Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
The threat is real! From Mississauga, Ontario comes the debut offering from Empty Threat, the ‘Shutdown Nowhere‘ EP. The six-song effort dropped nearly two weeks ago and I’m pretty happy about it landing on my radar. The reason I’m saying that is because of what is channeled through these six selections. It’s a potent blending of punk rock, grunge, alternative, and post-rock that walks the line between the past and the present worlds of music.
The quartet responsible for this outpouring of infectious tunage is Michael Roane (Guitar and Lead Vocals), Matthew Roane (Guitar and Backing Vocals), Ryan Dobson (Bass, Backing Vocals, and Synths), and David Jameson (Drums). The music is mostly energized with an aggressive flare but there are points where the guys taper things down a bit – see “Afterburn Paralysis” or “Counterfeit“.
Other cuts deliver some funky nuances, almost bordering on ska type music, such as the album ending “Knots (More Than Just Words)“. All vocals on the EP are clean and easy to navigate and absorb. I definitely think fans of 90s alternative rock and punk (and yes, some pop-punk too) will definitely dig this outing.
Give the Empty Threat debut EP, ‘Shutdown Nowhere‘, a spin via the Bandcamp embed below. If you are a fan of bands such as Quicksand, Everyday Life, or Blink 182 then you may find this is right up your musical alley.
