Metz and King Tuff played Knitting Factory

Hot off the release of their self-titled debut album, Toronto noise punks Metz are in the midst of a busy CMJ week here in New York and took part in Sub Pop's showcase at Knitting Factory. The trio wasted no time as they began their shrieking attack before the house music even faded away. Their blitz style of a performance featured high swinging guitars and blistering energy powered by slashing riffs and heavy drones of fuzzed out bass. With their record clocking in just shy of thirty minutes, there wasn't any longevity to be expected from their show, but it certainly packed a punch as raucous shouts joined post-punk brood. "Wet Blanket" (a personal highlight from their album) brought their set to an end after a battering jam threw out one final punch.

After Metz's punishing attack King Tuff brought the vibes to a much more mellow setting as his party induced jams flooded the room. His recent release fell slightly under the radar, but there is no doubt his sing-a-long style is sure to be met with smiles. Following such a charged set, his tunes certainly felt more relaxed, but just as exciting and even pleasurable. Power-pop melodies were inundated with sugary sweet choruses and Kyle even dedicated a track to a moose he saw on the highway in Canada. Who doesn't love a cute moose? For over an hour, King Tuff blazed through one of the longer sets I've even seen at CMJ (especially for a non-headliner) oozing good times and positive energy even if he is a self proclaimed "Bad Thing"!