Words by Jonathan Stout
Although it’s been four years since Canadian noise punks, METZ, have released a studio album, the silence was not due to inactivity. The band members kept busy through the pandemic with side projects to keep the creative juices flowing. Thank goodness, because on their new album Up On Gravity Hill (Sub Pop), METZ have returned fully energized and inspired. At only 8 songs in 35 minutes, the record doesn’t overstay its welcome, but instead delivers perhaps the most succinct and accessible collections in their discography. The band still lets the feedback roar but this time with a refined sense of melody and dynamics.
Off Shelf: The last time we chatted was for the release of the Weird Nightmare album. Does it feel natural shifting gears to compose METZ songs or is there an adjustment period?
Alex Edkins: Yes. I love having numerous musical outlets. The Weird Nightmare record really allowed me to stretch out my songwriting and singing and I think that’s had a real positive effect on this METZ record.
OS: Your music, though still thunderous, has progressively gotten more melodic. Was this a conscious decision or an organic development in your songwriting?
AE: Definitely a natural progression that has been happening gradually since our first LP in 2012. Exploring new sounds and ways to write is something that all three of us are excited about. We certainly never discussed what direction a new album will take before making it. It’s always a bit of a surprise to see where we end up.
OS: How were the songs of Up On Gravity Hill composed? Did one member write the majority of the content or was it a collaborative venture? A mix of both even?
AE: I usually make a demo or blueprint of the songs with a drum machine, guitar, bass, and scratch vocal. Then we all get together and hash it out. That has been the process for a while now.
OS: Are you willing to expound about the meaning of the album’s title at all?
AE: The ideas of disorientation, illusion, love and death all play a role in the meaning for me. I hope everyone takes something different from it though.
OS: Your guitar tones are definitely a defining characteristic of the band. Were there any particular pedals or guitars that helped bring inspiration during recording?
AE: I prefer to fixate on guitars rather than pedals. I use a Fender Jazzmaster through a Fender Twin Reverb for live shows, so definitely nothing very special in that regard. In the studio I used several different guitars; Silvertone, Rickenbacker, Zenon, etc., depending on the song or track. Some of the more interesting guitar tones on this record were created by going directly into the mixing console and using compressors to degrade the sound. Another favorite technique is miccing the strings of an electric guitar with a contact mic or condenser and mixing that percussive sound in with the more overdriven sound. It offers a percussive element because you can hear the pick hitting the strings like an acoustic guitar.
OS: For Black Mountain fans, it’s great to hear Amber Webber’s voice again on “Light Your Way Home.” How did that collaboration come about? Have you known each other for a while or are you newly acquainted?
AE: We are newly acquainted. We are all fans of Black Mountain, we used to listen to “In the Future” in the van a lot when it came out. We all agreed that Amber’s voice would really suit the song “Light Your Way Home” and it was really exciting for us that she agreed to do it! She recorded on the west coast with Jesse Gander and sent us the tracks. I think her contributions are beautiful and really elevate the entire song.
OS: Your song ‘99’ is about the scourge of corporate greed in modern society and the message of ‘Anything for a buck’ being sent to younger generations. I know you/Alex have a child, and maybe the other members of the band do as well – what do you think can be done for the future generations to curb the shallow, consumerist mire that social media has trapped the youth in?
AE: Seeing the world through my son’s eyes is what inspired the song. He would always remark at the ads at bus stops or on street cars or billboards on buildings and it really hit me how we are just fed commercials from the day we are born. It struck me as almost grotesque.
I think greed in modern society is so deeply ingrained in everyday life, it’s just accepted as normal. Extreme wealth and the billionaire class are applauded as the ultimate achievement when it seems very clear to me that it is impossible to become a billionaire without exploiting the work of others.
OS: You’ve stretched out musically on this album to include extra instrumentation, guest collaborators, string arrangements and more. Some new songs incorporate elements from everything from shoegaze, to dream pop, math rock, power pop and more. Are there any other genres/styles that you’d like to incorporate into future METZ recordings?
AE: We are avid music fans, of all styles, and we consume music voraciously. I think our sound is simply everything we love about music put in a blender and mixed up and then played by three people, who when put in the same room, make a very distinct sound together. There is no limit to where it can go but it will also always sound like METZ to a certain degree just based on how we approach our instruments.
OS: You recently partnered with Blood Brothers Brewing to create the METZ Blue Ribbon lager. How did that partnership come about? Will interested fans be able to have the beer shipped to them or is it mainly local to Ontario?
AE: I believe shipping will be available! The Toronto music scene is quite close-knit so I think it was just through a friend of a friend that the collaboration came about. Blood Brothers is located just down the street from where we rehearse so it was definitely a place we’ve spent a fair amount of time after making music.
OS: You’re about to kick off a huge international tour. Are there any places that you’re particularly excited to visit?
AE: The pandemic kept us off the road during the release of our last record, Atlas Vending. Because of that, this album and tour feels really exciting. We are so thankful that we will be able to share these songs with people live and get back to touring.