“Heavy steps on hollow ground.”
Winnipeg hardcore punk band Comeback Kid are about to return with a new album after almost five years since 2017’s Outsiders (tough not to make a pun about having a ‘comeback‘). I was a bit late to the game getting into Comeback Kid. It wasn’t until I saw them open up for Stray From the Path on a tour in 2015 at Gramercy Theater in New York City until I would be introduced to them. As soon as the guitars kicked in for their intro song “Die Knowing” I was immediately intrigued and my jaw remained glued to the floor for the rest of their set.
Fast forward to 2022, their seventh LP Heavy Steps kicks off with the title track and they burst out of the gate with an absolutely crushing bass riff, with a fierce tone that is sure to excite you for the band’s newest venture. With heavy verses and a decently catchy chorus, its no wonder why the band decided to use this track as the second single before the release of the album. Following on is the album’s lead single, “No Easy Way Out“, which was released alongside the album announcement last October. If you’re a longtime fan of Comeback Kid, you will undoubtedly enjoy this song at bare minimum. Supremely well-executed hardcore punk, which no less is expected of them.
Diving into “Face the Fire“, we’re first splashed with an ear worm of a guitar riff which would later accompany the chorus as well. One thing that is sticking out to me about this record already is its downright catchiness, and “Face the Fire” absolutely bolsters that. “Crossed” begins with yet another great hardcore riff, and Comeback Kid continues to do what they do best. With a feature from the mighty Joe Duplantier of Gojira, this song seems to be aimed at both the hardcore and metalcore crowd alike. “Everything Relates” comes yet again with a chorus that will get stuck in your head (I didn’t know I had this much room in my head for all of these melodies to repeat themselves freely). The riffs are plentiful, and Andrew Neufeld‘s vocals seem to be the best they’ve ever been.
“Dead on the Fence” absolutely kicks ass, easily one of my favorite tracks on this record. 30 seconds in, the guitars explode into a breakdown that is accompanied by a church bell that is nothing short of crushing, certainly a track that was crafted to be played live. Towards the middle-end sections of the record, I did admittedly feel a bit fatigued by the similar sonic atmosphere of tracks. This is until the tenth track on the record, “Standstill“, wakes me right back up with what is easily one of the best choruses they have ever written. It leaves me somewhat surprised that they didn’t use this track as a single. For a while I thought “Die Knowing” was my favorite track by Comeback Kid, however “Standstill” is the first track to dethrone it. Just when I think I’ve heard a track that can’t be topped, Heavy Steps‘ closing track “Menacing Weight“ crashes on through. This song has an even cooler chorus melody and a bridge that is so good I don’t think they could ever top it. Comeback Kid close off Heavy Steps with sheer perfection.
If you’re a fan of Comeback Kid, and a fan of hardcore music, Heavy Steps record will be right up your alley. With its top tier execution of the hardcore style, Comeback Kid‘s seventh studio record could very well be the best record the legendary group have to offer. In no way does Heavy Steps reinvent the wheelhouse or showcase a new sonic landscape from Comeback Kid, but it is absolutely a record that reinforces the band’s influence and ability to write a great hardcore record with crushing instrumentals, along with some meaningful and weighted vocals.
Heavy Steps by Comeback Kid is out on January 21st, 2022 via Nuclear Blast. For pre-orders, merch, and shows click here.
8/10