II (Metz album)

Last updated
II
II METZ cover.jpg
Studio album by
METZ
ReleasedMay 4, 2015 (2015-05-04)
Recorded2014
Studio
  • Basketball 4 Life
  • The Dream House
  • Candle Recording
  • Taurus Recording
Genre
Length29:50
Label Sub Pop
Producer METZ
METZ chronology
METZ
(2012)		II
(2015)		 Strange Peace
(2017)
Singles from II
  1. "Acetate"
    Released: February 17, 2015 [1]
  2. "The Swimmer"
    Released: May 4, 2015 [2]

II is the second studio album by Canadian noise rock three-piece band METZ. It was released on 4 May 2015, via Sub Pop. Recording sessions took place at Basketball 4 Life, The Dream House, Candle Recording and Taurus Recording in 2014. [3] Production was handled by METZ themselves. [4]

Contents

The album was a long-listed nominee for the 2015 Polaris Music Prize. [5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 78/100 [6]
Review scores
SourceRating
Consequence of Sound B [7]
DIY Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [8]
Drowned in Sound 8/10 [9]
Exclaim! 8/10 [10]
Pitchfork 6.7/10 [11]
PopMatters 8/10 [12]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [13]
Spin 8/10 [14]
The A.V. Club B [15]
The Line of Best Fit 8.5/10 [16]

II was met with generally favourable reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 78 based on twenty-three reviews. [6]

Matthew Davies Lombardi of DIY praised the album, calling it "an advert to be a whole new generation's Sonic Youth or Nirvana and on this performance, you'd be foolish not to buy in". [8] James Appleyard of The Line of Best Fit stated: "with II, Metz have done more than enough to cement themselves as the new kings of transgressive hard rock, and that's a crown which is going to be difficult for anyone to wrestle from them". [16] Marc Burrows of Drowned in Sound called it "beautifully brutal weirdo punk". [9] Jibril Yassin of Exclaim! wrote: "it's a bleak listen, but there's something comforting about hearing three musicians playing punishing music as a complete unit, knowing there are few that could do it like them". [10] Ian King of PopMatters found the album "does find the band more often playing to their strengths than looking for ways to expand their horizons". [12] Colin Joyce of Spin wrote: "II, like the record that preceded it, is still a seasick and unyielding document of brutalist experimentation. But because the trio is willing to explore different avenues, there's more corners to get lost in". [14] Dusty Henry of Consequence of Sound resumed: "it may take a few listens to soak in all the vitriol and venom, but it's worth the effort". [7] Carl Williott of The A.V. Club wrote: "if that self-titled first outing was like picking at a scab, Metz's second effort is equivalent to ripping off a Band-Aid. Either way, it's still music to bleed to". [15] Brandon Geist of Rolling Stone wrote: "singer-guitarist Alex Edkins flirts with full-on nihilism, but there are hooks hidden in the onslaught, and Edkins' fever-pitch angst never feels less than honest". [13] Paul Thompson of Pitchfork stated: "by sticking so closely to the script laid out by their debut, II is the one thing punk rock should never be: careful". [11]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Acetate"3:55
2."The Swimmer"2:41
3."Spit You Out"4:49
4."Zzyzx"0:34
5."I.O.U."2:52
6."Landfill"2:42
7."Nervous System"2:09
8."Wait in Line"3:16
9."Eyes Peeled"2:33
10."Kicking a Can of Worms"4:19
Total length:29:50

Personnel

Charts

Chart (2015)Peak
position
UK Vinyl Albums Chart (OCC) [17] 27
UK Record Store Chart (OCC) [18] 20
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [19] 22
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard) [20] 3
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [21] 13
US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) [22] 17
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard) [23] 4
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) [24] 26
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) [25] 8
US Vinyl Albums (Billboard) [26] 7

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References

  1. ↑ Coughlan, Jamie (February 17, 2015). "METZ Stream 'Acetate', Announce Album, Tour". Overblown. Retrieved December 3, 2015.
  2. ↑ ""The Swimmer" (Official video)". YouTube . METZ. May 4, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  3. ↑ "METZ, II". Sub Pop . Retrieved January 1, 2016.
  4. ↑ "METZ - Full Performance (Live on KEXP)". YouTube . KEXP. September 4, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Polaris Music Prize Announces 2015 Long List". Exclaim! , 16 June 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Critic Reviews for II - Metacritic". Metacritic . Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  7. 1 2 Henry, Dusty (28 April 2015). "Album Review: METZ – METZ II". Consequence Of Sound . Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  8. 1 2 Lombardi, Matthew Davies (3 May 2015). "Metz - II". DIY. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  9. 1 2 Burrows, Marc (5 May 2015). "Album Review: Metz - II". Drowned in Sound . Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  10. 1 2 Yassin, Jibril (6 May 2015). "METZ │ II". Exclaim! . Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  11. 1 2 Thompson, Paul (7 May 2015). "Metz: II". Pitchfork . Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  12. 1 2 King, Ian (4 May 2015). "METZ: II, PopMatters". PopMatters . Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  13. 1 2 Geist, Brandon (18 May 2015). "Metz 'II' Album Review". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  14. 1 2 Joyce, Colin (5 May 2015). "Review: Post-Hardcore Stalwarts METZ Vary Their Mutilation Technique on 'II'". SPIN . Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  15. 1 2 Williott, Carl (5 May 2015). "Metz enters its negative space on II". The A.V. Club . Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  16. 1 2 Appleyard, James (15 April 2015). "Finding ourselves hanging on the killer hooks of Metz". The Line of Best Fit . Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  17. ↑ "Official Vinyl Albums Chart". Official Charts Company . 16 May 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  18. ↑ "Official Record Store Chart". Official Charts Company . 16 May 2015. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  19. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  20. ↑ "METZ Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard.
  21. ↑ "METZ Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard.
  22. ↑ "METZ Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard.
  23. ↑ "METZ Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard.
  24. ↑ "METZ Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard.
  25. ↑ "METZ Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard.
  26. ↑ "METZ Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard.
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