Comeback Kid are a five-piece melodic hardcore band from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada that formed in 2001. Since then they've released two albums and maintained a relentless touring schedule, becoming one of the most well-known and celeberated bands the genre has had to offer in the past 20 years or so. Thus, I don't know how much of an introducion this band really needs, but to give you a super abbreviated version of their history, they started off as the side project of another band called Figure Four, recorded a demo in 2002 that lead to their debut in 2003. They took Comeback Kid on full-time, signed to began touring, ended up signing to Victory Records and released their sophomore album,
Wake The Dead in 2005, produced by Bill Stevenson. Both of their first two albums are considered bona fida classics, but this one especially is highly regarded, and often considered one of the many high points 2000's melodic hardcore had to offer. The title track often finds its way into conversations regarding "greatest hardcore songs of all time", alongside the likes of "Firestorm" and "Start Today". As ridculous of a conversation that can be, this album and this song do deserve a mention.
Following Wake The Dead, the band underwent a major line-up shift with the departure of vocalist Scott Wade. Founding member and rhythm guitarist/backing vocalist Andrew Neufield eventually takes over as the band's lead vocalist, with Casey Hjelmberg taking over his previous position for a couple years, eventually leaving in 2012. Stu Ross (of Misery Signals) joined in 2012, who is holding the rhythm guitar/backing vocals down for the band to this day. To back up a bit, with Neufield as vocalist they release Broadcasting... in 2007, not skipping a beat from their previous two albums, and actually garnering quite a bit of attention outside the hardcore scene in the process. Since then they've undergone a few other line-up changes, with Neufield and lead guitarist Jeremy Hiebert being the two remaining founding/consistent members. The band have consistently been releasing blood-pumping music, with a steady stream of albums and a handful of EP's suggesting they show no signs of slowing down. They're one of the biggest names in hardcore, chances are you've at least heard of them, and if not I implore you to listen to them yesterday. Admittedly they're not one of my personal favourites, and I never fell in love with them the way I did Modern Life Is War or American Nightmare, but again, those first few albums I can come back to anytime and remain impressed by. Since I didn't mention it specifically Symptoms + Cures is also as solid as they come, but beyond that I haven't really listened to anything enough to properly comment. However, going back to these first four records for this post has inspired me to give those later albums more tries. Wake up the dead. Enjoy.
1. Without A Word
2. All In A Year
3. The Operative Word
4. Step Ahead
5. Playing The Part
6. Give And Take
1. All In A Year
2. Give And Take
3. Die Tonight
4. Changing Face
5. Playing The Part
6. Always
7. Step Ahead
8. Operative Word
9. Biting Tongue
10. Something Less
11. Never Fade
12. Without A Word
13. Lorelei
1. False Idols Fall
2. My Other Side
3. Wake the Dead
4. The Trouble I Love
5. Talk Is Cheap
6. Partners In Crime
7. Our Distance
8. Bright Lights Keep Shining
9. Falling Apart
10. Losing Patience
11. Final Goodbye
1. Defeated
2. Broadcasting...
3. Hailing On Me
4. The Blackstone
5. Industry Standards
6. Give'r (Reprise)
7. One Left Satisfied
8. Come Around
9. In Case Of Fire
10. Market Demands
11. In/Tuition
1. False Idols Fall
2. Die Tonight
3. Broadcasting...
4. Partners In Crime
5. Changing Face
6. Industry Standards
7. Defeated
8. All In A Year
9. Step Ahead
10. Talk Is Cheap
11. The Trouble I Love
12. Hailing On Me
13. Our Distance
14. Lorelei
15. Wake The Dead
16. Give'r (Reprise)
17. Final Goodbye
Note: Live Album, recorded in Leipzig, Germany on November 23, 2007
1. Do Yourself A Fvour
2. Crooked Floors
3. G.M. Vincent And I
4. Because Of All
5. The Concept Says
6. Balance
7. Symptoms + Cures
8. Manifest
9. Get Alone
10. Magnet Pull
11. Pull Back The Reins
1. Die Knowing
2. Lower The Line
3. Wasted Arrows
4. Losing Sleep
5. Should Know Better
6. I Depend, I Control
7. Somewhere In This Miserable...
8. Beyond
9. Unconditional
10. Didn't Even Mind
11. Full Swing
12. Sink In
1. Wake The Dead
2. Should Know Better
3. All In A Year
4. Losing Sleep
5. The Concept Stays
6. Lower The Line
7. Territorial Pissings (Nirvana cover)
1. Outsider
2. Surrender Control
3. Absolute (feat. Devin Townsend)
4. Hell Of A Scene
5. Somewhere, Somehow
6. Consumed The Vision (feat. Chris Cresswell)
7. I'll Be That
8. Outrage (Fresh Face, Stale Cause)
9. Blindspot
10. Livid, I'm Prime
11. Recover
12. Throw That Stone
13. Moment In Time (feat. Northcote)
1. Beds Are Burning
2. Little Soldier
1. Heavy Steps
2. No Easy Way Out
3. Face The Fire
4. Crossed (feat. Joe Duplantier)
5. Everything Relates (feat. JJ)
6. Dead On The Fence
7. Shadow Of Doubt
8. True To Form
9. In Between
10. Standstill
11. Menacing Weight
1. Trouble In The Winners Circle
2. Disruption
3. Chompin' At The Bit
4. Breaking And Bruised
