Weird Nightmare - Weird Nightmare - CASSETTES

If you're looking for a raw, sugary blast of distorted pop, look no further than Weird Nightmare. The debut album from METZ guitarist and vocalist Alex Edkins contains all of his main band's bite with an unexpected, yet totally satisfying, sweetness. Imagine The Amps covering Big Star, or the gloriously hissy miniature epics of classic-era Guided by Voices combined with the bombast of Copper Blue- era Sugar-just tons of red-line distortion cut with the type of tunecraft that thrills the moment it hits your ears. These ten songs showcase a new side of Edkins' already-established songwriting, but even though the bulk of Weird Nightmare was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic some of it's tunes date back to 2013 in demo form. InchHooks and melody have always been a big part of my writing, but they really became the main focus this timeInch he explains. InchIt was about doing what felt natural.Inch To be clear Weird Nightmare is not a Inchpandemic album,Inch but an album-some of which had been gestating for quite a while-that just so happened to be recorded during the pandemic. InchI had always planned on finishing these songs, but being unable to tour with METZ, and forced to lock down, really gave me a push.Inch After days spent homeschooling his son, Edkins would drive to the METZ rehearsal room and tinker deep into the night on these songs' deceptively simple structures and rich, static-laden textures. InchIt was a godsend for me,Inch he states about the creative process. InchThe hours would disappear and I would get lost in the music and record. It was a beautiful escape.InchWeird Nightmare is, in it's own way, a study in extremes Edkins' melodic instincts and penchant for dissonance are both turned up to the max throughout, the latter reflecting not only the barn-burning tendencies of METZ, but Alex's own sonic predilections. InchIt doesn't sound right to my ear