Ontario Punk trio deliver sharp hooks and hard truths on album #2
The second full-length album from Toronto Punks Among Legends came out on 10th July. ‘Lose My Grip‘ moves fast, hits hard, and rarely lets up, pulling from the melodic urgency of Bad Religion, the road-tested punch of The Flatliners, and the hook-heavy energy that defined southern Ontario punk through the 2000s. Produced, engineered, mixed, and mastered by Matt Gauthier at ARC Recording Studio and This Place Needs A Name, the record leans further into speed, tension, and sharper edges without losing the melodies that got the band here in the first place. That balance shows up immediately across the album’s twelve tracks.
Among Legends are:
Mitchell Buchanan – Bass, Vocals
Tyler Boles – former Guitar, Vocals / Bennett Rouleau – current Guitar, Vocals
Sara Fellin – Drums, Vocals
Formed in 2016, the band built its reputation through a run of EPs before releasing their debut full-length album ‘Take Good Care‘ in 2022. Since its release, Among Legends have played consistently throughout Canada and the United States, with energetic shows and a firm belief that playing music should be a good time!
‘Lose My Grip‘ opens with ‘H/A/C/K‘, the album’s lead single, packed with tight guitars, biting rhythms, and a heavier sense of frustration running underneath the hooks. The dual vocal energy on this earworm never quite settles, always reaching for something just out of frame…
The urgency continues in ‘Sound The Alarm‘, a call-to-arms for all of us who want a fair society. I love the vocal harmonies on this one, and the exciting changes in pace and dynamics – another banger!
Latest single release ‘Go On‘ perfectly captures the heady uncertainty around starting a new relationship. “Can’t call it quits if we brush off the start, No commitment is armour to block breaking hearts. Go on, invite me home, I say I’ll come but we both know I won’t”:
Melodic ‘Back Again‘ combines jangling guitar riffs with tight beats. Written about the reality of having to hold down a job to keep a roof over your head while your heart’s in your band… There’s a great line “And the songs we know are keeping us alive” which sums up the experience! ‘Hollow‘ crashes in with more introspection; this time about not knowing what to say about your friends’ sorrows or triumphs. “It’s hard to choose, Between the words you fear ring hollow”.
Slower number ‘Familiar Fictions‘ expands upon the previous track – this time, over the struggle to read what people really mean. The chorus showcases Among Legends‘ impressive capacity for vocal harmonies, while the guitar solo at the end pitches raw and open emotional vulnerability. The second single released from ‘Lose My Grip‘, ‘Floating Here For Years‘ is about the inertia we can so easily become stuck in. A faster number, with heartfelt lyrics, you’ll be nodding along to this belter:
Shortest song on the album, ‘Open Wide‘ packs a lot into its 1 minute 37 seconds! A call to “Tape our eyes, Open wide” instead of going through life blind to the suffering of others, ruled by apathy, and what we’re told to think…
‘Band Dudes Fuck Off’ is a blistering track, with guest Laura DeRocchis joining in powerfully on vocals. The lyrics are spot-on about the privileged ways men expect to be treated, while women are dismissed; “Willful exclusion, vacant stares, unaware, lame excuses – you ain’t fooling anyone. You never have to consider your acceptance – you’re the one they’re all expecting, No second-guessing, speak your mind, unconfined, Endless bluster drowning other voices out.”
A whirlwind of words and chords brings us ‘Oversaturated‘, the tale of a chance meeting and a fast friendship – yet time and life are fleeting, so this number encourages us to make the most of what we have.
‘What’s It Gonna Be‘ starts out as an acoustic addition to the album, whose title comes from within its lyrics. Using the metaphor of surgery to remove parts of the body as a way to solve problems paints a colourful picture! A heartfelt plea “I’m sorry, I can’t be, The way you want me to be” gives way to the head-bobbing break.
Album closer ‘The Last Time‘ is the longest track, coming in at over 4 minutes. A song of endings, appropriately, but also about remembering; “As as we drift apart, I’ll hold these memories.” Among Legends each put their own stamp upon the track, music and lyrics complementing and slow-dancing with each other, while shots of emotional emphasis land in just the right places.
A worthy addition to your record collection if you like your music to genuinely mean something – and love hard-hitting songs written from the heart!
‘Lose My Grip,’ came out on 10th July via Little Rocket Records, ADD Records, Sell The Heart Records, and Steady Riot Records. Get your copy on CD, LP or cassette from HERE, and digital download HERE.
Catch Among Legends back on the road from next month – dates HERE
Main Photo Credit / All Photos: KAIT SULLIVAN
- H/A/C/K
- Sound The Alarm
- Go On
- Back Again
- Hollow
- Familiar Fictions
- Floating Here For Years
- Open Wide
- Band Dudes Fuck Off (feat. Laura DeRocchis)
- Oversaturated
- What’s It Gonna Be
- The Last Time
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