Once consigned to the sidelines of the global music industry, Toronto is enjoying its moment in the spotlight. Chart-toppers Drake, Justin Bieber and Deadmau5 have all emerged from the city to rule the airwaves, but the underground is served by the likes of Metz. Well, it would have been had the post-hardcore trio not spent the last two years on a world tour which culminates in a maiden voyage to China this month.
With a menacing sound (for which the word ‘brutal’ seems appropriate – Bieber this is not), there’s a throwback quality to Metz’s guitar-bass-drum noise rock assault. Frontman and guitarist Alex Edkins attributes this to growing up in a “really welcoming and openminded punk scene” in Ottawa (where the band first formed), which he compares to the legendary 80s Washington D.C. scene that produced post-hardcore icons like Minor Threat, Bad Brains and Fugazi.
“I have fond memories of going to all-ages gigs that were really cheap and some of the best shows of my life,” Edkins says. “I also met tons of great people who became my extended family, including Hayden [Menzies, drummer] who I started Metz with.”
Although Metz debuted at basement gigs across Ottawa, the group didn’t crystallize until a move to Toronto in 2008 and the subsequent addition of bassist Chris Slorach. They became instant favorites in their adopted home town through a trio of 7-inch singles and a fierce live show that occasionally left the band (and audience) literally bloodied.
The group’s notoriety then went global when they signed a deal with Sub Pop in 2012. While the Seattle label is known as the home of respected indie acts – from Beach House to Father John Misty – the addition of Metz to its roster harked back to the early days championing noisy hometown heroes Nirvana and Soundgarden before they became grunge superstars.
Praised by NPR as “raw, belligerent, dissonant and powerful,” Metz’s eponymous 2012 debut album won wide praise for a snarling sound reminiscent of Bleach-era Nirvana. But the group refused to tread the same path with 2014 follow-up, II. Partly inspired by the deaths of loved ones, the record expanded Metz’s sonic palette with the addition of new instruments including baritone guitar, piano, synths, tape loops and ‘found sounds’ – all without sacrificing the group’s signature fury.
“We have a very specific sound that belongs to the three of us [and it] happens very naturally,” Edkins explains. “However, the songwriting and production will continue to mutate.
“Our biggest motivation for II was just improving as a band – and as songwriters and producers. We wanted to grow and evolve our sound. I think we did that, and we’ve been overwhelmed with the positive response.”
Often cited as evidence against the death of guitar rock, Metz truly come to life on stage, Edkins promises. Describing performing as “my addiction that I need to survive,” he notes that “the records do a pretty good job of capturing the live energy and intensity, but we’ve been told our live show is quite a bit more crazy.”
While Metz’s China dates mark the official end of the II tour, the band are already planning to reconvene in Toronto to work on their next opus. Edkins divulges that the trio are “finishing up three smaller 7-inch releases and have started demo-ing ideas for the new LP.”
Although reticent on the details, he promises: “We will continue to change and adopt new instruments. We don’t have an interest in staying in one place, or for our sound to [become] stagnant.”
When pressed about the possibility of the group’s first ballad, Etkins chuckles. “I think we will have more slow and soft songs,” he says. “But everything is relative. A Metz ballad will not sound like a normal ballad.”
> Shanghai: Feb 19, 9pm, RMB100-120. Yuyintang, tickets.
> Beijing: Feb 20, 9pm, RMB100-120. MAO Livehouse, tickets.
***WIN!!!!***
We're giving away a pair of tickets to Metz's February 19 show in Shanghai and February 20 show in Beijing.
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