Canadian hardcore heroes Comeback Kid have unleashed their new single ‘Yesterday’s Gone‘, featuring Brendan Garrone of Incendiary. The track arrives as the latest preview of the band’s highly anticipated eighth studio album, Chosen Hell, due November 6 via SharpTone Records in the U.S..
“We wanted to play to our strengths on “Yesterday’s Gone” by establishing our melodic signature sound with aggressive upbeat hardcore, and a pummeling breakdown to tie it all up.” explains singer Andrew Neufeld. “Having Brendan from Incendiary on it just upped the ante for us as he is one of the only two guests on this album. I feel like this song was rewritten a handful of times, bringing in different demo ideas for different songs and merging them into one monster track with a number of specific “moments” that we wanted to amplify.
Lyrically, in Comeback Kid fashion it speaks about letting go of the past and not letting that weigh you down. Will Putney, our producer, really helped with this one. Contributing to the breakdown intro “I’ve made my peace with every enemy but the one inside. I’ve filled a thousand graves with every memory… now I leave you behind!”
The new single follows the release of ‘Chosen Hell’,”the album’s title track and first single. That song introduced the record’s broader thematic territory, exploring morality, ethics and the choices people make – even when they know those choices may ultimately hold them back.
Additionally, the album cover design is an actual structure built by Callum Preston in Melbourne, Australia.
Defying a sadly and increasingly pervasive trend in today’s heavy music scene, Comeback Kid have managed to not only maintain but expand the energy and urgency of their groundbreaking debut and sophomore LPs over the course of a decorated 25+ year career. Luckily – at least for their fervidly loyal fanbase – there’s a lot to be angry about these days…
The quintet, comprised of Neufeld, guitarists Jeremy Hiebert and Stu Ross, bassist Chase Brenneman, and drummer Terrance Pettitt, cut Chosen Hell with heralded producer/engineer Will Putney at his Graphic Nature Audio studio in New Jersey – an exercise that clearly elevated the impact, power, and passion of these 11 tracks. “He’s also been a supporter of ours from the get, so he knows where we’re coming from and really understood our vision,” shares Neufeld. “We all played to our strengths as best we could, and I think that’s really apparent in the final product.”
Two selections add new names to Comeback Kid’s long and diverse list of guest vocalists, with Spiritbox frontwoman Courtney LaPlante injecting her raw guttural glory into ‘Shedding Season’ while Incendiary‘s Brendan Garrone augments the ferocity of ‘Yesterday’s Gone’ with his trademark swagger.
“Overall, I was able to let my guard down a little bit while writing for this one, and took more input from everybody else,” adds Neufeld. “It was really collaborative that way, which is also kind of new for us.”
It’s that blend of familiar musical fury laced with novel elements that’s earned Comeback Kid its loyal following and overall longevity – along with their ability to relay said fury from the stage. Through the years, they’ve toured relentlessly alongside iconic acts from every corner of heavy music – hardcore icons like Hatebreed and Sick of It All; punk pioneers including Dropkick Murphys and Bad Religion; metal masters like Gojira and Parkway Drive; and even rock radio mainstays like Rise Against and Alexisonfire.
There’s still plenty to be angry about, but Chosen Hell is a masterclass in processing that pain and rage and outputting something truly transcendent – a reward for conquering the hardships we all encounter. And if Comeback Kid can carry forward this trend of continually exceeding their own standards, then we can only eagerly await what might come next.
An explosive Immaculate Conception this year, for a highly anticipated show.
After departing from Reims at the end of November and then passing through Paris, Lille, and Marseille, GOJIRA landed in Nice for their fourth-to-last concert on home soil. This 12-date tour is setting France’s major cities on fire, supported by Denmark’s Neckbreakker and Canada’s Comeback Kid.
Expectations are high—let’s see what happened on this sunny pre-Christmas day on the French Riviera.
I arrive in front of the Palais Nikaia well in advance, surprised by the fact that—considering the sell-outs at some previous dates—even just minutes before doors open there are very few people around. Around 6:00 PM the gates finally open, and we head inside.
NECKBREAKKER:
Opening the concert at 7:30 PM as scheduled are the very young death metal newcomers Neckbreakker, fresh off the release of their album Within the Viscera on Nuclear Blast. They blast about half an hour of brutal death metal straight into our faces. The five guys give everything they have in the limited time available, with all the ferocity of a band that has just released its debut album and earned the privilege of taking part in a tour of this magnitude.
