Tell you what—this little Comeback Kid renaissance we’re in has been pretty sweet. In the grand tradition of Canadian hardcore bands going about their business and blowing the doors off in the process, they’ve produced next to nothing to gripe about lately. This is their 25th year as a band, too, and to find them unabashedly at the top of their game is a pretty satisfying conclusion.
At the same time, just like with 2022’s album Heavy Steps and 2023’s EP Trouble, Comeback Kid have gotten so high on Chosen Hell entirely through fine-tuning. Between legacy-band status and the drive to not be subsumed by that, Comeback Kid find themselves in a position where simply hitting harder is more than enough. If you do want something to lock onto, Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante is the most unhinged she’s sounded in ages on Shedding Season, but even that isn’t the attention magnet you might presume just from a glance at the tracklist.
No, Chosen Hell’s primary directive, from front to back, is proving that Comeback Kid can still keep pace. It takes roughly ten seconds to put any trepidations to bed, as Target On My Back kicks off as viciousness personified. The feral rhythm section is its crowning achievement, but the whole package utterly rips; it’s galloping, lightning-quick hardcore without no faff whatsoever. And with that, the tone is set. Chosen Hell doesn’t stumble or falter, nor does it encounter a less-than-favourable situation to scupper momentum. Even without a single surprise to speak of, Comeback Kid consistently hit.
There’s some great work and effort here that keeps the bar high. Chase Brenneman’s bass deserves a significant shoutout for how throttling it’s made to sound on Lost And Found and Tunnel Vision. There’s a couple of inspired guitar tones present from Jeremy Hiebert and Stu Ross as well, particularly on Shedding Season and Heartland Elegy for how extra-gnarly they sound. The MVP, though, is Andrew Neufeld, a vocalist whose standard has never dropped over the decades, and yet seems to have outdone himself. He’s venom-drenched and brushing against the limit of intensity, without even a hint of cracking or straining. The final, spat-out mosh-call on Vindication is about as good as it gets in that regard, and the best bit? That’s, like, the norm on here.
It speaks volumes that, however Chosen Hell decides to arrange itself at any given moment, the boon of Comeback Kid at their best is always accounted for to hold it together. There is variety outside of marginally-tweaked hardcore slammers, though the tight foundation always remains. Thus, tracks like Vindication and Underneath The Pressure that a more metalcore-coded have no issue in mingling with Yesterday’s Gone, a deliberate throwback to hardcore brawlers like Madball or Sick Of It All. Amidst those come Lost And Found and Heartland Elegy, going full skate-punk and still fitting the bill.
Across the board, it’s brilliant in execution, and whizzes by when you’re listening to it. There’s not even a hint of slowdown or easing back; Comeback Kid are firing on all cyclinders and making that a statement. It’s great stuff, not life-changing but it never needs to be. The strengths of Chosen Hell ultimately speak for themselves, and everything that it sets out to present is soundly nailed. Long may this age of Comeback Kid excellence continue.
For fans of: Stick To Your Guns, Madball, Cancer Bats
‘Chosen Hell’ by Comeback Kid is released on 6th November on Sharptone Records.
Words by Luke Nuttall
