Broadcasting a revolution

Get in the pit … Comeback Kid is back in action. Following up their uber-successful record Wake the Dead is a difficult task, but Broadcasting..., their third release, is ready to bust some eardrums. Canada may have spawned such trash as Celine Dion and Shania Twain, but these Canadians know how to rock. Winnapeg-core at its finest.\nFans will notice the departure of singer Scott Wade, who claims he was "holding the band back," but former Figure Four vocalist Andrew Neufeld steps up to the plate and delivers. Wade thrashes on "Hailing on Me," and his tough-guy hardcore background shines. Hey, he's not a bad singer, either.\nBroadcasting... is filled with variety, which can be difficult to manage without deviating too far from the path. "The Blackstone" hints at the brutal kings that are Snapcase (R.I.P). "Give'r (Reprise)" is a blur of Rise Against punk rock that segues into the slower but passionate "One Left Satisfied." The guitars are slashing, the drumming is pretty damn intense and the energy will break your neck if you're not careful. Scream your lungs out with the sing-a-long parts and chant alon--this is positive hardcore the way it was meant to be. No fashion, no preaching, no Jesus, no bullshit. Just powerful lyrics and speed and energy. \nThe whole quality of this recording is crisper and bolder, maybe even a little darker. The guys went back to none other than the infamous Blasting Room with Mr. Bill Stevenson (a certain Bloomington punk act has recorded there as well). Things are certainly not poppier and radio-friendly, and the record isn't overproduced to hell. So don't worry, it's still hardcore.\nWhat maybe makes Comeback Kid stick out more in the hardcore scene is their amazing songwriting. Wade brings a more introspective point of view to the table, and the darkness surrounding the lyrics is chilling at times. Pair the feverishly quick and frantic rhythm changes with a madman on drums and this record just might revive a genre that has been anything but stable. Comeback Kid is going to keep Bane on their toes\nComeback Kid has been the "look out for these guys" band already, but if you missed them before, don't make that mistake again. Punk and hardcore, melody and metal; it's just the right dosage. Thirty-three minutes hasn't gone by so quickly before. Hey, Victory Records does have some talented bands beneath the shit like Hawthorne Heights and Bayside.