The debut, self-titled release from Toronto’s Metz is a short, heavy affair that pleasantly reminds me that back in the late 80s and early 90s, Sub Pop used to pump out this sort of stuff on the reg. Clocking in at just under 30 minutes, these ten tracks are reminiscent of — and clearly inspired by — heavy, technical stuff like the Jesus Lizard and the Melvins. In Metz’ most punishing tracks, like “Rats” and particularly “Knife in the Water,” I hear some of Winnipeg’s Kittens earlier intensity, which is fucking deadly. Other than KENmode and Hide Your Daughters (both Winnipeg acts with similar line-ups), I haven’t heard anything that brings me back to the first time I heard Tiger Comet like the mid-way point on this disc. Five years in the making, this “full-length” debut is certainly a strong one and, according to folks who’ve been following the band a lot longer than I have, one that brings the intensity of their live performance into blistering, diluted album format. Pick it up, crank it up! (Sub Pop, subpop.com) Sheldon Birnie