{"title":"Metz","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMETZ is a noise rock band from Canada. Formed in Ottawa, Ontario, in 2007 by guitarist\/vocalist Alex Edkins and drummer Hayden Menzies, two longtime friends. After a year of working on material, Edkins and Menzies moved to Toronto and expanded to a trio with the addition of bassist Chris Slorach.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe lineup consists of \u003ci\u003eAlex Edkins\u003c\/i\u003e on guitars and vocals since 2007, \u003ci\u003eHayden Menzies\u003c\/i\u003e on drums since 2007, and \u003ci\u003eChris Slorach\u003c\/i\u003e on bass since 2008.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eInfluenced by noise rock pioneers like The Jesus Lizard and Drive Like Jehu, METZ has developed their own unique sound characterized by raw energy and intense performances. With their relentless live shows and critically acclaimed albums, they have gained a dedicated following worldwide.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"ii-25","title":"II","description":"\u003cp\u003eMetz return with album number two and it's a direct gut punching affair. It's much heavier, darker, and sloppier but just as immense. Metz have built on the nihilistic foundations laid by their debut and have developed, in places, a bracing and impressive knack for a killer hook. But the overriding aesthetic is one of immediacy and turbo-fuelled levels of energy accompanied by buzz saw guitars, fuzzed up bass and steamroller drums. With \u003ci\u003eII\u003c\/i\u003e, Metz have done more than enough to cement themselves as the new kings of transgressive hard rock, and that's a crown which is going to be difficult for anyone to wrestle from them. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP+ - With Download. Loser Edition on coloured vinyl.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP - Black vinyl with Download.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sub Pop","offers":[{"title":"LP.","offer_id":50447493824843,"sku":"386138","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Tape","offer_id":50447493595467,"sku":"1016345","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50447496806731,"sku":"386137","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50447497134411,"sku":"386148","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/374a9d87-a3b4-4749-9f55-8c029817d466_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727078823"},{"product_id":"metz","title":"Metz","description":"\u003cp\u003eRecalling the early days of the Seattle label when grunge was thunderous and menacing, this Canadian group's debut is extra heavy. Recorded over the course of a week by Graham Walsh (Holy Fuck) and Alexandre Bonenfant in an old barn, Metz's self-titled album revisits the gut-thumping sludge of early Melvins and the abrasive scrawl of Jesus Lizard. Alex Edkins, Hayden Menzies, and Chris Slorach bash on their respective instruments, taking atonal to the extreme point of sounding like a guitar string being dragged down a chalkboard. It's a violent cacophony. However, there is a method to the madness. Relentless as the album may seem, under all the distorted howls there are some true dynamic shifts that divide songs into proper verse\/chorus arrangements. Because of the heavy distortion, it would be easy to confuse Metz for a metal band, in the way that you could with Pissed Jeans or Slug Guts, but really, the Toronto trio is just a ball of heavy genres, lumping together noise rock, post-punk, hardcore, no wave, or any style that might punish a pair of eardrums. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sub Pop","offers":[{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50447640887627,"sku":"354528","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Tape","offer_id":50447640330571,"sku":"1016346","price":8.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/250a931e-6db1-4047-b8b8-5340593c61c5_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727080481"},{"product_id":"up-on-gravity-hill","title":"Up On Gravity Hill","description":"\u003cp\u003eWith time, we come to understand the way the joy of connection is mirrored by the void of loss, how the constancy of love is matched only by the impermanence of life, the simple idea that we could not create light if we did not risk the dark - we’d never need to.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo it is with Metz, a band once known for blowing out eardrums with songs of joyous rage who have, over their past few records, begun exploring ways to turn abrasiveness into atmospherics, the evolution of their sound not only a reflection of the maturing of the band themselves but also of a changed world that demands nuance and compassion to comprehend and to survive.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt was a journey already underway on 2020’s \u003ci\u003eAtlas Vending\u003c\/i\u003e, but one that reaches new heights on \u003ci\u003eUp On Gravity Hill\u003c\/i\u003e, where the Canadian trio creates a kaleidoscopic sonic world as tender as it is dark, aided once again by engineer Seth Manchester (Mdou Moctar, Lingua Ignota, Battles, The Body). Deep, detailed, and unyieldingly personal, it is not only Metz’s most powerful record to date but also their most beautiful.