Broadcasting

Losing a vocalist typically poses a pretty big obstacle for even the toughest of bands to overcome. But if Broadcasting... is any indication, Comeback Kid hardly missed a step given frontman Scott Wade's departure in 2006, which was prior to the recording of this, their third album. It's not to say that the band wasn't upset when Wade bowed out, but their recovery was swift, and Broadcasting... is a testament to how strong a unit Comeback Kid has always been. The guys didn't even need to look outside of their ranks to fill in the gap, guitarist Andrew Neufeld easily stepping up to the task at hand. His prior experience fronting fellow Winnipeg hardcore act Figure Four makes his transition to the microphone a seamless one, and the power and intensity his ferocious bark brings is undeniable, whether it's commanding a song alone with every ounce of his being or directing a chorus of friends. Neufeld is not kidding around here. But Comeback Kid is, of course, more than just a passionate set of lungs. Bruising drumbeats and blistering guitars hit harder and crisper this time around (thanks in part to the expert production touch of Bill Stevenson) making Broadcasting... more authoritative, more compelling, and inevitably lends itself to even more pumped fists in the air — just try stopping the moshpits that'll surely break out when the guys launch into songs like the title track or "Give'r (Reprise)." Sure, this album may basically be more of the same, but considering how effortlessly and muscularly these Canucks blaze through these 11 tracks even one member down, how can one really complain?