A Metz appearance in Austin is like Christmas come early for dissonant rock enthusiasts in town, of which there are many. An army of black-clad testosteroned adolescents, long-haired metal vets, and discerning bespectacled hipsters all gathered at the Mohawk on Friday, December 15 to bask in the pulsating greatness of Metz. Disappointment has never been within the realm of possibility for the Canadian trio of noise rockers, and their performance in Austin on Friday evoked the antithesis of that.
Local punk outfit Cherubs proved to be a suitable opener for a show that would bring the reckless and reviled to the Mohawk, like a moth to the light. Metz opened with mind-splitting hits like “The Swimmer” and “Mess Of Wires” while a black hole of moshing erupted in front of them. Succinctly professional, not many words were said, or sentiment expressed to the crowd, and all energy pulsed through the amplifiers.
Touring off of their latest album, Strange Peace, the trio fell into their newer songs like “Cellophane”, “Drained Lake” and, “Mr. Plague.” Somehow in the freezing December cold, sweat was still flying around the pit and frenzied emotion bounced off the walls. Frontman Alex Edkins and guitarist Chris Slorach held a stoic poise as they unleashed destruction through their amplifiers. Drummer Hayden Menzies methodically pounded his kit, creating a wall of percussion to consume the audience.
Metz blazed through older hits like “Eraser” and “Headache” while finishing with “The Mule” and “Acetate”. Quietly building a dedicated following that lives and breathes the band’s music, Metz’s songs are a pressure release for a varied demographic of music fans. While wanton song structures and screeching distortion may repel some music fans, the dissonant chaos is blissful to many.
