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.