When the punk trio METZ crashed onto the scene (with style) in 2012, the Toronto-based group quickly garnered an immediate following within and without of the hardcore community (example: The One and only Keanu Reeves).
After an appropriately vicious touring circuit, METZ retreated to Canada to spend six months writing and recording II, an album that was conceived as deliberately bare and intense. As frontman Alex Edkins explains:
This time we sorta said, “This is who we are. We are not going to clean up our sound, we are not going to hire a big producer, we are not going to try to write a radio song. We are going to be honest and leave the warts for all to see.” We are really happy with how it turned out.
To get an idea of what was harvested by this approach, you can listen to the insane album opener “Acetate,” which ignites and spreads like a meth lab fire. The accompanying video (which is distinctly labeled as being “not the video”) features a recipe for some punk rock pancakes, and will get you kinda sorta hungry for one of those hangover-type breakfasts.
In addition to the album cover and song titles, the band has also announced a fresh batch of tour dates. You can check out all that info below.
II track listing
1. Acetate
2. The Swimmer
3. Spit You Out
4. Zzyzx
5. IOU
6. Landfill
7. Nervous System
8. Wait in Line
9. Eyes Peeled
10. Kicking a Can of Worms
METZ tour dates
February
21 – Pasadena, CA – Air & Style Los Angeles at The Rose Bowl
28 – Mexico City, MX – NRMAL Festival
March
3 – London, UK – 100 Club
5 – Paris, FR – Point Ephemere
16 – Austin, TX – SXSW
18 – Austin, TX – SXSW
19 – Austin, TX – SXSW
20 – Austin, TX – SXSW
April
15 – Buffalo, NY – Mohawk Place *
16 – Columbus, OH – Double Happiness *
17 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom *
18 – Ferndale, MI – The Loving Touch *
May
1 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace ^
2 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace ^
8 – Austin, TX – Levitation 2015
9 – Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Festival
11 – St. Petersburg, FL – State Theatre **
12 – Orlando, FL – The Social **
13 – Birmingham, AL – Work Play **
14 – Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge **
19 – St. Louis, MO – The Firebird **
20 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
21 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry **
22 – Minneapolis, MN – 7th Street Entry **
23 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon **
26 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom **
27 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg **
28 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club **
29 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer **
30 – Boston, MA – Paradise **
* = w/ Lightning Bolt
** = w/ FIDLAR
^ = w/ Protomartyr
II is out May 5 via Sub Pop.
