A good boxer knows how to hit hard. A great boxer can hit hard with a bit of finesse that helps land a punch in unexpected ways. Hitting hard has been second nature for METZ since they made their breakthrough with II in 2015, though since then they've been gradually adding a greater sophistication to their intelligent yet pummeling impact, with 2020's Atlas Vending sounding more tuneful and detailed than anything they'd released to date. Guitarist Alex Edkins pushed these ideas forward on the debut album from his side project Weird Nightmare in 2022, with pure pop melodies lurking underneath the incisive attack of the guitars. If 2024's Up on Gravity Hill is clearly a rock album, and a tremendously powerful one at that, it manages to be dynamic and musical in a way METZ have not been before. Drummer Hayden Menzies and bassist Chris Slorach can still play with bone-breaking intensity, but they lean more into their impressive technical precision than their muscle on tracks like "99" and "Glass Eye." Edkins' guitar cuts more carefully, like a scalpel rather than a chainsaw, and the bold chime of his leads leaves room for emotions other than rage or confusion, even though they're still part of the formula. (And "Superior Mirage" has a rhythmic groove that, believe it or not, you could actually dance to if you were so inclined.) Amber Webber, vocalist with Black Mountain, and string arranger and multi-instrumentalist Owen Pallett both appear on the album, bringing gentler undercurrents than one might expect from this group, and the slower, more deliberate tempo of "Light Your Way Home" coupled with the compassion of the lyrics give Up on Gravity Hill a remarkably moving conclusion, revealing a heart and soul that's only reinforced when the guitars swell on the choruses, like ocean waves crashing on the beach. Make no mistake, this is still a METZ album, and the mighty roar of this band will still polarize some indie rock fans. However, Up on Gravity Hill is a significant step forward for a group that already was doing mighty work, and it suggests any number of places they could take their talents next. Anyone who doubts METZ are one of North America's best bands needs to hear Up on Gravity Hill and find out what they've been missing. ~ Mark Deming