MARCH SHOUT-OUTS: COMEBACK KID, DEFOCUS, ZOMBI
Comeback Kid-Trouble
Don’t call it a comeback, they’ve been here for years, rockin’ their peers, puttin’ suckers in fear. While melodic hardcore has been overshadowed of late by the more death metal-influenced and Merauder varieties of the genre, Manitoba’s finest Comeback Kid is still carrying the torch over two decades into their career. Whether it’s the live show energy captured in recording, the ready-made for the circle pit of "Disruption," or the singalong chorus in "Chompin’ at the Bit," all the hallmarks fans love about the band are here and are proof positive they’re not slowing down any time soon. Indeed, the EP’s lead track "Trouble in the Winner’s Circle" is a perfect encapsulation of everything that makes Comeback Kid great and stacks up with any of their best songs.
Defocus-There is a Place for Me on Earth
Defocus, from Germany, are one of the promising young bands pushing metalcore into the future, and I was privileged to be able to interview them recently about this record, among other things. They remind me in some ways of bands like Landmvrks or Novelists FR who refuse to remain within narrow sonic confines, while nevertheless still maintaining their immediately-recognizable sound. There were a few points in the album I was getting some Ten56. vibes as well. The production is crisp and full, and the music crushing; the experimentation is tasteful and the electronic textures accent the band’s strengths. Some highlights from the album would include the trap metal-influenced "hybrid anthem" featuring One.RF, the high-energy banger "Biased," and the Bring Me the Horizon Post Human: Survival Horror-esque "Let the Bond Be My Grave."
Zombi-Direct Inject
Years ago when I discovered Zombi, I was elated to find a modern band that scratched my vintage horror (especially zombie) film synth-centric soundtrack itch; I had not kept up with them since Surface to Air, though, so when I saw that they would be bringing us their seventh full-length in Direct Inject, I was intrigued by what I’d find after so long away from their music. Right off the bat, the title track had me in a time warp, with its first half mining Rocky IV soundtrack montage music territory and its second half switching gears into prime John Carpenter/George Romero movie magic mode. "The Post-Atomic Horror" is another song cut from that horror cloth. Elsewhere, "Sessuale II" orients itself around chilled-out 80s saxophone for a good chunk of the track, gradually morphing into more of what I would describe as "all-inclusive resort prog." Direct Inject is an interesting update and combination of vintage sounds ranging from Goblin to Kraftwerk without being mere tribute-paying. Consider me still a fan.