METZ announce new album, Up On Gravity Hill, out Apr 12th on Sub Pop; share two new tracks '99' and 'Entwined (Street Light Buzz)'.
On April 12th, METZ will release Up On Gravity Hill, their first album in four years, on Sub Pop for the world ex-Canada and in Canada on Dine Alone.
The album was engineered by Seth Manchester (Mdou Moctar, Lingua Ignota, Battles, The Body) and features guest performances from Amber Webber of Black Mountain and composer/string arranger Owen Pallett.
METZ, a band once known for blowing out eardrums with songs of joyous rage, have, over their past few records, begun exploring ways to turn abrasiveness into atmospherics, the evolution of their sound not only a reflection of the maturing of the band themselves but also of a changed world that demands nuance and compassion to comprehend and to survive. This is so on their latest effort, Up On Gravity Hill, which finds the band continuing to bend the raw power of rock music to its most delicate, intricate ends. Delivering a deep, detailed, and unyieldingly personal collection of songs that are fused together to form not only METZ’s most powerful record to date but also their most beautiful.
To spotlight this evolution, the band has shared two new contrasting singles: the stomping motorik '99', and the charging and deeply melodic, 'Entwined (Street Light Buzz)', that offers a dreamier Swervedriver-esque guitar sheen never before utilised by the Canadian trio.
METZ frontman Alex Edkins says,
“These two songs couldn't be more stylistically and thematically dissimilar. ‘Entwined (Street Light Buzz)’ is a song about the deep connection humans can foster with one another and how we carry people with us forever, even after death. ‘99’ is about the scourge of corporate greed and bottom-line thinking that runs rampant in modern society. Anything for a buck is the message being sent to younger generations.”
METZ is also announcing headlining international tour dates supporting Up On Gravity Hill, with dates in North America from April 17th to May 17th and a run of UK and EU dates in the fall from November 3rd through November 29th.
The band also has a series of UK and EU festival performances in August, including stops at Green Man Festival in the UK, La Route Du Rock and Cabaret Vert Festival in France, and the Canela Party in Spain.
Up On Gravity Hill is available to preorder now on CD/LP/DSPs from Sub Pop. LP preorders in North America from megamart.subpop.com, and select independent retailers will receive the Loser Edition on clear w/ red splatter vinyl. LP orders from independent retail stores & Mega Mart 2 (the new, UK-based sibling site to the world-famous Sub Pop Mega Mart) in the UK and Europe will receive the Loser Edition on Opaque Yellow vinyl. All coloured vinyl versions are available while stock lasts.
Photo credit: Vanessa Heins
Tour Dates
Apr 17th | Boston, MA - Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre $
Apr 19th | New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom $
Apr 20th | Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts $ *
Apr 21st | Baltimore, MD - Ottobar $
Apr 23rd | Atlanta, GA - The Earl $
Apr 24th - Birmingham, AL - Saturn $
Apr 25th | Fayetteville, AR - George's Majestic Lounge $
Apr 26th | Austin, TX - The Parish (Austin Psych Fest) $
Apr 27th | Dallas, TX - Sons of Hermann Hall $
Apr 29th | Sante Fe, NM - Meow Wolf $
Apr 30th | Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar $
May 1st | San Diego, CA - The Casbah $
May 2nd | Los Angeles, CA - 1720 $
May 3rd | San Jose, CA - The Ritz $
May 4th | San Francisco, CA - The Chapel $
May 6th | Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom $
May 7th | Seattle, WA - Neumos $
May 10th | St. Paul, MN - Turf Club $
May 11th | Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge $
May 16th | Montreal, QE - Theatre Fairmount $
May 17th | Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall $
Aug 15th | Crickhowell, UK - Green Man Festival
Aug 16th | St Malo, FR La Route Du Rock
Aug 17th | Charleville-Mezières, FR - Cabaret Vert Festival
Aug 23rd | Malaga, ES - Canela Party
Nov 2nd | Rennes, FR - L'Antipode
Nov 3rd | La Rochelle, FR - La Sirène
Nov 4th | Paris, FR - La Maroquinerie
Nov 5th | Clermont-Ferrand, FR - La Coopérative de Mai
Nov 6th | Lyon, FR - Le Transbordeur
Nov 7th | Zurich, CH - Bogen F
Nov 9th | Prague, CZ - Futurum
Nov 10th | Budapest, HU - Turbina
Nov 12th | Krakow, PL - Klub Zascianek
Nov 13th | Warsaw, PL - Klub Hydrozagadka
Nov 16th | Berlin, DE - Hole44
Nov 18th | Copenhagen, DK - Loppen
Nov 19th | Hamburg, DE - Hafenklang
Nov 20th | Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso
Nov 21st | Groningen, NL - Vera
Nov 22nd | Antwerp, BE - Trix
Nov 23rd | Lille, FR - L'Aéronef
Nov 25th | Birmingham, UK - Hare & Hounds
Nov 26th | Leeds, UK - Brudenell Social Club
Nov 27th | Birkenhead, UK - Future Yard
Nov 28th | Bristol, UK - Strange BrewNov 29th | London, UK - Village Underground
$ w/ Gouge Away
* w/ Rid of Me
Tickets for all shows available here: https://www.metzztem.com/live