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStill three punks from Ontario at heart, guitarist and vocalist Alex Edkins, drummer Hayden Menzies, and bassist Chris Slorach waste no time as opener “No Reservation\/Love Comes Crashing” sweeps in like a wave, sonically and thematically setting the scene for the record to come. A dynamic song about feeling suspended in stasis, layers of dissonance melt into a restlessly heady outro marked by escalating crescendos of shimmering noise that reach for the stars—and is that a violin quivering brightly beneath those elegant swells of guitar, those charging drum fills, those intricate bass lines? It is indeed, courtesy of composer Owen Pallett; his presence an immediate indicator that Metz are thinking more cinematically than ever before.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe change is partially inspired by Edkins’ work as a scorer for film and television and his pop-leaning solo project, Weird Nightmare, where, he says, he learned to write more intuitively, letting his emotions lead the way. But make no mistake: Up On Gravity Hill is a total band effort, the work of three musicians who have been playing together for over a decade, with all the trust that entails.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor those who believe in the power of the rock band to exemplify the highest resonance of human connection, there is much on Up On Gravity Hill to lift the spirit, a puzzle worth repeated listening to unlock or just to get lost in again and again. Rather than the music being flattened into a single plane, the band explores “the space above the cymbals,” resulting in some of the most spacious, sympathetic, and accessible songs—could we call them pop?—of their career. If this seems contradictory, well, Metz has always been something of a contradiction. “We’ve never been heavy enough for metal or hardcore purists, but we're way too heavy for indie rock. We just don't have a lane—and that's okay. We exist outside the lines of delineation. I think this record is even more like that,” says Edkins.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sub Pop","offers":[{"title":"Yellow LP","offer_id":50447930523979,"sku":"2180519","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50447930229067,"sku":"2180518","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/METZ_UpOnGravityHill_1500_c7e3ca84_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727084234"},{"product_id":"automat","title":"Automat","description":"\u003cp\u003eMetz's recorded output to date, a cornucopia of pop-inflected noise punk and damaged fuzz anthems, includes 3 critically-acclaimed LPs with Sub Pop, as well as a plethora of limited-edition releases, collaborations, covers, and rarities.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhich brings us to \u003ci\u003eAutomat\u003c\/i\u003e, a collection of non-album singles, B-sides, and rarities dating back to 2009, available on LP for the first time, and including the band's long out-of-print early (pre-Sub Pop) recordings. Included here are the band’s first three 7” singles, recorded 2009-2010 and originally released by We Are Busy Bodies Records; a demo version of\u003ci\u003e Wet Blanket\u003c\/i\u003e, the explosive single from 2012’s \u003ci\u003eMetz \u003c\/i\u003etwo tracks from the limited-edition bonus single that accompanied preorders of Metz; Can’t Understand, originally released in 2013 by [adult swim]; and both tracks from the band’s 2015 single on Three One G. All tracks on Automat have been lovingly remastered for maximum soundiness by Matthew Barnhart at Chicago Mastering Service\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP - Limited Loser Clear Coloured Vinyl plus bonus 7\" Single that includes three additional tracks: a cover of Sparklehorse’s \u003ci\u003ePig\u003c\/i\u003e, from a very limited 2012 Record Store Day split single originally released by Toronto’s Sonic Boom record shop; \u003ci\u003eI’m a Bug\u003c\/i\u003e, a cover of The Urinals’ art-punk classic, originally released on YouTube (not an actual record label) in 2014; and Metz’s previously unreleased rendition of Gary Numan’s \u003ci\u003eM.E.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP - Black Vinyl with Bonus 7\" Single.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sub Pop","offers":[{"title":"Black LP","offer_id":50447972237643,"sku":"1065048","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Tape","offer_id":50447973450059,"sku":"1065047","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50447972925771,"sku":"1065046","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50447976104267,"sku":"1065061","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/6472512d-cc58-4642-b4ea-587a5d94d89a_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727084766"},{"product_id":"atlas-vending","title":"Atlas Vending","description":"\u003cp\u003e“Change is inevitable if you’re lucky,” says guitarist \/ vocalist Alex Edkins while talking about Atlas Vending, the fourth full-length album by Toronto’s Metz. “Our goal is to remain in flux, to grow in a natural and gradual way. We’ve always been wary to not overthink or intellectualize the music we love but also not satisfied until we’ve accomplished something that pushes us forward.” The music made by Edkins and his compatriots Hayden Menzies (drums) and Chris Slorach (bass) has always been a little difficult to pin down. Their earliest recordings contained nods to