PARED DOWN ENERGY FROM A POWERFUL TRIO
Story by Emily Whalen
Photos by Kate Kilgour
Very few bands have the privilege of making their audience feel like their ears are bleeding. It takes a certain amount of gear, vocal ability and sheer determination. Having said that, I’m pretty sure Metz could play an acoustic set and match the visceral, skull-blowing effect on their fearless listeners that they’re known for.Not bogged down by pounds of equipment, Metz are simply three dudes – bassist Chris Slorach, guitarist Alex Edkins and drummer Hayden Menzies — pounding on their respective instruments with buckets of energy. Easily painted as a grunge or punk band, Metz actually aren’t quite as easy to categorize. At times psychedelic and at others avant garde, the band keep it interesting. What’s always clear is their absolute talent as musicians.
Mid-set they joked, “the next one is off the Singles soundtrack”, but it didn’t sound like that to me. Don’t get me wrong, I love the film Singles, the soundtrack and its portrayal of a Sup Pop-dominated Seattle scene was great, but something about Metz strikes as uniquely Canadian and contemporary.
In between and during songs, vocalist/guitarist Alex Edkins pushed up his glasses, which had a hard time staying put while his body twitched and bounced as if the stage below him was emitting powerful waves of electric shocks. And even though the band plays loud – incredibly loud – there is something strangely inviting about their sound. People gravitate to the stage, not backing away out of fear, drawn to a magnetic energy the band manages to exude.
