SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: FOX RUN – DISTRESS SIGNALS

Fox Run
Distress Signals
Tarantula Tapes

Ontario-based melodic punk band, Fox Run, have released their debut EP, Distress Signals. The album follows a series of three singles, all released throughout 2020, making the six-track release highly anticipated, so much so, that Fox Run has partnered with Tarantula Tapes for a limited run of cassettes for their debut record.

Distress Signals opens with the melodic and ambient sound of arpeggiated chords gently echoing from the clean tone of a guitar on “Funeral For A Bird”. The song suddenly erupts into a wave of distortion and crunching, rhythmic power chords that disrupt the soft sonic atmosphere with a relentless punk rock fury. Doubling down on the aggressive tone comes the hard-hitting pulse of “Same Story, Different Ending”. The track is an absolute anthem that is bound to stir up mosh pits as it grows from its unbridled verse into a catchy chorus, before ending with an anthemic, halftime conclusion.

Vocally, Fox Run is led by rough, gravelly, and furious vocal tones that harken back to classic hardcore bands like Black Flag and more modern post punk projects, such as Alexisonfire. Set this over what can best be described as almost pop punk instrumentals – there is just a bit too much edge and raw energy for it to feel like pop punk – and you have a unique contrast within the punk sound of the band. Think a more melodic Gallows or a heavier Rancid. On top of the opening two songs, “A Hundred Thousand Welcomes” should also be considered a highlight among a great collection of songs.

All in all, Distress Signals is a strong debut that should leave listeners excited for what is to come from Fox Run. Heavy, ambient, and unafraid to get experimental, the band has delivered a six-song EP that feels modern and avoids the many clichés that have run rampant within the genre for the last two decades. Instead, Fox Run hit it hard with a sound that feels special when compared to their contemporaries.

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