:: Comeback Kid - Broadcasting…

Comeback Kid

Long before the band released their debut album ‘Turn It Around’, there was a lot of hype surrounding Canadian based hardcore/punk outfit Comeback Kid. Not surprisingly, Victory Records quickly realised this, and duly signed the band up for its sophomore effort ‘Wake The Dead’, which more than lived up to expectations of both parties. But as successful as 2005/2006 was on the album/touring front, vocalist Scott Wade decided to part ways with the band in July after six years of service. As shattering as the blow was for the band, they decided to forge ahead, with guitarist Andrew Neufeld taking on the vocal position alongside his guitar duties, with guitarist Jeremy Hiebert, bassist Kevin Call and drummer Kyle Profeta making up the rest of the line-up for their third full length release ‘Broadcasting…’. As vocalist for fellow hardcore act Figure Four, Neufeld is no stranger out front, and his performance on the opening track ‘Defeated’ only compliments Comeback Kid’s growing sound and progression. With its huge backing vocalised choruses (featuring no less than eighteen vocalists), the spirited guitar work and impeccable production values (handled once again by co-producers Jason Livermore and Bill Stevenson), ‘Defeated’ clearly signals a return of the band in a big way. The title track ‘Broadcasting…’ shows quite a broadening of the Comeback Kid sound with great examples between the vicious hardcore and the points where the band holds back on the aggression, while the percussive heavy ‘Hailing On Me’ features a breakdown that is easily one of the best I’ve heard in a long time. A strong groove and sense of melody exists in tracks such as ‘The Blackstone’, ‘Market Demands’, ‘One Left Satisfied’ and ‘Industry Standards’, while the minute long ‘Give’r (Reprise)’ is a savage old school hardcore number. Elsewhere, ‘Come Around’ and ‘In Case Of Fire’ add a little more intensity to the album, while ‘In/Tuition’ is a perfect closer with the guitars and drums blasting out at full pace, which only helps fuel Neufeld’s passionate vocal performance. Comeback Kid has not only survived the departure of Wade, but also created a worthy follow up to ‘Wake The Dead’ in ‘Broadcasting…’. With a transmission like this, its no wonder Comeback Kid’s reputation in the hardcore scene grows stronger with each passing year.