of the full concert.
Turn Up The Volume: To be honest, most live albums do not reflect what artists accomplish on a podium. Its hard to capture the live sound on a record. But this one is remarkably different. As I saw these wall-of-havoc crusaders multiple times, I know what they’re capable of. From the first chord on, the trio explodes as if they’re on a kamikaze mission.
They develop a slash and trash amount of illegal decibels. You actually feel the noise physically. Fact! Several times I really thought that frontman Alex Edkins would run out of oxygen. This live record is what you can expect from these noise titans when they hit the stage. Their sound is bigger than the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris (before the fire).
Band: METZ (Toronto, Canada) Who: A trio of noise titans based in Toronto. They spent the majority of their 11-year tenure criss-crossing the globe and bringing their unparalleled energy directly to the people. The release of their stunning 4th LP Atlas Vending last year saw the band
pushing into new sonic territory while retaining their trademark aural maelstrom.
The band: “We were determined to find a way within the confines of the pandemic
to create a live experience that felt dynamic and let us connect with you all. So we
took to the stage in October 2020 at the Opera House in Toronto, a hometown favorite
independent venue, to livestream a performance of Atlas Vending in its entirety.”
The live performance (including two older tracks) is available on all digital service providers, with bundles at Bandcamp and Sub Pop that include also the full
concert film.
You can also order the album on tricolor black/white/oxblood vinyl on Bandcamp
and in our web stores. The LP includes a download of the film and is limited to 1,000 copies.
A taster (opening track Pulse) from the record/film…
Turn Up The Volume: To be honest, most live albums do not reflect what the artist(s) accomplish on a podium. This one is remarkably different. As I saw these wall-of-havoc crusaders multiple times, I know what they’re capable of. From the first chord on, the trio explodes as if they’re on a kamikaze mission.
They develop a slash and trash amount of illegal decibels. You actually feel the noise physically. Fact! Several times I really thought that frontman Alex Edkins would run out of oxygen. This live record reflects perfectly what you can expect when the noise titans hit the stage. They deserve the Olympic gold medal for playing till they drop. Hell Metz Yeah!
5 new firecrackers to boost your favorite 48 hours…
Band: MODEL CHILD (Los Angeles) Who: Outspoken lone ranger from Los Angeles, California Track: PILOT TUTV says 2 minutes of schizophrenic rage, furious anger and endless
humanitarian struggle. Fuck the greedy rich! Fuck the military industry!
FUCK WAR!
“Blood is raining gold across the room /
Million dollar chains tied to your tomb.”
Band: METZ Who: Premier shock rock trio from Toronto, Canada Newest album: ATLAS VENDING – 4th LP Track: SUGAR PILLL – new video clip
TUTV says: One of those vintage brain-breaking Metz
hammer blows sounding like a fucked-up hot rod on the run.
Press play…
Band: PINKSHIFT (Baltimore, US) Who: Fired-up grunge punks driven by tons of energy and grit New EP: SACCHARINE – out today – buy here Lead-single: MARS
TUTV says: This is a high-powered and barbed-wire punch-punk cannonball
celebrating hope and the band itself. The combination of rip-roaring-riff mania,
frenetic drum whacks, vocal Courtney Love swagger and a hectic chorus is what
you need to fight your panic lockdown attacks.
Band: METZ Who: Razor-edged noise rock trio out of Toronto
Album: ATLAS VENDING – fourth LP Released: 9 October 2020
Rough Trade label: “With ‘Atlas Vending’, Metz not only continues to push their music
into new territories of dynamics, crooked melodies, and sweat-drenched rhythms, they explore the theme of growing up and maturing within a format typically suspended in youth. Covering seemingly disparate themes such as paternity, crushing social anxiety, addiction, isolation, media-induced paranoia, and the restless urge to leave everything behind, each of Atlas Vending’s ten songs offer a snapshot of today’s modern condition and together form a musical and narrative whole.”
Alex Edkins (frontman/guitarist): “I think there’s a beauty to the simplistic style, and also
the physical and aggressive style we have and I don’t need us to make Kid A to make us feel like we’re progressing. Atlas Vending is a progression for me, and we don’t need to jump the gun in order to please other people.” – Full interview with Guitar Worldhere.
(photo by Turn Up The Volume!)
Kerrang! wrote: “METZ have established themselves as 21st Century standard-bearers for a particular variety of clatter, steeped in the sort of noise-rock which first emerged from the U.S. underground in the late 1980s. Each of their previous three albums have proven invigorating examples of their punishing aesthetic, but Atlas Vending finds them pushing things forward, broadening their horizons to tremendous effect.” Score: 4/5.
Turn Up The Volume: “Lock yourself up in isolation for 40 minutes in a soundproof panic room and use this earthquake album to exorcise all your viral 2020 demons without being arrested by the police for pulverizing the Richter Scale. Your spirit, your mind, and your soul will feel totally liberated. Trust me, this electric-chair experience will set you free. I know, I live in that room.”
Singles/clips: Blind Youth Industrial Park / Hail Taxi / A Boat To Drawn In
Toronto‘s hot rod rockers METZ unleash their fourth longplayer ATLAS VENDING
on 9 October via Sub Pop records. More info and pre-order facilities here.
Previous earthquake singles A Boat To Drawn In and Hail Taxi (listen below)
already exceeded the legal decibel standard and third cut BLIND YOUTH INDUSTRIAL PARK is also a clamorous knockout you need a police permit for to play it when your neighbors are at home.
Frontman Alex Edkins blazes again as if it was his last recording ever. You can feel
his anger physically. “I know exactly what you’re thinking/ I know exactly who you are.”
Add their vintage riff-roaring-rage and mad drum hit and run beats and what you
get is a classic Metz uppercut.
