Triage - Power Beat 7"

"FUCK HARDCORE, THIS IS POWER BEAT"

To be honest, that proclamation printed on the back of the sleeve tells you everything you need to know about Toronto's Triage.

The five tracks on the Power Beat 7" have more visceral fuck-you energy than anything I've heard in a long time, with vocalist Lia unleashing pure vitriol over catchy-yet-angry metal-tinged punk/punk-as-fuck metal.

The almost-NWOBHM melodic tinges, relentlessly chugging rhythms and abrasive vox put me in mind of GISM et al, but no doubt someone reading this thinks that's a load of shite.

If I write any more it'll take you longer to read this than to just listen to it, so just do it already.

If you want to pick up a copy of the 7", you can get it from Canada-based Faith / Void HERE.

I got my copy from La Vida Es Un Mus, but I just checked their distro and it's gone, so I guess I got the last one. Thank fuck.

Sheer Mag - I / II / III 7"s

You know when you stumble upon a band completely outside your wheelhouse, and they blow your fucking mind? When I first heard Philadelphia's Sheer Mag, they did just that, exciting me in a way no other band has in years.

While I enjoy each of the disparate elements of their sound in their own right; power-pop song structures, Lizzy-worshipping twin leads and punk-as-fuck attitude, when combined as perfectly as they are across these three 7"s, Sheer Mag's sound is irresistable. Their songs might feel like a throwback to decades past, yet despite the obvious influences they feel refreshingly original and unlike any other new band I can think of. A big part of their appeal to me is singer Tina Halladay's voice, which ranges from soulful to sassy, from forlorn to furious, with every damn word belted out with full conviction.



From the clear promise heard in tracks such as 'Sit And Cry', from the first 7", to the snarl of anti-gentrification anthem 'Fan The Flames' from last year's II, and what is undoubtedly 2016's catchiest song about rallying against misogyny 'Can't Stop Fighting', they've continually honed their songwriting chops, as well as becoming increasingly outspoken about wider issues. It's this willingness to write about real societal problems that sets them apart from the scores of punk bands churning out the same old anti-authority spiel.

The aesthetic of each release fits perfectly with their sound, each coming with a photocopied poster & lyric sheet, and housed in sturdy matte card sleeves. I figured I'd have a nightmare trying to track down all three 7"s, what with the first being released over 18 months ago, but luckily Static Shock still has copies of each in the distro: http://staticshockrecords.limitedrun.com/products/search?q=sheer+mag

While these songs feel like they should be spun, and not clicked, those of you unable to track down the records can snag a download of each release direct from Sheer Mag's bandcamp.