METZ INTERVIEW WITH GUITARIST AND VOCALIST ALEX EDKINS, BASSIST CHRIS SLORACH, AND DRUMMER HAYDEN MENZIESBY BY JOHN SILVA
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ven before COVID “’Pulse’ is one of the heaviest shook the world and things we’ve ever done, and the the music industry, To- ending is one of the most groronto post-punk trio tesque things we’ve ever done,” METZ made the executive deci- Edkins says. “And then, you get lesion to push the release date of gitimately what we would considtheir new album, Atlas Vending, to er pretty parts, or beautiful parts October 9. The original release that, you know, we dialed down date conflicted with the arrival of the tone or play softer. These are a new family member. all things that are coming along because of the amount of time “I had a baby in May,” explains we’ve spent together playing and bassist Chris Slorach. “We finished growing as musicians. But also, recording in December, and it our interests in music are really was mastered in mid-December. vast, and so, as Chris [Slorach] We didn’t really have a finished said, bludgeoning people over version of it until the first week of and over starts to lose its interJanuary. So, the earliest it would est after a while. We just wanted have come out even with that is it to be more of a dynamic listen May. We pushed it back to Octo- throughout.” ber just because our original release date for this record was the Although the album was recorded exact same date that my daughter last year, in many ways, it feels like was born. That didn’t work for me.” an eerily fitting record for 2020. Indeed, as the band gets older, family has become a bigger pri- “It’s got a mood to it that is very ority. In addition to these big life fitting for a global crisis,” Edkins changes, METZ have embraced says. “Reflecting on your life and some new directions sonical- reflecting on the life you lead, it’s ly. Their previous work felt like a very much about that. The tenblistering punch to the face. Atlas sion within is something that a lot Vending has those types of tracks, of people are going to be able but it also explores some more to relate to right now because melodic directions. everyone is dealing with this new
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