Frontman Kristoffer Kofoed drives the band through a solid performance, though it’s a shame about the somewhat muddy sound: the drums are low and muffled, the guitars lack clarity—basically only the vocals really come through.
This is probably also due to the fact that the venue is still half empty at this point. A band that may still be a bit raw, but with enthusiasm that fully involved everyone present. I hope to see them again soon, and I’ll definitely dig deeper into their work by blasting Within the Viscera at full volume.
COMEBACK KID:
After a quick changeover—keeping the same portion of the stage and the basic Neckbreakker setup (banner and very dark lighting)—it’s time for the Canadians Comeback Kid. A much more seasoned band, active since 2001 with eight albums under their belt, they hammer us with hardcore punk in the tradition of genre giants like Biohazard and Hatebreed.
The sound is noticeably better for them: the New York–style guitars of Jeremy Hiebert and Stu Ross fill the atmosphere over the massive, fast rhythm section of bassist Chase Brenneman and drummer Loren Lagare. Frontman Andrew Neufeld whips the crowd into a constant pogo, repeatedly calling for circle pits and even climbing down from the stage to scale the barriers and sing along with the fans!
Filthy growls, chants from the dirtiest punk school, sweat, and a Black Flag T-shirt paint the perfect picture of these roughly 40 minutes of pure, raw hardcore. What else can be said? Direct, powerful, violent—full throttle from start to finish. An excellent performance that warmed up both speakers and ears perfectly.
And as everyone knows, when you sweat, you need to drink—so beer it is, while we wait for the arrival of the evening’s highly anticipated headliners.
GOJIRA:
Here we are. It’s 9:30 PM when the lights go down and a roar shakes the Nikaia, now finally packed with fans of all ages, French and Italian alike—given we’re just a few kilometers from the border—all united by the same excitement to see a band that, active since 1996 and about to celebrate 30 years, has slowly climbed to the top and is now unquestionably one of the best bands around. They’re celebrating this massive milestone after conquering the other side of the ocean, with an all-French tour that somehow brings them back to their roots.
Lasers, blinding white LED lights, smoke, the giant screen projecting images of futuristic human creations, a chaotic tribal backing track… a crescendo of volume and noise… then sudden silence, a few seconds of darkness… an explosion!
Walls of fire erupt as Gojira open with the terrifying Only Pain—powerful, precise, chills… almost tears. The crowd goes completely insane, and for the next two hours the security staff will do nothing but catch people flying over the barriers.
The opener is followed immediately, without a moment’s breath, by the equally devastating The Axe and Backbone. Mario Duplantier behind the drums is an incredible machine, and together with the visceral bass of Jean-Michel Labadie they create a colossal rhythm section. Christian Andreu’s guitar is ferocious, supported by the six strings of Greg Bubacki—the American member of Car Bomb, also known for his work with Meshuggah—recruited to replace Joe Duplantier, who is injured in his right hand and performing tonight exclusively as vocalist. A role that doesn’t prevent him from being just as compelling.
Stranded, the granite-solid The Cell, Wisdom Comes, and the iconic Flying Whales—as hypnotic as it is violent—made even more impactful by a massive inflatable whale soaring above the crowd before disappearing into the darkness at the end of the song. This gives way to police sirens and a Mario Duplantier wearing a thief’s mask and a royal crown, running across the stage with the Mona Lisa under his arm, then holding it up like a sign reading:
“Nice!!!… ça va??… you want more double pedal???? 5 minutes non-stop??? Make some noise!!!!!”
And those five minutes of non-stop double bass arrive, and they make plenty of noise with the crushing From the Sky, a brutal machine-gun blast of double kick drums. Then it’s like a rocket launched into the universe as the four astronauts give us the magnificent Another World, followed closely by the famous Silvera.
We’re halfway through the show, and it feels like the best is still to come. Joe Duplantier invites Marina Viotti on stage, the Franco-Swiss opera singer already known to metal fans for her appearance with the band at the opening ceremony of the 2024 French Olympics, to hit us with a decapitated Marie Antoinette during Ah! Ça Ira!!! (Mea Culpa).
A symbolic song of the French Revolution, previously interpreted by the iconic Édith Piaf and fantastically rearranged by Gojira.
