[rating=4.00]

When listening to the visceral eponymous debut of Ontario indie-core trio METZ, I cannot help but imagine the idea of Mudhoney’s Mark Arm, who works for Sub Pop as their warehouse manager, smacking a copy of the group’s demo on the A&R guy’s desk lamenting, "Man, why aren’t we signing bands like this anymore??"

 And for those who still own early copies of the Seattle label’s beloved mail order catalog, the fact that the imprint is more known for canyon hippie folk, abstract hip-hop and European art pop in 2012 than the big, noisy punk rock which made them the beacon of cool for every disenfranchised youth with a chip on his or her shoulder during the Bush 41 era is indeed peculiar. But METZ is a total throwback to the days of Bleach and 8-Way Santa with a full fledged arsenal of primal scream vocals, chugging feedback-soaked guitars and face smashing rhythms that will roll over you like Part Chimp ripping the hands off the Jesus Lizard. Its way too hard, at least for this writer, to choose a couple of highlight tracks because the whole damn thing is essential listening from the opening chords of "Headache" to the closing dirge of the cryptically titled "–))–".

These are rough times we live in, folks. And it is refreshing to know there are bands like METZ putting out such quality rage like the 11 songs on this most exceptionally enthralling hello for today’s youth to thrash along to with the same sense of reckless abandon their parents were able to extol as members of the Sub Pop Singles club.

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