Bad Pop Reveal ‘Dark Metal’ EP

Meeting in Vancouver’s dusty music and comedy clubs, Canadian trio Bad Pop have shared their mutual love for rock and humour for the past eight years. They have now released their new EP, Dark Metal, through Killing Moon Records as one finger of the two they flip in the face of growing up whilst peppering the music with sarcasm, wit and gritty guitars. Recorded partly prior to lockdown and finished throughout, Dark Metal could be argued as a response to humankind and the lockdown Bad Pop and the rest of the world have had to face; then the trio will release their second EP as an alternative reaction to the madness. Dark Metal serves as the pissed off, aggressive reaction to capitalism, growing up, human over-population and lockdown in comparison to the existential reaction to follow later this year.

“Dark Metal is a hard hitting, jangly, punk rock record built to wake you up with a slap in the face. Lyrically it’s cynical, and sarcastic. It’s confrontational in a ‘tongue and cheek’ kind of way, always with a smirk as it confidently struts with a swagger. This album took many different paths to completion and at times looked like it would never be finished. Some of the tracks found their beginnings as live songs, tested out in front of live audiences while touring the Bad Pop LP. Others were crafted together in the studio, and others were done over the internet in lockdown. They say there isn’t just one way to make an album, and that’s a good thing because this album did it many different ways. Having a pandemic and lockdown really shaped these songs in unexpected ways. Normally we’d make a record by going into the studio and recording a bunch of songs that we had rehearsed, then we’d release them in a timely manner that coincided with live dates. There was always a strict timeline and schedule that was followed. None of that happened this time, we were able to sit with the songs and let them breathe and experiment more” (Chris Connelly)

With more time to sit on this release after not having to follow basic structure and time restrictions implemented by studios, each track on this EP has had more breathing time and consideration to its future both live and in the band’s discography, allowing them to develop like never before. Bad Pop have lived through the ups and downs of growing up playing music, an experience that left them jaded and gentle, melodic and menacing. 

The Dark Metal EP an be streamed and purchased here