Review: Spaz out - Demo

Spaz out

 

Demo

Self-Released

It most likely some form of nationalism speaking, but I honestly believe that Canada puts out a disproportionate amount of good hardcore/metal/punk bands.  As a country that is a mere 10% the size of the USA, we pump out consistently great, groundbreaking, and fun bands that end up making an impact despite being from the frozen North-Western corner of the globe.  While Lost Tribe is centered out of Toronto, and we all consider TOHC to be our hometown music, I once lived in Ottawa and still hold a fair amount of love for the nation’s capital.

It was this geographic affection that caused me to check out Ottawa's own, Spaz out.  Now, beside the fact that it should be spelled “Spazz” in my opinion, I love everything about this band.  The demo sounds raw (it is a demo of course), but the intensity and fury comes through clearly on every song.  “Tangled” and “Cut the Shit pt. 2” bring a style of early 2000s hardcore that I will always love best.  “Blind to the Truth” is probably my favourite song, mixing killer hc riffs, metal dive bombs, and a gang-vocal breakdown.  What’s not to love??!!  “Losing Grip” speeds things up and adds some metallic and punk roots to the release that fit perfectly. 

Look, I know we usually don’t do track-by-track breakdowns of what we review, but every song on this release is good in a different way, so blanket statements are kinda hard to come by.  Furthermore, when a new band puts out something this impressive it’s worth taking a step back and appreciating each track....jesus, now it sounds like a want to blow this band.....and I do....musically.  Only musically.

Get a free download of the demo here, and buy a physical copy whenever that becomes available.

 

Review: Propagandhi - Failed States (Single)

Propagandhi

Failed States(Single)

 Epitaph

Ok, so it may be slightly ridiculous to review a single song, but a while back we reviewed a 2-song Fucked Up release and no complained, so why not?  Plus, this is really just an excuse to gush over Propagandhi and what a monumentally important and incredible band they are.

 First off, "Failed States" is the title track of the new Propagandhi full-length that comes out in September (also called Failed States).  For many, Propagandhi was a Fat Wreck punk band with catchy little tracks like "Ska Sucks" and "Anti-Manifesto".  While those songs still hold up, I know many people who didn't give them much thought after they had grown up a little and decided that ska-based fatwreck punk wasn't for them any longer.  While I find that sentiment understandable, in the case of Propagandhi it was a mistake to say the least.  Rather than sticking with tongue-in-cheek ska punk, Propagandhi slowly became masters of thrash-influenced punk, trading their teenage tirades in for expertly crafted and intelligent songs that appeal to any politically-minded music lover. 

In this regard, "Failed States" fits right into the evolution of Propagandhi.  Even more thrash-influenced than many tracks off of Potemkin City Limits or Supporting Caste,  this song melds metallic riffs with Chris Hannah's signature voice, using time signature changes and samples to fill out an already incredible song.  As always, Hannah's lyrics put most other band's to shame.  Writing politically meaningful songs isn't the easiest task, as many come off sounding juvenille, preachy, or an ungodly annoying combination of the two. Propagandhi, on the other hand, have figured out a way to sound earnest, honest, and well-informed without having to sacrifice content for the sake of making lyrics fit or sound 'right'.

In short, listen to this song and get very excited for the release of their full length on Sept. 4th.

Listen to the song "Failed States" here.

Pre-order the Failed States LP here.