Comeback Kid, Defeater, et Dead Heat

Named after a headline in a newspaper referring to hockey player Mario Lemieux who made a startling return to the NHL, Comeback Kid was formed in 2002 by friends Andrew Neufeld and Jeremy Hiebert. The two were in a band named Figure Four and intended CBK only to be a side-project, however with the addition of friends Scott Wade and Kyle Profeta the band released their debut album “Turn It Around” on Facedown Records in 2003.

In 2004 Comeback Kid signed with Victory Records who subsequently released all of the future CBK’s material. After touring across the U.S. and Europe Comeback Kid returned with their Sophomore album titled “Wake the Dead” in 2005. The album cemented the band’s proclivity for lightning quick guitar rhythms and violently fervent lyrics, and was produced by Bill Stevenson of Black Flag and Descendents fame. After extensive touring with the album, vocalist Scott Wade departed in 2006 and whose vocal responsibilities fell to Neufeld.

“Broadcasting…” released in 2007 was the band’s follow-up album and puts new singer Neufeld in control and adds a ferocity to the lyrics that wasn’t there before, he’s commanding and compelling, and compliments the battering-ram of percussion and guitar. The band subsequently toured across much of the world including South East Asia and Latin America.

A documentary about the band entitled “Through The Noise’ was released in 2007, documenting the the first six years of the band’s history. After a lengthy period of touring, writing and recording Comeback Kid released “Symptoms and Cures” their fourth studio album in 2010, and their fifth “Die Knowing” in 2014.

Defeater formed in 2004, settling on the lineup of Derek Archambault (vocals), Jay Maas (guitars), Jake Woodruff (guitars), Mike Poulin (bass) and Joe Longobardi (drums) after several years of changing musicians. Their 2008 full-length debut, "Travels" was initially released on Topshelf Records, yet soon gained the attention of larger label, Bridge 9 Records, who re-released the album shortly after.

Their debut was followed by the EP, "Lost Ground," which acted as an interlude before their second full-length, "Empty Days & Sleepless Nights" in 2011. With the release of "Letters Home" in July 2013, Defeater broke into the mainstream charts, peaking at number 72 in the Billboard Top 200. Growing into one of the hottest names in hardcore, the band have toured alongside the likes of Comeback Kid, Bane, La Dispute and August Burns Red. They have also made several festival appearances, including Hevy Music Festival and Vans' Warped Tour in 2013.

Throughout their releases, Defeater have maintained a constant theme of subject matter, acting as a narration of the story of a struggling working class New Jersey family, trying to get by in Post-World War II America. "Travels" worked to establish the characters of the story, detailing the difficulties of family life faced, tales of poverty, alcoholism and violence. In "Lost Ground," the six-track EP evokes the tale of a 'prophet,' who prompts the protagonist to return home to face his problems, using the prophet's life as a metaphor. Their second album documented the return of the protagonist and the fallout thereafter. Whereas "Letters Home" tells the story of the absent father, as he writes to his family.

Maintaining this story throughout their concept albums helps Defeater stand out from the rest of the hardcore scene, providing a narrative in their work rarely seen from other acts. Musically, the band take influence from classic hardcore bands like Minor Threat and Modern Life is War, as well as more contemporary sounds of Both and Deadguy.