The Juno-nominated Canadian punk quartet demonstrate their longevity on album #7
There’s a special bond that comes with longevity, an almost telepathic understanding forged by comfort and communal familiarity. In some cases, this can lead to a pedestrian, formulaic rehashing of past triumphs. With their latest album, ‘Cold World’, Canadian punk stalwarts The Flatliners show that it is possible to continue to evolve even after 24 years together.
Formed by four friends, Chris Cresswell ( Vocals, Guitar), Scott Brigham (Guitar), Jon Darbey (Bass) and Paul Ramirez (Drums), in Richmond Hill, Ontario back in 2002, The Flatliners are in the rare position of never having changed their lineup, which in itself is quite an achievement, but they have also continued to challenge themselves over each of their previous six albums. ‘Cold World’ continues that evolution in quite some style.
The album opens with ‘Stolen Valour’. Scratchingly raw guitar and feedback provide a siren-like opening, before power chords and harmonious vocalisation are joined by rapid fire drums leading to an explosion. This, though, is just a gateway for milder and lighter moments, roving bass weaves through the song. It’s a joyous opening, showcasing the individual contributions of the four and the excellent way they work together
Slower, angry chords lead off the albums’ first single, ‘Good, You?’ A statement that rages against the death cult that is toxic masculinity, and the fear of expressing your feelings out of fear of appearing to be weak. It’s a song that highlights The Flatliners’s twin guitars, with Cresswell and Brigham combining to provide the combination of power and harmony that forms the surprisingly delicate foundations for much of their album.
That balance is on show again on ‘Inner Peace’; what starts as a fairly standard song is lifted by that delicate streak again, the initial growl of the song gives way to a softer vocal and subtle guitar parts, as an almost 60’s feel drives it onward. That lightness of touch is possibly most evident in ‘And They’re Off’, a song that demonstrates the band’s more reflective side, an almost playful feel delightfully shows this is a band that refuses to be typecast or restricted musically by anything other than their own feeling, something I feel too many bands seem happy to accept…
‘Only Darkness’ moves things up a notch – sharp, angular guitars and rolling drums provide an attention-grabbing introduction, but as shown before, don’t expect a bland, predictable, out of the box song. A chorus of softer, almost soulful vocals again confounds any preconceptions.
The Flatliners share a fascinating glimpse into their songwriting in this video about the makng of ‘Inner Peace’:
Managing to pack a punch without going over the top, ‘Whyte Light’ shows power comes from delivery, rather than basic aggression. There’s an almost 80’s metal power to the vocals that melds perfectly. Of course, this gives way to a change of direction, gentle, airy riffs lead into the slow, mournful, tender ballad ‘Into Annihilation’, although that power is always lurking, waiting to add its contribution but never to the detriment of the song.
The full worth of having two guitars and two vocalists is displayed with ‘Pulpit’, driving disjointed guitars and Jekyll and Hyde vocals of dark and light, held together by growling bass and drums combine to drive this powerful scream of frustration.
A breezy opening riff and that rock-solid rhythm section powers ‘Turning Signal Rhythm’, the band are really in the groove with this one – it bounces along. Chris Cresswell shows off his vocal skills, displaying his ability to add real texture to a song. Songcraft is very much to the fore on ‘Gush’, a beautifully crafted tune which shows that powerful-sounding songs can have a subtlety in their construction. The way one added chord can add an extra level to a song is done here to great effect, with that simple change lifting an already excellent tune that little bit higher.
How do you close out an album of balance and wonderful contrasts? Turn everything up a notch and head for the highway at full speed. ‘Burn’, a fast, loud, foot-stomper of a tune, followed by ‘United In Spite‘, a huge anthem. These are the perfect endings to a very engaging record, managing to sum up the album, showcasing the abilities of the four friends, the variety of the songwriting, and the subtlety of hand at play.
After 24 years many relationships have fallen into an endless cycle of predictability, lacking the desire to challenge themselves to do anything new, to rock the boat in any way. The Flatliners are categorically NOT in that sort of relationship! There’s a lot to be said for being bold, of not standing still. We may live in a Cold World, but there are still small pockets of warmth to comfort us, and ‘Cold World’ is one such pocket…
Catch The Flatliners on tour across the US, Europe, UK & Canada in 2026 – dates HERE
Available from 8th May via Rude Records / Equal Vision Records / Dine Alone Records, get your copy of ‘Cold World’ HERE
1. Stolen Valour
2. Good, You?
3. Inner Peace
4. And They’re Off
5. Only Darkness
6. Whyte Light
7. Into Annihilation
8. Pulpit
9. Turning Signal Rhythm
10. Gush
11. Burn
12. United In Spite
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Album review: The Flatliners bring surprising warmth in ‘Cold World’
With their latest album, ‘Cold World’, Canadian punk stalwarts The Flatliners show that it is possible to continue to evolve even after 24 years together.
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Heavily influenced by an older brother, I discovered a love of music at an early age, initially with Punk but eventually with pretty much everything. I play guitar and bass to a very low standard and regularly ‘entertain’ my family and dogs with unwanted noise. I am usually found at the back of both gigs and football matches!
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