MetzSub Pop ****

Metz are a band who can relate to what drove the underground bands documented by Michael Azerrard in his classic book Our Band Could Be Your Life. A trio from Toronto’s hardcore scene who adhere to the DIY blueprint and tip their musical cap to the kingpins of old, Metz make thumping, fierce noise which zings with energy, verve, intensity and anger.

It's a sound honed by the band's five-year gestation spell playing gigs wherever they could, and it's to their (and producers Graham Walsh and Alexandre Bonenfant) credit that they've captured the undiluted sledgehammer effect of such visceral outings here. From Headache to The Mule, Metz mete out precise, redemptive and righteous blasts of rugged post-hardcore rock. Intense, primal and ferocious, Metz are a band to soundtrack today's hard times with suitably tough and unrelenting music. A magnificent piece of work. metzztem.com

Download tracks:Headache, The Mule, Negative Space