the teeming energy of early ‘90s DIY hardcore, the aggravated angularities of This Heat, and the noisy riffing of AmRep’s quintessential guitar manglers, but there was never a moment where Metz sounded like they were paying tribute to the heroes of their youth. If anything, the sonic trajectory of their albums captured the journey of a band shedding influences and digging deeper into their fundamental core—steady propulsive drums, chest-thumping bass lines, bloody-fingered guitar riffs, the howling angst of our fading innocence. With \u003ci\u003eAtlas Vending\u003c\/i\u003e, Metz not only continues to push their music into new territories of dynamics, crooked melodies, and sweat-drenched rhythms, they explore the theme of growing up and maturing within a format typically suspended in youth. Covering seemingly disparate themes such as paternity, crushing social anxiety, addiction, isolation, media-induced paranoia, and the restless urge to leave everything behind, each of \u003ci\u003eAtlas Vending’s\u003c\/i\u003e ten songs offer a snapshot of today's modern condition and together form a musical and narrative whole. The song sequencing follows a cradle-to-grave trajectory, spanning from primitive origins through increasingly nuanced and turbulent peaks and valleys all the way to the climactic closer, \u003ci\u003eA Boat to Drown In\u003c\/i\u003e. The lyrics speak to this arc as well, with the songs addressing life’s struggles all the way through to death, as Edkins snarls “crashed through the pearly gates and opened up my eyes, I can see it now” before the band launches into the album’s cascading outro. While past Metz albums thrived on an abrasive relentlessness, the trio embarked on Atlas Vending with the goal to make a more patient and honest record—something that invited repeated listens rather than a few exhilarating bludgeonings. It’s as if the band realized they were in it for the long haul, and their music could serve as a constant as they navigated life’s trials and tribulations. The result is a record that sounds massive, articulate, and earnest. Bolstered by the co-production of Ben Greenberg (Uniform) and the engineering and mixing skills of Seth Manchester (Daughters, Lingua Ignota, The Body) at Machines with Magnets in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Metz deliver the most dynamic, dimensional, and compelling work of their career. \u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sub Pop","offers":[{"title":"Grey | LP","offer_id":50448047604043,"sku":"1097896","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"Tape","offer_id":50448046358859,"sku":"1097897","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50448045932875,"sku":"1097890","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50448047079755,"sku":"1097895","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/5f7447e4-0806-4fe8-9f62-2185f9cf88f3_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727085577"},{"product_id":"strange-peace","title":"Strange Peace","description":"\u003cp\u003eMetz unleash their highly-anticipated third full-length album, \u003ci\u003eStrange Peace\u003c\/i\u003e, an emphatic but artful hammer swing to the status quo. \u003ci\u003eStrange Peace\u003c\/i\u003e was recorded in Chicago, live off the floor to tape with Steve Albini. The result is a distinct artistic maturation into new and alarming territory, frantically pushing past where the band has gone before, while capturing the notorious intensity of their live show. The trio continued to assemble the album (including home recordings, additional instrumentation) in their hometown, adding the finishing touches with longtime collaborator, engineer and mixer, Graham Walsh. \u003ci\u003eStrange Peace\u003c\/i\u003e isn’t merely a collection of eleven uninhibited and urgent songs. It’s also a kind of sonic venting, a truculent social commentary that bludgeons and provokes, excites and unsettles. With all the pleasurable tension and anxiety of a fever dream, Strange Peace is equal parts challenging and accessible. It is this implausible balancing act, moving from one end of the musical spectrum to the other, that only a band of Metz’s power and capacity can maintain: discordant and melodic, powerful and controlled, meticulous and instinctive, subtle and complex, precise and reckless, wholehearted and merciless, brutal and optimistic, terrifying and fun.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP - Black Vinyl with Download.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP+ - Limited Loser Colour Vinyl with Download.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sub Pop","offers":[{"title":"LP.","offer_id":50448297099595,"sku":"1014219","price":24.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Tape","offer_id":50448297754955,"sku":"1014221","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50448293888331,"sku":"1014217","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP","offer_id":50448299065675,"sku":"1014220","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/93016962-5396-420a-9ba7-879817517516_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727089317"},{"product_id":"metz-1","title":"Metz","description":"\u003cp\u003eRecalling the early days of the Seattle label when grunge was thunderous and menacing, this Canadian group's debut is extra heavy. 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