Comeback Kid

Anyone still following hardcore since the denim-clad, illicit-beer-run days of hanging out in the basement knows that modern hardcore has progressed little from the prehistoric time of the Cro-Mags. Cookie-cutter riffs and double bass still support Cookie Monster vocals. Winnipeg’s Comeback Kid is an exception — along with Converge and Dillinger Escape Plan — but not because it introduces bungled jazz angles or R&B harmonies. The Kid relies on Scott Wade’s positive human touch and an explosive, rocket-fueled G-force that leaves the screamo crowd faceless. Wade’s lyrics are literate and relentless, delivered in a youthful shout rather than an ageless demonic growl. Guitarists Andrew Neufeld and Jeremy Hiebert bring the impossibly fast guitar scrubbing of their other band, Figure Four, and still find time for a discernible melody. Authorities are investigating the vicious drum battery from Kyle Profeta, but the insanity plea applies; the guy’s a maniac. Forget Rocky VI: Here’s the real contender.