Band: Slewfoot
From: Barrie, Ontario
Their formation story:
"When Slewfoot formed about 2 years ago, the hardcore scene in Barrie was almost non-existent. Sure, there were occasional hardcore or metal shows, but there was no real sense of community, which felt strange given how alive the scene was in the mid-2010s.
"Most of us met at the punk and metal shows Barrie still had, and a couple of us were already in bands together. We came together out of necessity, with a determination to revive the scene. The Barrie hardcore community has exploded, and we can confidently say it’s thriving again."
Their sound in their own words:
"If we had to pinpoint a genre, we’d say Slewfoot draws heavily from ‘90s/'00s metalcore, in particular the Victory Records legends Hatebreed and Earth Crisis. Our guitarists, Pete and Brendan, take inspiration from The Black Dahlia Murder and you can definitely hear it in their riffs.
"In terms of vocals and lyricism, Ty is heavily into hip-hop which at its roots shares a raw energy with punk. The vibe we bring is intense and competitive, kind of like facing a ruthless rival hockey team and we’re calling you out on all the destructive behaviours that society tends to ignore, such as animal abuse, addiction and sexual assault."
Latest release info:
"We put a lot of effort into refining this EP to make sure it was the best representation of Slewfoot. It was recorded at Thread Junction Studios with Jesse Haradine, and Brendan Hiles, one of our guitarists, handled the mixing and mastering.
"Compared to our first EP—where we just wanted to get music out—this project was a more deliberate and collaborative process. We connected with other bands in the scene to make a statement: Baytown Hardcore is worth paying attention to."
Future plans:
"Our main goal is to keep growing the Barrie hardcore scene while also expanding our reach by playing out-of-province and eventually outside of Canada. We want to continue pushing ourselves creatively and make music that hits hard and stands for something. This year, we’re aiming to start recording our first LP, which is something we’re all very stoked about."
What other bands from their region should we check out?
"Check out Prison, the band that carried Barrie hardcore in the mid-2010s and is now back and killing it, as well as Runick, who share members with Prison and have been key in growing the scene here.
"From Toronto, you have Street Justice, the vegan straight edge powerhouse who are using their platform to be a voice for the voiceless and always give back to organizations that help animals in need."
Built for War is available on cassette via Icebreaker Records.
Slewfoot on social media: Instagram
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