Review by Pete Finn for MPM
Canadian Hardcore Punk band, Comeback Kid will release their highly anticipated EP ‘Trouble’ on 15th March 2024. Formed in March 2001 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Comeback Kid are recognised as being one of the pioneers of the modern Hardcore Punk genre.
The band currently consists of founding members, vocalist Andrew Neufeld and guitarist Jeremy Hiebert and now also includes fellow guitarist Stu Ross, bassist Chase Brenneman and drummer Loren Legare. Since its formation, the band have released seven studio albums, with their debut ‘Turn It Around’ in 2003, and the most recent being, ‘Heavy Steps’ which was released in January 2022.
‘Trouble’ will be released via SharpTone Records and has 4-tracks on it, with a combined running time of 13-minutes.
We open with ‘Trouble In The Winner’s Circle’, which was the first single. The initial few bars are reminiscent of early Nirvana. This is dispelled as Neufeld’s battle cry begins, this will be a live anthem with plenty of opportunity for circle pits and chanting along to the chorus. The riffs are punchy and drums ferocious. It leans slightly more towards a metal sound than the raw punk of the past, but it still has the power to punch you in the face.
Normal service resumes with the recent single ‘Disruption’. The pace and intensity is phenomenal, drummer Legare is pulverising his kit into submission, I wonder how many skins he got through in recording it.
The vocal from Neufeld has edge and real bite. Chase Brenneman is spanking the strings with venom, I love some of the Motorhead-esque riffs but, ‘Disruption’ has Comeback Kid hammered all over it. A must for a live show.
Frenetic bass and drums launch ‘Chompin’ At The Bit’, the riffs from Hiebert and Ross slice you in half. Neufeld has a vocal dual with the backing vocalists, it carry’s energy and passion. The tempo alternates between fast and light-speed, the band carry it off with ease.
The final track is ‘Breaking and Bruised’, and by comparison to the previous three, an epic at nearly 4-minutes long. It’s a lethal cocktail of tempo’s and styles, Neufeld’s chanted lyrics mixed with a harmonised group chorus. Brenneman’s bass is rampaging throughout. The guitarists don’t hold back with scratching power riffs. Legare is relentless with the driving beat. This is foot to the floor and in your face hardcore.
‘Trouble’ is a volatile and explosive blast to the senses, it may not be quite as raw as some of the earlier releases, but bands evolve, and the forerunners need to keep nudging the boundaries slightly further. They can do this by giving the same, but a little bit different. Comeback Kid have done this with ‘Trouble’, and it whets the appetite for the next Long Player.
COMEBACK KID are:
Andrew Neufeld – Vocals
Jeremy Hiebert – Guitar
Stu Ross – Guitar
Loren Legare – Drums
Chase Brenneman – Bass
Purchase, Stream at: https://comebackkid.bfan.link/trouble…
https://comebackkidstream.com/titwc
New EP TROUBLE out March 15 Pre-Order at: https://comebackkid.bfan.link/trouble https://www.dinealonestore.com/produc…
