Symptoms + Cures

Personnel: Andrew Neufeld (vocals); Jeremy Hiebert, Casey Hjelmberg (guitar); Kyle Profeta (drums).
Audio Mixers: Eric Ratz; Kenny Luong.
Recording information: Company X Audio, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Vespa Studios, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Illustrator: Michael Bukowski.
Photographer: Eric Levin.
With guitarist Andrew Neufeld still acting as Scott Wade's replacement, Comeback Kid's fourth album is another steady assault of screaming hardcore. Symptoms + Cures finds the Canadian punk-metal troupe focusing on brute force and hits the ground running in a quick, spirited rock-out session. The album is polished and pure, but a touch heavier than prior outings, with Neufeld's raspy vocals howling like a turbine engine as the rest of the band (Hiebert, Hjelmberg, Keil, and Profetta) blaze furiously through 11 songs. Along with occasional gang yells, spit-filled vocal cameos include A Wilhelm Scream's Nuno Pereira ("The Concept Stays"), Cancer Bats ' Liam Cormier ("Balance"), and Architects' Sam Carter ("Pull Back the Reins"). Even with the variety, the album doesn't change gear or break stride: it's continually harsh and urgent, with the occasional melody thrown in for good measure. ~ Jason Lymangrover