{"id":12143,"date":"2021-11-26T10:58:18","date_gmt":"2021-11-26T16:58:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/?p=12143"},"modified":"2026-05-06T18:44:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T23:44:42","slug":"metz-moved-by-the-energy-of-live-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/2021\/11\/26\/metz-moved-by-the-energy-of-live-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"METZ :: Moved By The Energy Of Live Performance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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by Ryan Haughey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rip to it. Trash to it. Bite and tear off a morsel of METZ, because there\u2019s more than enough of them to go around as they tour North America and beyond. After biding their time, pent up and barred from getting on stage these last 20 odd months, METZ is ready to get back in front of a crowd of animalistic headbangers. They\u2019ll be doing just that on November 29 in Winnipeg.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Travel back in time to October of last year, and METZ are releasing their fourth full-length album. Atlas Vending <\/em>is the slow burn of the fuse on a stick of dynamite. This patient calculation is a relatively new approach diverging from the direction METZ usually takes in their recordings. Alex Edkins (vocals, guitar) says that this evolution is the result of the band\u2019s goal to make Atlas Vending<\/em> something that their audience can listen to again and again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve certainly checked the box of making records that are like a slap in the face, and you need a break after it,\u201d Alex says. \u201cThe first record was kind of like that, and that was the goal \u2013 it was kind of like, \u2018hello world!\u2019. At this point we\u2019ve done that, and with Atlas<\/em> we\u2019re definitely trying to have more ups and downs, touches and go\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Alex, Atlas Vending <\/em>is METZ\u2019s best sounding record, from the music, to the lyrics, to the production. Produced by Ben Greenberg, mixed by Seth Manchester, and mastered by Matt Colton, METZ\u2019s latest record is musical and methodical. The record strategically breaks down the walls of hardcore expectations and creates unique, individual moments with each track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s why we still do this: there\u2019s room for us to grow, and it\u2019s happening with every record. The band is moving forward and that\u2019s a good sign. That\u2019s kind of what we hang our hat on. At the heart of it, we\u2019re all just wanting to be better players, better musicians, and a better band. I think if you just go \u20181, 2, 3, bang!\u2019 there\u2019s nowhere to go, so it\u2019s certainly the idea of making something that people can live in more. It\u2019s fun for us and I think it\u2019s more rewarding for the listener.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd in a live setting, it\u2019s way better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, if you want proof of that statement, look no further. In August of 2021, during a peak of lockdown in Toronto, METZ released Live at the Opera House<\/em>. This live set is a retelling of Atlas Vending <\/em>plus a couple of classic hits off their 2012 self-titled debut record. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe prepared for it like we were going on tour,\u201d Alex says. \u201cWe just wanted it to be as close to our live show as possible. Obviously, the elephant in the room is the fact that there was no one in the room. I think it was a survival mechanism for us; we were so proud of the record and we were heartbroken that we couldn\u2019t go share it with people and get that reciprocal energy going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alex says that recording Live at the Opera House<\/em> was a weird experience. \u201cMusicians and many industries suffered a lot (during the pandemic) and were forced to expand what it is that they do. Here we are, basically shooting a movie on a live concert set.\u201d Alex says METZ is always down for a challenge, even though this project was never something they imagined themselves doing. \u201cMaybe a live record for sure, but we wanted to actually be in front of people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, we resorted to recording the live album and I\u2019m really happy we did it \u2013 we\u2019re really proud of how it turned out. I\u2019m even more excited to be hitting the road in a couple of days and playing that record for people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re not going to want to miss METZ in Winnipeg at the Park Theatre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When asked what it\u2019s finally going to be like being back on stage, Alex says that the feeling is inexplicable. \u201cCompared to recording the album, the energy is tenfold, a hundredfold. Live music has that ability to bring people together, and you can have that \u2018WOW\u2019 moment. I know I have. That\u2019s why I got hooked. It\u2019s this feeling of super loud, physical music in a live setting, I just love it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re able to lose ourselves and get into the songs, but when there\u2019s people there listening and they\u2019re feeling it too, it\u2019s great. It\u2019s hard to explain without sounding a little bit like Bono or something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though METZ have created a new path for themselves to follow during their live shows, there is no loss of the spirit that occurs throughout their entire discography. Stylistically, METZ is METZ. And that\u2019s never going to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re always going to be METZ because we invented that. That\u2019s just us, there\u2019s always going to be something connecting us with those early records,\u201d Alex says. \u201cWe ground each other, the three of us. We don\u2019t let anyone lose sight of how special it is, what we have together. I think we\u2019re really aware of that and we feel really fortunate to be friends and love what we\u2019re doing. And also, just feel privileged to tour around the world and play.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGenuinely, I think that the way we actually play our instruments is singular. We have a style that is ours, and that\u2019s a source of pride. It\u2019s something we believe is true and that\u2019s what\u2019s tying us together. It\u2019s our way of playing together, it\u2019s our way of interacting as three musicians \u2013 the songwriting as well. I think each one of us has a very definitive style.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After touring North America, METZ will be touring Europe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve already started writing new stuff. There\u2019ll be a record coming out eventually, but we\u2019re not rushing into the studio,\u201d Alex says. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want Atlas<\/em> to be lost. We wanted to give it its due because we\u2019re really proud of it. We\u2019re going to tour Atlas Vending <\/em>for a while before focusing on new stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

METZ are playing the Park Theatre in Winnipeg with Preoccupations on November 29. \u201cWe\u2019re excited to be out there and I hope people mask up and come out \u2013 and just have a good time,\u201d Alex says. \u201cBe safe and all that. We couldn\u2019t be more excited to get back to Winnipeg.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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