HEAVY STEPS ON HOLLOW GROUND
A CONVERSATION WITH ANDREW NEUFELD OF COMEBACK KID: PART TWO
From start to finish,β―Heavy Stepsβ―is a high-octane, aggressive, and technically successful percussive record. Tracks like “Crossed” and “Everything Relates” clearly and confidently defy the rules and movements of the genre, while also allowing the band to be lyrically and vocally vulnerable amidst the chaos.β―Β “I just wanted a long, drawn-out scream or yell,” he explains. “Something that I couldn’t pull off. The lyrics in “Crossed” talk about being in a type of void. I wanted some type of overlord image to be conjured up when it came on. Other vocalists came up to fill this spot, and his name came up. Our guitar player knew his day-to-day crew there. A guy named Taylor is really close to Joe. That’s how we were able to link up. I had met Gojira before, but I did not know how much they knew Comeback Kids. We were able to get on the phone with Joe, and he said he loved us and wanted to be a part of the record. He actually recorded his parts in France and sent it to Will and that’s what you hear on the record now,” he laughs.Β Β
“With JJ [Peters, of Deez Nuts, I Killed The Prom Queen], that one was kind of different, because it was not a guest vocal appearance. He kind of just starts off the chorus softly with me. The reason for his appearance on “Everything Relates” was because a friend of ours named Shawn, in Australia, who played in two bands, passed away while we were recording. While we were writing, we were just finishing up part of that song. You know when people die, and you feel that you find things that will connect to other things, and it just brings you that level of comfort? Because it feels like they are communicating with you? When he died, a lot of people felt as if he was speaking to them. So, when he died, I started to write about him. We had found a bass riff that he had written and transposed it into the last chorus of the song. It felt like he was speaking to me, it was almost as if he had inserted himself into the song. So, I included it. JJ had also played in a band with him, so I wanted to at least include him on the first chorus.”β― β― β―Β
While the guys don’t have any qualms with being boxed in the hardcore genre, Comeback Kid is more than just a hardcore sound. It’s punk, it’s hardcore, and all the melodic emotion that is sewn in between. It’s their unpredictability in tracks like “Dead on the Fence” and “Shadow of Doubt” that keep us coming back for more on the album. With assailing drums and hard-hitting vocals that interweave through fluid guitar patterns, Comeback Kid shows a bite to their sound that shows both the struggle with life, its fears, and the uneasiness that bears down on us all from it. In many ways,β―Heavy Stepsβ―becomes a perfect afternote of today’s problems one faces, approaching situations on eggshells, afraid of what might happen if we were to fall right through the cracks.β―Β Β
HEAVY STEPS ALBUM REVIEW
“One thing we did speak on, and it’s hard for every record, is that we wanted to have a strong statement. Once we found it and got everyone on board, we agreed this was what the album was going to be about. There are songs that kind of veer off the path sometimes, but it does concentrate on the “what if” battle and “can I get through this?” he exclaims. “Once we found that, it made things so much easier. I think that is one of the hardest things about writing a record is finding a theme. We did a lot of records in the past that were just a collection of songs. I’m not saying this is a concept album by any means, but it made the rest of the record flow better when we had a focal point. It helped shed some of the fat on the songs.”β― β―Β Β
One thing is for certain, while Comeback Kid has been around long enough to be crowned hardcore heavyweights of the genre,β―Heavy Stepsβ―has proven tenfold that they deliver when it comes to new musical territory. It’s hard to stay confident and build a refreshing sound when you have been in a band for 20 years without completely changing the direction you are heading. Maintaining their energetic poise, ferocity, and full-blown intensity,β―Heavy Stepsβ―is without a doubt every hardcore fan’s fantasy and every drummer’s record. Without a doubt, this is something every CBK fan will enjoy. Cleverly layering ideas that are nostalgic 90’s punk, to the modern and traditional basics of hardcore tenacity and musicianship, Comeback Kid deserves recognition for this record and more.β―β―β―Β Β
“We’re never going to bring keyboards or MIDI onto a record,” he chuckles.” Although, we do have a bell on this record, which is find kind of funny. But my goal is to kind of take away elements so that other parts sound more interesting. It’s just a thought process. We are a four- piece band. To keep things interesting, I want to highlight certain aspects, so it’s not just one thick line of the same stuff. So, when the new elements come in, it creates more of a feature. I have learned this from listening to pop music or all music really. But the guys and myself are all really happy, and it’s just really inspiring to see all the new material we are consistently coming up with.”
SPILL FEATURE: HEAVY STEPS ON HOLLOW GROUND β A CONVERSATION WITH ANDREW NEUFELD OF COMEBACK KID: PART ONE
Upcoming Canadian Tour Dates With Cancer Bats
03.17.22 – LONDON, ON @ RUM RUNNERS ^
03.18.22 βTORONTO, ON @ PHOENIX CONCERT THEATRE ^
03.19.22 β OTTAWA, ON @ THE BRASS MONKEY ^
03.20.22 β KINGSTON, ON @ MANSION ^
04.15.22 – WINNIPEG, MB – PARK THEATRE
04.16.22 – REGINA, SK – THE EXCHANGE
04.17.22 – SASKATOON, SK – AMIGOS
04.18.22 – GRANDE PRAIRIE, AB – BETTER THAN FRED’S
04.22.22 – VANCOUVER, BC – RICKSHAW THEATRE *
04.23.22 – VICTORIA, BC – CAPITAL BALLROOM *
04.24.22 – WHISTLER, BC – GARFINKEL’S *
04.26.22 – NELSON, BC – THE ROYAL *
04.27.22 – FERNIE, BC – NORTHERN BAR & STAGE *
04.28.22 – RED DEER, AB – BO’S BAR *
04.29.22 – EDMONTON, AB – STARLITE ROOM *
04.30.22 – CALGARY, AB – DICKENS * – SOLD OUT
05.01.22 – CALGARY, AB – DICKENS *
^ w/ A Wilhelm Scream
* w/ MISERY SIGNALS
ArtistΒ Links
Main Photo Credit: Avrinder Dhillon
SPILL NEW MUSIC: CANCER BATS RELEASE NEW TRACK βPRESSURE MINDβ + UNVEIL CANCER BATSβ VERY OWN COFFEE BLEND | TOUR DATES
