Longevity, effort, dedication, relevance, consistency, performance, influence, and perseverance. Words that come to mind describing the tenacity of any musician, artist, or band. The people that make up the punk rock world encompass this and much more. A shining example is Ontario, Canada’s The Flatliners.
The quartet, based out of Richmond Hill, Ontario, has been rocking live shows and cranking out some of the best music everyone loves since 2002. Between the time and hard work this band has put in, it’s safe to say they’ve earned the recognition and loyalty among punk rock fans across the world.
The Flatliners have released seven studio albums and a plethora of EPs during their twenty-four years as a band. Starting with their debut Destroy to Create in 2005, followed by The Great Awake in 2007, Cavalcade in 2010, Dead Language in 2013, Inviting Light in 2017, New Ruin in 2022, and now Cold World, their seventh album releases today.
The excitement for the release of Cold World has been building over the last few months. The hype is very real, fans have been anticipating new music from The Flatliners and they did not disappoint. The band released “Good, You?” as a single on February 17. “Good, You?” seems to ask how we are doing while acknowledging the struggles and feelings we have as people. “So tragic, so blind to the ever-open wound, good, you?” The song has the slow-paced guitar buildup we all have grown to love about this band. Melodic, emotional and with purpose, this is why we love The Flatliners. An excellent peek at what is to come for the album.
“Inner Peace” is somewhat of an ironic name for this song if the listener is to go by the pace of the music itself. An aggressive, in-your-face, loud, and hard-hitting song, the chorus slows down to form a melody that is familiar. Features the signature raw vocals from frontman Chris Cresswell (Yes, THE Chris Cresswell, the same dude who moonlights as a member of Hot Water Music) and is very much complemented by the drumming of Paul Ramirez. “So deflated, turn it on, breathe your air into me or I’m gone,” a search for something uplifting, perhaps enlightenment.
Big guitars, big drums, and some ohhs and whoas showcase the intro song for Cold World, “Stolen Valour.” Once Creswell chimes in, we know where this is going. “Together in disintegration we fall first. Completely it will come apart, it just gets worse,” these lyrics will be stuck repeating in your head while contemplating your sense of belonging. This is The Flatliners we want to hear, a song that will get the crowd moving when played live.
Perhaps the most poignant song on Cold World is “And They’re Off.” This is the song that we will be singing together in dive bars while drinking cheap beer and lamenting the past. “Catastrophe, sitting on the shoulders of what used, what used to be. The horse we’re betting on is already dead, so what’s the use?” This is a statement to keep going. “Set foot in the past, keep planning now for the future.” Let this song soak in and enjoy.
“Pulpit” is very ambitious, heavy, and sounds like it should be played in a stadium. “There’s beauty in the way we have decayed,” finding the good when things are going bad. Another example of a chorus that’s going to be stuck in your head. “Burn” might be the best pound for pound song on the entire album. It’s the classic sound of The Flatliners and is a reminder of how far this band has come. Play this one at full blast and get those fists pumping. “Burn, don’t let it burn away, Burn, what’s lost cannot be saved.”
Overall, Cold World, is an absolutely fantastic offering from The Flatliners. Much like their previous albums, it has charm, melody, ingenuity and compassion. It breathes. It speaks. It feels. There’s so much there and it easily is going to be the best album of the year to most of us. It is such a big album, from the guitars to the impact of the songs. A lot of reflection but also a lot of enthusiasm. The Flatliners have been through it and they’re still going through it.
The Flatliners are currently on The Cold World World Tour. Visit their website for tour dates here. The album Cold World is released through Equal Vision Records, and can be ordered here.