METZ - METZ

Any up and coming act signed to Sub-pop is subject to a whole variety of comparisons; and rightly so given the label’s history in championing the alternative and rock scene. They’re responsible for the rises of Nirvana and Sonic Youth as well as giving fresh life to the public profile of Beach House, releasing the hugely acclaimed Teen Dream back in 2010. Of course, not everything they touch turns to gold, but the majority of their back catalogue has its own cult following (even The Go! Team have somehow achieved popularity with their god awful dross). So when they signed Toronto rock outfit METZ, the hype built and now we've got a debut record. People will want to compare it to old Nirvana, but they shouldn't because in a time in which everything is a condensed and refined version of the past, METZ have managed to find a sound that takes what’s out there and makes it feel fresh and invigorating in a very rock styled way.

It’s got a DIY sound because it was produced in a barn, but at the same time, everything sounds exactly the way it should; the work of Holy Fuck’s Graham Walsh and Alexander Bonenfant. It’s got the kind of sound that you will almost never hear on the radio but at the same time, tracks like Wet Blanket that come in at just under 4 minutes long that don’t seem a far cry from the kind of rock that’s slowly creeping its way back onto the airwaves. Add the bombastic opening track Headache and the likes of Wasted into that mix and you've got a record not just rooted in rock and influences from old punk, but with the structure and stylings of pop.

Its no coincidence that they’re branded as noise-pop at all because at the speed this album hits you and the reputation they’re building as they tear up venues across both sides of the Atlantic, they could very easily be one of the most popular noisy bands around in no time whatsoever. They've already had queues of two hundred plus outside the Old Blue Last in London and with more shows scheduled to be added in Europe soon, they’ll only continue to live up to the hype. The only danger they’re in is that with one record built primarily of tracks under the 3:30 mark, there’s simply not enough to satisfy the ravenous demand.
8.4


Braden Fletcher