METZ - Up On Gravity Hill
Sub Pop
Released April 12th, 2024
METZ was the first show I ever went to solo, maybe 2013 or 2014. It was - at that stage of my life - a big step. I went feeling awkward and self-conscious about being there on my own. But when they took stage, the Toronto punk trio obliterated all sense of insecurity with the unreal bigness of their sound and the unleashing of pure energy that just swallowed up the (now defunct) Republik basement. So I kind of feel like I owe them a lot. Now, more than a decade and who knows how many shows later (whether I’ve had anyone to go with or not), I have the pleasure of reviewing their latest offering, Up On Gravity Hill, which continues METZ’s legacy of noisy, unrelenting catharsis while stepping out into new spheres of expansiveness.
Released on Sub Pop on April 12, Up On Gravity Hill finds the members of METZ (Alex Edkins, Hayden Menzies, and Chris Slorach) evolving and expanding upon their genre-defying brand of driving, bone-rattling post-punk. The record manages to be incredibly tight and intricate, while still retaining a raw, unpolished, DIY feel. Pleasantly discordant and abrasive, like #40-grit sandpaper, Up On Gravity Hill retains the rough ferocity that METZ fans know and love, but also sees the band evolve into loftier and more delicate territory than we’ve heard before. Building upon the trajectory set by 2020’s Atlas Vending, this record continues the arc into more emotionally available and melodic territories. It’s not that they’ve abandoned their sludgy roots, but METZ continue to evolve and grow into new expressions and dimensions of rough, vibrant energy. While you still couldn’t describe it as poppy, a healthy smattering of hooks and melodic breakdowns keep the album accessible and engaging. Album closer “Light Your Way Home” goes a step further into what you could even call beautiful, with a slowed tempo and a heartfelt refrain featuring guest vocals from Amber Webber of Black Mountain.
That said, even with its expressions of tenderness, Up On Gravity Hill shows that METZ still knows how to rip. The drums are beefy, the basslines unrelenting, and the guitarwork cuts to the core. Edkins’ vocals and emotive lyricism serve as a guiding presence that alternately contrasts and compliments the densely layered sonic understory. But despite the undeniable prowess of each individual member, the true highlight of Up On Gravity Hill is the unassailable cohesion of METZ as a unit, which emerges as a fullness that is greater than the sum of the parts (which are pretty great on their own). This coherence is the fruit of a band that has put in its time together, but it’s also the result of a band that trusts itself enough to evolve - that change, evolution and growth don’t end up with a loss of identity, but are rather the path to authentic self-expression.
- Chris Lammiman