With 2014’s self-titled debut and 2015’s sophomore effort II, the Toronto, ON-based trio METZ received attention across their native Canada and elsewhere for a sludgy, face-melting, power-chord based sound reminiscent of Bleach and In Utereo-era Nirvana, A Place to Bury Strangers, Japandroids and others, and unsurprisingly, the Toronto-based punk trio quickly became mainstays on this site. And as you may know, the trio’s third, full-length album Strange Peace was released last month through renowned label Sub Pop Records, and the new album finds the band pushing their sound and songwriting into a new direction while retaining the furious and intense energy of their live shows; but importantly, the material on the album may be among the most politically-charged material they’ve written to date, seemingly capturing the thoughts and emotions of young people in the increasingly unstable age of Trump, Putin, Kim Jong Un, etc. “The songs on Strange Peace are about uncertainty. They’re about recognizing that we’re not always in control of our own fate, and about admitting our mistakes and fears,” the band’s Alex Eakins explained in press notes. “They’re about finding some semblance of peace within the chaos.”
“Cellophane,” Strange Peace‘s first single found the Canadian punk trio retaining the sledgehammer forcefulness, sludgy power chords and rousing hooks that first caught the attention of the blogosphere and this site, but there’s an underlying, hard-fought maturity — the sort that come as a result of living in an increasingly fearful, uncertain, fucked up world, that feels as though it’s spinning faster and faster towards disaster. And interestingly enough, “Cellophane” seems to say to the listener, “hey man we’re scared out of our fucking minds, too; but we have each other and somehow we’ve gotta stick together and figure it out.” “Drained Lake,” Strange Peace‘s second single, is a jagged and propulsive post-post-punk track with layers of blistering and scuzzy guitars, punchily delivered lyrics and thunderous drumming with the use of a lurching synth line for what I think may be the first time in the band’s history; but while being a revealing look into a band that’s begun to restlessly experiment and expand upon their sound, it also finds the band at their most strident and searching, while being a sneering anthemic “fuck off” to those who don’t — and perhaps can never — see you for who you are. As the band’s Eadkins explained in press notes, the song reflects, “the constant struggle to know yourself and make sense of your life and surroundings. What is my purpose? Holding on to who you are while finding off pressure to bend to what other people want and expect from you.”
Directed by Shayne Ehman, featuring video production from Cricket Cave, the part live action and animated video for “Drained Lake stars Michelle Chug and Woodchip, the cat and will continue the band’s reputation for pairing their music with incredibly vivid visuals — in this case, animated anthropomorphic fork figures playing instruments, a woman that turns into a cat and more.
Earlier this month, the Toronto-based punk rockers finished the first leg of a lengthy tour that will continue with a month long leg through Europe before returning to the States in December. Check out the rest of the tour dates below.
Tour Dates
Nov. 02 – Prague, Czech Republic – Futurum !
Nov. 03 – Wroclaw, Poland – Klub Firlej !
Nov. 04 – Warsaw, Poland – Klub Hydrozagadka !
Nov. 06 – Berlin, Germany – Bi Nuu !
Nov. 07 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Loppen !
Nov. 08 – Hamburg, Germany – Knust !
Nov. 09 – Zwolle, Netherlands – Poppodium Hedon ^
Nov. 10 – Kortrijk, Belgium – De Kruen (Sonic City Festival)
Nov. 12 – Le Havre, France – Le Tetris %
Nov. 14 – Nimes, France – La Paloma %
Nov. 15 – Bordeaux, France – Theatre Barbey %
Nov. 16 – Toulouse, France – Club Metronum %
Nov. 17 – Barcelona, Spain – La (2) De Apolo %
Nov. 18 – Madrid, Spain – Moby Dick %
Nov. 20 – Nantes, France – Pole Etudiant %
Nov. 21 – Paris, France – Le Trabendo %
Nov. 22 – London, UK – The Garage %
Nov. 23 – Bristol, UK – The Fleece %
Nov. 24 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club %
Nov. 25 – Brighton, UK – The Haunt
Dec. 07 – Seattle, WA – Neumos
Dec. 08 – Vancouver, BC – Cobalt
Dec. 09 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir
Dec. 11 – San Francisco, CA – Independent
Dec. 12 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram
Dec. 13 – San Diego, CA – Casbah
Dec. 15 – Austin, TX – Mohawk &
Dec. 16 – Houston, TX – Studio @ Warehouse Live
* w/ SUUNS
# w/ Uniform
! w/ Protomartyr
^ w/ Brian Case
% w/ Drahla
& w/ Cherubs
** w/ Modest Mouse
^^ w/ Preoccupations, Tyvek, Adult