We jump from L’Enfant Sauvage to Fortitude with Born in Winter and Born for One Thing, then break our bones with a medley from their third album From Mars to Sirius (Where Dragons Dwell / To Sirius / Ocean Planet / In the Wilderness).
The Bayonne natives are unstoppable, giving their all with every note and thanking the French Riviera crowd: “It’s the first time we play in Nice—thank you!” Picks rain down, and Marina returns on stage in evening wear, leading the entire audience in the chorus of the beautiful The Chant, followed by the overwhelming Amazonia—a song I love, clearly infused with Sepultura influences—in which Joe, despite his brace, grabs a Gibson Diavoletto for an incredible and bloody three-guitar version!
They exit the stage briefly, then return for two encores, running purely on adrenaline and the fury of their last remaining energy: L’Enfant Sauvage, closing with Global Warming.
After about two hours of showtime—18 songs plus four in the medley—and a performance that was nearly flawless both musically and visually, they don’t hold back with their goodbyes: four T-shirt cannons, picks, drumsticks, setlists!
A far cry from bands that leave the stage without even a forced smile.
Gojira love what they do. They truly love their audience, and that love is returned. They break down the barriers between us and them—we all become one. In nearly 30 years of concerts, I’ve rarely felt this… actually, never this strongly. One of the best concerts I’ve ever seen in my life.
For anyone who has never had the chance to see this incredible band live, I can only say: do it as soon as possible. For everyone else, there’s no need to say anything—they already know.
I’d like to personally thank Gojira and their management for giving me the opportunity to attend such an epic event, for allowing me, in a way, to work for them and bear witness for others. It was a pleasure and an honor!
And a huge thank-you to Mario Duplantier for gifting his drumstick to our little Blue, who at just 10 years old bravely earned her very first spot at the barricade! Thank you, Gojira!
GOJIRA – Nice 8 december 2025 – setlist
Only Pain The Axe Backbone Stranded The Cell Wisdom Comes Flying Whales From the Sky Another World Silvera Mea culpa (Ah! Ça ira!) ([traditional] cover) (with Marina Viotti) Born in Winter Born for One Thing Where Dragons Dwell / To Sirius / Ocean Planet / In the Wilderness (From Mars To Sirius medley) The Chant (with Marina Viotti) Amazonia
Encore: L’enfant sauvage Global Warming
Video courtesy of SWAN BOIS captured from the show:
Canadian hardcore flag bearers COMEBACK KID have announced a run of UK and European shows for this summer to support their appearance at a number of festivals across the continent. The new dates include club shows with Darkest Hour, XL Life, Spaced, Devil In Me, Dagger Threat, Madball and Sick Of It All.
Full EU & UK Tour Dates 2022
24.06.22 Germany Ferropolis @ Full Force 25.06.22 Netherlands Ysselsteyn @ Jera On Air 26.06.22 France Clisson @ Hellfest 29.07.22 Germany Goldenstedt @ Afdreiht un Buten 30.07.22 France Le Garric @ Xtreme Fest 01.08.22 UK Bristol @ The Fleece (w/ Spaced, XL Life) 02.08.22 UK Manchester @ Bread Shed (w/ Spaced, XL Life) 05.08.22 Belgium Duffel @ Brakrock 06.08.22 Germany Bochum @ Matrix (w/ Dagger Threat, Spaced) 07.08.22 Germany München @ Backstage Free & Easy (w/ Darkest Hour, Dagger Threat, Spaced) 08.08.22 Italy Milano @ Circolo Magnolia (w/ Sick Of It All, Madball, Spaced) 09.08.22 Slovenia Tolmin @ Punk Rock Holiday 10.08.22 Austria Graz @ PPC (w/ Dagger Threat, Spaced) 11.08.22 Slovakia Bratislava @ Fuga (w/ Dagger Threat, Spaced) 12.08.22 Czech Rep Jaromer @ Brutal Assault 13.08.22 Germany Villmar @ Tells Bells 14.08.22 Germany Lindau @ Vaudeville (w/ Darkest Hour, Devil In Me, Spaced) 15.08.22 Germany Nürnberg @ Hirsch (w/ Darkest Hour, Devil In Me, Spaced) 16.08.22 Germany Dresden @ Chemiefabrik (w/ Darkest Hour, Devil In Me, Spaced) 17.08.22 Germany Berlin @ SO36 (w/ Darkest Hour, Devil In Me, Spaced) 18.08.22 Germany Sulingen @ Reload Open Air 19.08.22 Germany Dinkelsbühl @ Summer Breeze 20.08.22 Germany Trier @ Summer Blast
