METZ roars back with Up On Gravity Hill album out April 12

METZ enlisted Owen Pallett and Black Mountain's Amber Webber to realize their long awaited new album, Up On Gravity Hill. 

Here's the scoop from Sub Pop HQ...

On April 12th, METZ will release Up On Gravity Hill, their first album in 4 years, on Sub Pop for the world and in Canada on Dine Alone. The album was engineered by Seth Manchester (Mdou Moctar, Lingua Ignota, Battles, The Body) and features guest performances from Amber Webber of Black Mountain and composer/string arranger Owen Pallett.

METZ, a band once known for blowing out eardrums with songs of joyous rage, have, over their past few records, begun exploring ways to turn abrasiveness into atmospherics, the evolution of their sound not only a reflection of the maturing of the band themselves but also of a changed world that demands nuance and compassion to comprehend and to survive. This is so on their latest effort, Up On Gravity Hill, which finds the band continuing to bend the raw power of rock music to its most delicate, intricate ends. Delivering a deep, detailed, and unyieldingly personal collection of songs that are fused together to form not only METZ’s most powerful record to date but also their most beautiful.

To spotlight this evolution, the band has shared two new contrasting singles: the stomping motorik “99,” and the charging and deeply melodic, “Entwined (Street Light Buzz)”, that offers a dreamier Swervedriver-esque guitar sheen never before utilized by the Canadian trio. 

 METZ frontman Alex Edkins says, “These two songs couldn’t be more stylistically and thematically dissimilar. ‘Entwined (Street Light Buzz)’ is a song about the deep connection humans can foster with one another and how we carry people with us forever, even after death. ‘99’ is about the scourge of corporate greed and bottom-line thinking that runs rampant in modern society. Anything for a buck is the message being sent to younger generations.”

 METZ is also announcing headlining international tour dates supporting Up On Gravity Hill, with dates in North America from April 17th to May 17th, when they'll play a triumphant Toronto show at the Danforth Music Hall. Then it's off for a run of UK and EU festival performances in August, including stops at The Green Man Festival in the UK, La Route Du Rock and Cabaret Vert Festival in France, and the Canela Party in Spain followed by a UK and EU tour in the fall.  

Pre-order a copy of METZ's Up On Gravity Hill album from Sub Pop right here. Listen to "Entwined (Street Light Buzz)" and "99" below. 

METZ previews rarities collection with animated clip for "Pure Auto"

Here's Scopion Dagger's view of METZ jamming in their rehearsal space. Their new rarities comp Automat is out July 12th on Sub Pop.

METZ issues rippin' Drained Lake ahead of new album Strange Peace

METZ's forthcoming Steve Albini-recorded Strange Peace album is out Sept. 22. They're at Lee's Sept 29 and 30.

METZ on tour
09/05 Atlanta, GA - 529
09/07 Raleigh, NC - Hopscotch Festival
09/25 Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
09/29 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace *
09/30 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace *
10/02 Boston, MA - Sinclair #
10/03 Philadelphia, PA - The First Unitarian Church #
10/04 Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg #
10/05 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom #
10/06 Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel #
10/08 Montreal, QC - La Sala Rosa

* with SUUNS
# with Uniform

LIDS 7-inch Release Party @ Double Double Land, Saturday

Check out Scott Cudmore's clip for "Sarsfest" by LIDS feat. Alex Edkins, Brian Borcherdt & Doug MacGregor.

Pancake Tuesday with METZ

METZ II is out on May 5 after their Lee's Palace shows May 1 & 2. Watch Travis Millard's tasty Acetate clip.

METZ on tour 

Feb. 21—Air & Style Los Angeles—Pasadena, California
Feb. 28—NRMAL Festival—Mexico City, Mexico
March 3—100 Club—London, United Kingdom
March 5—Point Ephemere—Paris, France
March 16-20—SXSW—Austin, Texas
April 15—Mohawk Place—Buffalo, New York *
April 16—Double Happiness—Columbus, Ohio *
April 17—Beachland Ballroom—Cleveland, Ohio *
April 18—The Loving Touch—Ferndale, Michigan *
May 1 & 2 —Lee’s Palace—Toronto, Ontario ^ (pre-sale tickets available now with code: "spityouout")
May 8—Levitation—Austin, Texas
May 9—Shaky Knees Festival—Atlanta, Georgia
May 11—State Theatre—St. Petersburg, Florida **
May 12—The Social—Orlando, Florida **
May 13—Work Play—Birmingham, Alabama **
May 14—Mercy Lounge—Nashville, Tennessee **
May 19—The Firebird—St. Louis, Missouri **
May 20—Lincoln Hall—Chicago, Illinois
May 21-22—7th Street Entry—Minneapolis, Minnesota **
May 23—High Noon Saloon—Madison, Wisconsin **
May 26—Bowery Ballroom—New York, New York **
May 27—Music Hall Of Williamsburg—Brooklyn, New York **
May 28—9:30 Club—Washington, D.C. **
May 29—Union Transfer—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania **
May 30—Paradise—Boston, Massachusetts **
June 16—Underworld—London, United Kingdom
June 17—Botanique—Brussels, Belgium
June 19—Best Kept Secret Festival—Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands
June 20—Hurricane Festival—Scheesel, Germany
June 21—Southside Festival—Neuhausen Ob Eck, Germany
June 22—Taubchenthal—Leipzig, Germany
June 24—Cassiopeia—Berlin, Germany
June 25—MTC—Cologne, Germany
July 24-26—WayHome Music & Arts Festival—Oro-Medonte, Ontario
* with Lightning Bolt
^ with Protomartyr
** with Fidlar

Watch the Odonis Odonis clip for "Better"

Toronto surf-gaze titans Odonis Odonis have just released a creepy black & white video for the title track of their 6-song Better EP released today on Buzz Records. The low-budget frolic in the woods involving literally hundreds of dead leaves was co-directed by the group's mainman Dean Tzenos in conjunction with record sleeve designer Cameron Tomsett looking to expand his horizons. Odonis Odonis will be on tour with METZ in the US during April (see dates below), before making a triumphant return to Toronto for a Lee's Palace show Friday, May 17. Check out the clip and if you like what you here, grab their Better EP right here



Tour dates
04/16 Brooklyn, NY - Shea Stadium *
04/17 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom *
04/18 Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel *
04/19 Richmond, VA - Strange Matter
04/20 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 *
04/22 Atlanta, GA - 529 *
04/23 Birmingham, AB - Bottletree *
04/24 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks *
04/25 Austin, TX, - Austin Psych Fest @ Mohawk's ~ *
05/17 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace *
* w/ METZ
~ w/ A Place to Bury Strangers

METZ single release party tonight @ The Shop

The third installment of We Are Busy Bodies' series of limited edition 7-inch singles by lobster-lovin' Toronto rippers METZ is finally in stores and selling fast. That should come as no great shock since the previous two flew out the door and the pairing of Negative Space b/w Automat makes for a smashing double-sider – even if the B-side has nothing to do with the Sprockets-esque synth stormer Killerautomat by Neue Deutsche Welle group DEO.

Those who either don't have turntable technology or won't be able to make it to METZ's single release party with Anagram and Induced Labour tonight (Friday, August 13) at The Shop (at Parts and Labour) will be thrilled that We Are Busy Bodies mainman Eric Warner is kindly made both future METZ concert faves available for free download right here.
But make sure to get on that quick because the link will only be active for a week.   




Eric Warner discusses We Are Busy Bodies

 

LINKS
METZ site www.myspace.com/metztheband
We Are Busy Bodies http://www.wearebusybodies.com/