Early Onset Records – 21 Oct 2022
Vancouver hardcore punks come with all guns blazing (FFO: The Bronx, Alexisonfire, At The Drive In, IDLES, Refused)
After two self-released LPs, the Vancouver outfit Brass have returned with a fifteen minute EP of vitriol-soaked hardcore punk courtesy of Early Onset Records.
Before this release, I hadn’t heard of Brass. While doing research on the band for this review, I found it nearly impossible to learn anything about them from a Google search. Key terms “brass”, “band” and “Vancouver” bring up results for jazz ensembles — and even an oi! band — but little for this Canadian five piece. Hopefully, this release will make inroads in changing that.
EP opener “Bad Neighbours“ sports distorted riffing with an intertwined drum beat that reminds me favorably of The Bronx’s “Heart Attack American”. Here, Brass frontman Devon Motz seethes with anger at the U.S., with its abundance of firearms and religion.
Brass keeps their foot on the accelerator with “Who’s Counting” before slowing with “Winning Hand”, a track first released back in October 2021. After starting with an overdriven bass riff, Brass settles into a groove for most of the song. Come the outro, Brass whips into a frenzy with a jazzy little guitar solo by guitarist Tristan Milne.
Brass keeps it mellow with the fourth track, “Milestone Marker”. Motz and the band trade lines in the verse before giving way to the melodic chorus and the occasional.
Brass closes out their third release with “Parkour Saved My Life”. The band mixes hardcore and rock and roll riffing, a la This is Hell and The Hope Conspiracy, and Motz showcases his vocal range with a stunning mixture of snarl and growl.
All told, this is a solid release from the Vancouver hardcore punks. I had an advanced copy of this EP, and I kept finding myself trying to add tracks to various playlists. Check it out.
Once hailing from the salty tundra of Syracuse, NY, Ben now calls the DC suburbs his home. He fell in love with punk after listening to Punk-O-Rama 3, Less Than Jake and MXPX in middle school. He loves to slam dance but is too large to stage dive.
When he’s not pretending to have exquisite musical taste, he’s raising two children, designing RPG products and practicing law. (Who knows if he’ll ever get the hang of it.)