COMEBACK KID have revealed a new single and video, “Crossed,” featuring guest vocals from Gojira’s Joe Duplantier. Alongside the riff-heavy first single “No Easy Way Out” and the tone-setting dynamic title track (“Heavy Steps”), “Crossed” will appear on Comeback Kid’s anticipated seventh studio album, Heavy Steps which is set for release on January 21, 2022 via Nuclear Blast Records. Pre-save/order Heavy Steps here: https://bfan.link/CBK-heavysteps-album.ema
In celebration of their forthcoming release, COMEBACK KID has recently partnered with Fanaply, a platform creating eco-friendly Non Fungible Token (NFT) for the biggest names in sports, music and entertainment, to bring fans their first ever eco-friendly NFT. Starting today, fans can enter a competition to earn points for sharing, following and more. On December 10th, 25 of the top point earners will win the NFT. Check it out here: https://bit.ly/3GbNfLs
Says lead vocalist Andrew Neufeld of the new single: “Crossed is a no frills metallic hardcore track. Lyrically it deals with someone in my life that seemed so far gone and I had to watch them dig themselves further and further into a low and unrealistic place. “Crossed into the void” so to say. We enlisted Joe from Gojira to represent somewhat of an overlord menacing presence in the song. An overshadowing power via his blood curdling scream. This song is direct and to the point about staying in reality and warns of the elements that could bring us further into darkness.”
Comeback Kid fighting against outside pressures and personal demons
Directed by Daniel Prieß and Max Maltais and filmed in Quebec, the video for “Crossed” is a performance style video that sees members of the band fighting against outside pressures and personal demons until they fall into what is visually depicted as “the void”. A true hybrid collaboration that ignited a lot of inspiration and out of the box imagination, the video involved green screening in drummer Loren Legare from Vancouver when he was unable to attend the shoot in Quebec and utilizing a special FX team and editing team in Germany.
“It was wild how this song and video all came together,” Neufeld continues. “So many people from all over the world contributed to this project. On top of the teams used to create the video, the track was recorded in Winnipeg and was mixed in New York by Will Putney. Then Joe [Duplantier] recorded his parts at his house (I believe) in France! This is one of the most fun collaborative projects that I have had the pleasure of working on.”
“Heavy Steps”, the follow up to 2017’s critically acclaimed full-length “Outsider”, sees the hardcore veterans returning to their roots both geographically and musically. Although the members of the band are currently residing on different sides of the country in Vancouver and Toronto, the band decided to write and record their latest effort in the band’s originating city of Winnipeg, Manitoba at Private Ear Recording Studio and once again enlisted the services of producer John Paul Peters (CANCER BATS, PROPAGANDHI) who recorded the band’s debut album “Turn It Around”. In addition to co-production by Peters, on “Heavy Steps”,COMEBACK KID collaborated with prominent Grammy award-winning mixer and long-time fan of the band Will Putney (KNOCKED LOOSE, EVERY TIME I DIE). Featuring a guest appearance by GOJIRA’s Joe Duplantier, “Heavy Steps”is no longer a prerequisite to realizing COMEBACK KID’s influence on modern punk, but a delivery of pure anthemic chaos, sheer speed and force. It is a statement of intent.
“It’s about hitting the ground running, not knowing when or where the ground could break from underneath you.” summarizes Neufeld. “It’s heavy steps on thin ice. ‘Heavy Steps’ on hollow ground.”
Kicking off with the pummeling title track that features punishing bass lines, masterful drumming, sludgy guitar riffs and an infectious singalong chorus, the 11 tracks that is “Heavy Steps” embody all the things that make COMEBACK KID so revered in their genre. It’s fast, fun, beautiful crafted melodic hardcore.
“Heavy Steps” Track Listing; 01. Heavy Steps 02. No Easy Way Out 03. Face The Fire 04. Crossed ft. Joe Duplantier 05. Everything Relates ft. JJ 06. Dead On The Fence 07. Shadow of Doubt 08. True To Form 09. Inbetween 10. Standstill 11. Menacing Weight
The band will kick off the year 2022 with dates in the UK and Europe supported by BE WELL, DEVIL IN ME and SCOWL. Tickets for all dates are available now. For a complete list of tour dates, see below.
