METZ, a three piece noise-rock band from Toronto, Canada, have graced us with a second offering, II. The opener, Acetate, leaves little to the imagination; an on-beat riffy bassline follows punchy drums, while scratchy guitars echo in the background of the verse, before falling back in with the other instruments for the chorus. The vocals are 100 per cent, Johnny Rotten-inspired classic punk, screamed with no remorse, but also somewhat distant, as if layered on top of the sound, rather than part of it.
As the next couple of tracks roll out, the sound doesn’t develop or evolve in any significant way. Though, this isn’t to say that the album stagnates. This is a band who very clearly know their sound; they ease you in with the opener, and then go full-hog from there out, heavy and energetic, but never truly diverting from formula.
Four tracks in we get the interlude Zzyzx. This momentary breather is a godsend, because straight after we’re thrown into the record’s strongest track, IOU. This could very easily be an early-QOTSA track, a no holds barred symphony to the destruction of instruments. It doesn’t slow down much from there. Track after track, II remains in your face. You can see where it’s coming from, you see where it’s going, but nothing lingers for too long. As a result, it’s never stale, for something new, yet oddly similar, is never far off.
Although the individual tracks could leave you pining for some variety, the record is a testament to METZ’s musical abilities and faith in their own sound.
BY HOWL GRIFFITHS
