COMEBACK KID

Defying a sadly and increasingly pervasive trend in today’s heavy music scene,
Comeback Kid have managed to not only maintain but expand the energy and urgency
of their groundbreaking debut and sophomore LPs over the course of a decorated 25+
year career. Luckily – at least for their fervidly loyal fanbase – there's a lot to be angry
about these days...
Chosen Hell, the band’s eighth and latest LP, further distills the potency of the musical
elements that have defined CBK since the beginning while once again evolving their
creative spectrum, weaving in influences of blazing modern metal, piss-and-vinegar
punk, and even vulnerable melodicism that adds compelling contrast to their
longstanding and beloved sonic foundation.
“We’ve always been a band that understands and embraces our identity, but it’s also
important to us that we keep pushing our boundaries,” begins frontman Andrew
Neufeld. “In the past, there may have been ideas we stifled because we thought they
were outside the core of what Comeback Kid should be, but we felt comfortable
exploring those things this time around.”
The quintet, comprised of Neufeld, guitarists Jeremy Hiebert and Stu Ross, bassist
Chase Brenneman, and drummer Terrance Pettitt, cut Chosen Hell with heralded
producer/engineer Will Putney at his Graphic Nature Audio studio in New Jersey – an
exercise that clearly elevated the impact, power, and passion of these 11 tracks. “He’s
also been a supporter of ours from the get, so he knows where we’re coming from and
really understood our vision,” shares Neufeld. “We all played to our strengths as best
we could, and I think that’s really apparent in the final product.”
The album blasts out of the barrel with “Target on My Back,” immediately establishing
the aural assault listeners have in store. Among the most potent and impactful offerings
from a band that built their career on the back of tracks just like it, gut-wrenching growls
contrast with subtle but soaring clean vocals for a blistering exercise in dynamism.
“Vindication” brings the metal further to the forefront with zero decline in intensity,
making clear the band aimed to outdo themselves this time around – and equally clear
they soared past the target.
Two selections add new names to Comeback Kid’s long and diverse list of guest
vocalists, with Spiritbox frontwoman Courtney LaPlante injecting her raw guttural glory
into “Shedding Season” while Incendiary’s Brendan Garrone augments the ferocity of
“Yesterday’s Gone” with his trademark swagger.
The title track pairs deeply introspective lyricism atop a punishing aural arsenal, with
CBK exploring the spectrum of morality and ethics – good and evil; right and wrong; and
our collective ability to make choices between said extremes. “Sometimes we’re just
incapable of choosing the ‘right’ thing, and we find ourselves in situations that hold us
back and are detrimental to our own well-being,” Neufeld muses.
Indeed, while there’s plenty in the world at large that’s worthy of wrath, much of Chosen
Hell’s lyrical themes are deeply personal. “Heartland Elegy,” arguably the purest punk
offering on the record, pays homage to longtime friend and former CBK bassist Matt
Keil, who passed in 2025 following a 19-month bout with ALS. “Lost and Found”
similarly delves into the deep anguish of personal loss and the traces of themselves that
people leave behind, the track itself slowly decaying as Neufeld sings poignantly over a
softly strummed acoustic guitar.
“Overall, I was able to let my guard down a little bit while writing for this one, and took
more input from everybody else,” adds Neufeld. “It was really collaborative that way,
which is also kind of new for us.”
It’s that blend of familiar musical fury laced with novel elements that’s earned Comeback
Kid its loyal following and overall longevity – along with their ability to relay said fury
from the stage. Through the years, they’ve toured relentlessly alongside iconic acts from
every corner of heavy music – hardcore icons like Hatebreed and Sick of It All; punk
pioneers including Dropkick Murphys and Bad Religion; metal masters like Gojira and
Parkway Drive; and even rock radio mainstays like Rise Against and Alexisonfire.
And thankfully for their faithful, CBK has no interest in slowing down. Fresh from a run
celebrating the 20th anniversary of their seminal second LP, Wake the Dead, in late
2025, the boys are keen to hit the road again across multiple continents later this year
and well into 2027 – and this latest work will prove equally as chaotic and cathartic from
the stage as it is the stereo.
There’s still plenty to be angry about, but Chosen Hell is a masterclass in processing
that pain and rage and outputting something truly transcendent – a reward for
conquering the hardships we all encounter. And if Comeback Kid can carry forward this
trend of continually exceeding their own standards, then we can only eagerly await what
might come next…