For Quebec City hardcore practitioners Get the Shot, the campaign of metallic hardcore has been one the band has been on the frontlines of for over a decade, first arriving in 2012 with Perdition. In tandem with the kind of live show that bridges both the performative power of metal and the communal quality of hardcore, the Canadian quartet have not only done well in putting their country's hardcore scene on the map, but further bolstering their reach as a band that backs the hype with a catalog now four albums deep.
In 2017, Get The Shot would again flex their muscle with the release of aptly titled, Infinite Punishment. The 12-track firebomb showcased the band's progression as dynamic songwriters while compromising none of the volatility that made the sound so convincing. Adding an element of precision to their pummel, the sophomore release made it clear that crossover hardcore had a new forced to be reckoned with.
Rather than sitting idle over the pandemic pause, Get the Shot managed to pour the frustration and isolation of a world gone mad into their fourth full length offensive, Merciless Destruction, due out later this fall on New Damage Records. Previewing the album with the release of a succession of bangers like "Survival Denied", the anthemic "Deathbound" with Rob Watson of Lionheart and the maniacal "Bloodbather" with Matthias Tarnath of Nasty, Get the Shot have emphatically amplified their assault, ratcheting up their intensity and doubling down on their commitment to bridging the community of hardcore with clobber of metal.
For the latest submission from Merciless Destruction, the track "Divination of Doom" is an unrelenting ripper, lead by the menacing presence of vocalist Jean-Philippe Lagacé calling cadence. The tandem guitars of Tommy Chiasson and Oliver Roy embrace the heft of 90's era crossover to add a classic feel, modernized with the kind of muscle that makes the track destined to become a favorite in the live set.
Taking thematic cues from the nihilism that permeates throughout the band's discography, "Divination of Doom" further underscores the band's cynical worldview, a violent, visceral revelry in what the band views as the rotting quality of humanity. For Get the Shot, it's heavy, all day, every day.
The band's bassit Dany Roberge spoke to Knotfest about the trajectory of Get the Shot, conveying their energy live with a mix of death metal and hardcore, and how their music functions as the soundtrack for disenchanted youth in a world that is destined to fuck us all up.
Check the Knotfest premiere of "Divination of Doom" from Quebec City's Get the Shot below.
The band recently toured Europe for the first time in two years… how rejuvenating was it to experience that again?
Roberge - Although we are aware that many have been impacted more severely, we must admit that the touring acts have suffered seriously from these two years of absence.Returning to the stage was, indeed, a rejuvenating celebration. Having the feeling of being finally in the right place, back on our X. It felt like reconnecting with an important part of your own self. What was also most exhilarating was seeing all these familiar faces, friends, and colleagues. The extreme music scene is in some way a big community, even a big family.
Given the kind of energy of your live show, how does that impact your songwriting? Does it prompt you to tweak songs, make adjustments based on what works and what doesn’t live?
Roberge - It is true to say that live performances are at the heart of our identity. The hardcore scene has always expressed its vivacity and its purpose in this relationship that exists between a band and the public. This moment when there is no longer any difference between who is on stage or off stage. We feed off each other's energy. Without saying that our composition is no longer instinctive, it is true to say that these moments of intensity are sought during composition. Over the years we know what makes our audience react and we tend to play with the structures to create these moments.
Survival Denied, Bloodbather and Divination of Doom all pack a wallop. How much of that hostility and volatility comes from a real place in terms of how personal these songs are?
Roberge - Those songs are our primitive answer to years of accumulated hatred and anger towards a society built on oppression and injustice. It is all about vengeance and is nothing more than a cathartic attempt to give sense to this anger while turning it into self elevating power rather than decadent weakness. Hardcore music comes from a place of anger and hostility and we would not make that kind of music if that sentiment was not real. Once we pacify, we will move on to another music venture.
Where does this rank for you in terms your body of work? What was it like seeing these songs from concept to execution?
Roberge - German philosopher Theodor Adorno once asked if it was possible to live a good life in a bad life. To this, we answer from a pessimistic point of view; in this hopeless world, it’s violence day everyday. So to this permanent state of war we have no choice but to oppose total resistance, even though we know death is the only way out of this mess. It feels really good to finally put this work out there. To make some noise and scream as loud as we can. Going on stage every night with those war anthem give us a sens of completion.
As for the single, why did “Divination of Doom” make the cut?
Roberge -"Divination of Doom" is the first song that was written for the new album. It encompasses the multiple musical influences that now shape the band’s sound, from traditional hardcore to old school death metal and beatdown grooves. It was a no-brainer for us to put it out as a further single to illustrate the different range of our sound. We also felt like this song needs to be played live. This song is a primal anthem for the disillusioned youth trapped in a society built on oppression and injustice.
Get the Shot will be performing live next month in the US with a pair of appearances at both the Blue Ridge Rock Fest on September 8th in Danville, VA and at Furnace Fest on September 23rd in Birmingham, AL.
Merciless Destruction lands October 7th via New Damage Records. Pre-order the album - HERE
Merciless Destruction tracklist:
1. Ultimate Warfare
2. Seeds of Dissension
3. Survival Denied
4. Deathbound (Feat. Rob Watson of Lionheart)
5. Bloodbather (Feat. Matthias Tarnath of Nasty)
6. Reign in Blasphemy
7. Terminal Slaughter
8. Diabolus Vobiscum
9. Divination of Doom
10. Blind to Peace
11. Season of the Damned II
