Metz: II

- Canadian sludge rock band METZ release their second studio album II in May and if you listen to it more than a couple of times you’re wasting your time, take that from someone who’s listened to it non-stop for a few weeks. II is not a bad album, actually it’s a really very well produced and handsomely marketed bit of post '80’s hardcore revival, i.e. the kind of well thought-out stuff like The Jesus Lizard, Husker Du, Drive Like Jehu, Big Black and friends. II sounds neato. Maybe too neato for a band that continues the work of the kind of puritanically lo-fi bands previously mentioned. Trace it back to Toronto, where METZ really kicked it off, and the pedantically organised sounds of Holy Fuck and Crystal Castles, whose Ontarian studio producers are associated with METZ. Think Crystal Castles I, II, III. METZ' first album was produced by Graham Walsh and Alex Bonenfant of Canadian electronica Holy Fuck - and CC production-fame. Luckily for the punters, METZ rock live. II will undoubtedly sound like the anarchic, destructive, eyeball melting tour de force it should, once METZ hit our shores again. Acetate was the first single to be released for the thirsty ears of METZ fans and certainly gives you ‘the immediacy’ frontman Alex Edkins spruiks. Angry, indistinct vocals and guitars do not fail to impress their mission statement, which is the same as that guy who kicked you in the gut. I’m gonna kick you in the gut. If there’s anything to get excited about on the rest of the album it’s gonna be their new spread of synth, loops and baritone guitar. The songs remain short and sharp, like stepping on thumbtack. Get II for your collection if you can’t stand to be without it, save holding your breath for METZ live. Who knows, maybe we’ll save the world some oxygen waiting our turn. - Matt Hall.