Rating:
As raucous and fun as you want a
METZ record to be.
METZ, it seems, have never heard the word “gentle” in their lives. If they have, it’s only been preceded by the words “be anything but”. The Toronto three-piece are the sonic equivalent of being constantly slapped around the face with a slab of concrete. They create not so much a wall of sound but an electrified fence of sound, surrounded by a moat of broken glass.
Since 2012’s self-titled debut, they’ve pretty much had their foot on the gas pedal the whole way. Whether that’s constantly touring, or throwing out another short, snappy record of raging punk rock (2015’s 'II'), the band pretty much embody their own sound. They’re relentless and just plain thrilling.
'Strange Peace' is more of the same but, when it comes to METZ, that’s certainly no bad thing. They have their volatile formula, and they’re just going to keep on seeing what colourful explosions they can make in the lab with it.
One thing METZ have always done so well is the sneak attack; that quiet intro that lulls you into a false sense of security before blowing up in your face. Opening track 'Mess of Wires' does a great job of getting your nerves ready (and is a fantastic wake-up call when it’s the first thing you listen to at 7am as you set off for work a bit bleary-eyed). But the truth is, you never are ready. Fool me 11 times over the course of 36 minutes, absolutely shame on me.
