Reviews

Wow. It’s really the only word I can think to start with. Seriously, hats off. If you aren’t familiar with Canada’s Comeback Kid, you soon will be. From top to bottom – vocals, music, lyrics, and production – Broadcasting, the third release by this melodic hardcore band, their second for Victory Records, is a fucking juggernaut. If you’re unfamiliar with Comeback Kid, let’s back up a bit. Their previous release, the also excellent Wake the Dead, sold over 75,000 copies and made them hardcore heroes, if for no other reason than the intense catchiness of the title track from the record, which was also the single. Throw the last two years of touring on top of that release and, to quote Carl Weathers, you’ve got a stew cookin’! CBK seemed destined for hardcore greatness and eventual royalty. But then singer Scott Wade left the band and guitarist Andrew Neufeld decided to pull double duty and take over vocals instead of the band adding members. I was unsure of this idea but I’m not any more. If you were concerned that Neufeld would not be able to keep up with Wade’s delivery and intensity, you’re flat out wrong. This release puts any doubt to rest; Neufeld has stepped up and delivered a homerun when it comes to the vocals on Broadcasting. His band mates have also answered the call and together, they have created one of the best hardcore records in recent history.
 
Comeback Kid has always garnered comparisons to Bane, and rightfully so, especially considering Wade’s delivery and vocal style on Wake the Dead. For this album though, the band has also incorporated a sound reminiscent of Modern Life is War; a melodic darkness that helps carry the weight of the words in the music. But while Bane had a hard time capturing their live intensity on their last record, The Note, and MLIW suffers occasionally from sub-par production, Comeback Kid delivers in full; this album is dressed to the nines. From Neufeld’s graveled and shredding vocals to the huge chants (the backing vocals credits for this record list no less than eighteen people) to the intricate and pummeling rhythms of Kyle Profeta (drums) and Kevin Call (bass), this record has absolutely everything.
 
But the key element of success for CBK on this record is the songwriting. Neufeld and company have stretched themselves and their genre; Broadcasting manages to be both their most brutal and most beautiful record to date. Part of this accomplishment comes in the shift in lyrics. While previous singer Wade’s lyrics sometimes got the band labeled as “posi-core,” Neufeld keeps it dark and introspective. The first song on the record, “Defeated,” ends with a chant of, “I’m too exhausted for the long haul,” followed by Neufeld proclaiming, “And I’m kneeling defeated.” This is a hell of a way to kick off a record and shows a new, desperate side of Comeback Kid, one that sees them facing the odds and being unsure if they can surmount them or change them in any way. In my personal favorite track on the record, “Hailing on Me,” the boys hit a huge breakdown at the 1:20 mark but instead of just hanging onto to it and grinding it to death, they use it as a springboard back into a furious verse which builds to one of the most intense moments on the record. If you removed the vocals from the ending of this song, you could almost mistake the band for melodic metal giants, Isis. But the gang chant of “Hailing on me,” adds one more layer to an already epic track; if you don’t get chills, than you have no emotion, it’s that simple. I really wouldn’t be surprised if this song became their set closer every night; it’s that powerful and begs for a pile-on in front of the stage.
 
Another aspect of this record that is top notch is the guitar work. Comeback Kid works in hardcore rhythms the way most accomplished metal bands work in harmonized solos. Neufeld and second guitarist Jeremy Hiebert must have sold their souls to be able to pull off the machine gun palm mutes in “Come Around.” The two also have a fantastic sense of melody in their guitar work. For example, the 1:50 mark of “The Blackstone,” is reminiscent of the new Draft record and Neufeld’s gruff vocals could almost pass for an impersonation of Chris Wollard. The fact I’m able to make this comparison leaves me with the feeling that Comeback Kid have really done something with this record and created a piece of art that will last.
 
Last but not least, the production. This record, like Wake the Dead, was recorded at Bill Stevenson’s The Blasting Room with Stevenson and Jason Livermore, as well as the band, at the helm. While Wake the Dead was certainly competently produced, Stevenson and crew have upped the ante in terms of hardcore production on Broadcasting. Everything - from the fullness of Profeta’s snare drum to the perfectly balanced guitars to the amazing vocal production – on this record is a cut above. Bands will be trying to emulate this recording for years and they’re going to have a hard time doing it.
 
I don’t know what else to say. If you have money, go buy this record on February 20th. If not, borrow it or download it because it is not to be missed. I saw Comeback Kid twice while they were supporting Wake the Dead and I didn’t think, after those two shows, that I would crave to see them again; they were just that good and I felt satisfied leaving both shows. But now, after experiencing Broadcasting, I am counting the days until they arrive back in Chicago because I will be up front, singing to every word and trying to avoid getting kicked in the face. An album that ignites that in a person, an album that leaves you with no other choice than to see it preformed live, is an album bound for greatness and “best of…” lists for years to come. Hats off to Comeback Kid, I’ll be spinning Broadcasting for a long time.