COMEBACK KID European Headline Tour 2022 w/ BE WELL, DEVIL IN ME, SCOWL 19.01.22 Germany Berlin @ Hole44 20.01.22 Germany Hannover @ Faust 21.01.22 Germany Bochum @ Matrix 22.01.22 Germany Karlsruhe @ Weisse Rose 23.01.22 Netherlands Utrecht @ Tivoli Pandora 24.01.22 UK Bristol @ Fleece 25.01.22 UK Birmingham @ Mama Roux 26.01.22 UK Leeds @ Key Club 27.01.22 UK Manchester @ Rebellion 28.01.22 UK London @ The Dome 29.01.22 Belgium Hasselt @ Muziekodroom 30.01.22 France Paris @ Gibus 31.01.22 Switzerland Wil @ Gare De Lion 01.02.22 Italy Milan @ Circolo Magnoilia 02.02.22 Germany Munich @ Backstage 03.02.22 Czech Rep Prague @ Futurum 04.02.22 Germany Leipzig @ Conne Island
The tour remains subject to the current global situation.
One of the biggest names in modern hardcore, COMEBACK KID have released the fast paced, riff-heavy banger “No Easy Way Out”. The track, which was recorded in Winnipeg, MB at Private Ear Recording studio, is the first new original music to be heard from the influential hardcore/punk outfit since their 2017 release Outsider. Listen to “No Easy Way Out” HERE.
“This was an attempt to conjure up an edge of your seat rhythm that stays the course but builds intensity the whole way through until the end,” said lead vocalist Andrew Neufeld. “The feeling of looking over your shoulder and running for dear life. This is a stomper hardcore tune with a pummeling pace. When you’re pushed in a corner, there’s no easy way out!”
Accompanying the single is an age-restricted music video conceptualized and directed by Kevin Keegan. Amplifying the tracks feeling of needing to escape but also running into the realization that that may be harder than what it seems, the video for “No Easy Way Out” is a captivating comedic mini-thriller that sees the band being chased by a psycho kidnapper in a forest in Western Canada.
Earlier this summer, Comeback Kid announced a slew of tour dates for 2022. For a complete list of EU/UK dates, see below.
COMEBACK KID European Headline Tour 2022 w/ BE WELL, DEVIL IN ME, SCOWL 19.01.22 Germany Berlin @ Hole44 20.01.22 Germany Hannover @ Faust 21.01.22 Germany Bochum @ Matrix 22.01.22 Germany Karlsruhe @ Weisse Rose 23.01.22 Netherlands Utrecht @ Tivoli Pandora 24.01.22 UK Bristol @ Fleece 25.01.22 UK Birmingham @ Mama Roux 26.01.22 UK Leeds @ Key Club 27.01.22 UK Manchester @ Rebellion 28.01.22 UK London @ The Dome 29.01.22 Belgium Hasselt @ Muziekodroom 30.01.22 France Paris @ Gibus 31.01.22 Switzerland Wil @ Gare De Lion 01.02.22 Italy Milan @ Circolo Magnoilia 02.02.22 Germany Munich @ Backstage 03.02.22 Czech Rep Prague @ Futurum 04.02.22 Germany Leipzig @ Conne Island
The tour remains subject to the current global situation.
Canada’s finest hardcore/punk outfit, COMEBACK KID, have released the final track by track video in which the band talks the second half of the songs of the band’s highly anticipated new album, “Outsider”. The video also features short audio excerpts of each song. Watch it here: http://nblast.de/ComebackKidTBT2
»Outsider« is going to be released on September 8, 2017 via Nuclear Blast (world / on New Damage Records in Canada).
Watch the video for the latest single, ‘Surrender Control’, and check out the various formats in which »Outsider« will be available in, here: http://nuclearblast.com/comebackkid
Purchase ‘Surrender Control’, ‘Absolute’ & ‘Somewhere, Somehow’ as an instant grat track here: http://nblast.de/ComebackKidDigital
THE ROCK ALCHEMIST – Italian Rock Band from Turin with a strong sonic identity that blends modern rock with progressive, hard, alternative, and pop elements!
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
