In/Vertigo release “Bad Enemy” (single)

In/Vertigo’s “Bad Enemy”

ANGHAMI: https://play.anghami.com/song/39523589

Nothing kicks off a career in music quite like a stellar single that encapsulates everything that a band is trying to accomplish in a single fell swoop, and that’s precisely what In/Vertigo has produced in the new song “Bad Enemy.” Fans of the group are already aware of how intense they can be when they’ve got a stage and a PA at their disposal, but those of us who are just finding out about this Canadian rock band for the first time are treated to a splendid array of colorful details surrounding a sonic tour de force that is hot enough to melt solid steel. It’s the first footsteps of a million mile journey, but the high magnitude earthquake they’re causing is enough to get everyone’s attention.

There’s enough pickup in In/Vertigo’s distortion to push over one of the Rocky Mountains, but the production level of “Bad Enemy” is still very refined and polished. Thanks to the clarity of the high definition studio sound, listeners can absorb the blows the band is unleashing at full impact and feel just how carnal their motivations really are. “Bad Enemy” is a lustful listening experience that works over fringe metal elements to make a jarring stylized rock that reminds me a bit of the early Seattle scene. There isn’t any grunge on this band’s boot heels though, and if anything their style is far more direct than anything I’ve heard come out of the Pacific Northwest in at least thirty years.

The exotic drumming of percussionist Keaton Byfield is the real star of “Bad Enemy,” although it wouldn’t be as haunting were it not punctuated by the guitar virtuosity of Shaddy Elsaghir, who dexterously maintains a cool charisma from start to finish. Drummers often don’t get their fair share of the spotlight, but Byfield’s performance in this single is so undyingly fresh and concise that our focus is automatically drawn to his drum kit, where he’s releasing lightning in as varied strains as he is rhythm. In/Vertigo have great chemistry and you can tell that these four get along really well when they’re off stage, and that’s going to play a quintessential role in ensuring their staying power as a group for years and years to come.
Articulate, solid and even keeled in its delivery, “Bad Enemy” shows us a band that is ready to ascend to the position of power over the Canadian music landscape, and the only land left for them to conquer next will be the United States. Americans have been very desperate for a band like In/Vertigo throughout the 2010s, but this might be the perfect time for the quartet to be entering the lower lexicon. The mainstream rock bands are dying off and the indie side of the table can’t seem to stop arguing over the pettiest of subjects from politics to simple artistic relevancy, and In/Vertigo are poised to take advantage of the resulting creative lull. After that it’s riding the gravy train for these guys, but I doubt it will be the last of their provocative output.

SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/album/0cmiZjApRB9P2mxFcnD9JI

Mindy McCall