While Canadian bands such as Simple Plan, Silverstein, and Alexisonfire have solidified themselves as staples within the alternative music scene, it’s recent success stories from the likes of Spiritbox that are providing the path for smaller Canadian acts to break out. With their debut - yes, you read that right, debut - record Eternal Blue, Spiritbox managed to land at number 13 on the Billboard 200 and were even awarded the Best International Breakthrough Band at the 2021 Heavy Music Awards. An impressive feat for any band to achieve in the modern streaming world, and a glimmer of hope for alternative music as a whole.

Before we all move into 2022, I have compiled a short list of Canadian acts just as deserving of your attention before the end of the year. Of course, this is only a small selection of the immense talent hailing from our neighbors to the North, so drop some other bands we should be checking out in the comments!

1. Dead Days

Formed in 2020, this metalcore project from London, ON released four singles over the course of about a year, culminating in their hard-hitting 6-track EP Control. Just listen to the opening track “Brightburn” and tell me this band wouldn’t fit perfectly on a bill with Fit For A King, Polaris, or Like Moths To Flames. Word on the street is that Dead Days were recently working with ex-Ice Nine Kills member Justin DeBlieck, who has also produced bands such as Motionless In White and Fit For A King, and are set to release their new single “Tombstone” this Friday!

2. Coe Hill

Taking inspiration from artists such as of Bilmuri, Coe Hill is a collaborative project led by multi-instrumentalist Doug Heiser. With their 2021 debut 5-track EP Vol I: Maybe Next Year, Coe Hill provided a familiar post-hardcore sound that recruited a different vocalist for each track, including lead vocalists of Saving Vice, Rival Town, Tigerwine, and more. Bringing in a unique voice to represent each track makes this EP an engaging and exciting experience, with no room for stagnation that you may get from a single vocalist-led project.

3. Teeth

Take the melodic proficiency of Every Time I Die and mix it with the frantic chaos of Pressure Cracks and you have TEETH, an infectious vat of heavy music and aggression that will have you smashing the walls in your house down. Consisting of members of Every Time I Die, Dead and Divine, and Hundred Suns, this trio brings influences from everything they did prior and perfect it with TEETH. From their debut single “Destroyer” in 2019 to their most recent effort “Voodoo Priestess” in 2021, TEETH deliver exactly what their audience expects from them - intensity and destruction. While their fourth single “Deathrace” has garnered the most attention, with more than 400,000 streams on Spotify alone, it’s their second single “Filth” that is the clear standout for us.

4. Only the Strong

Easycore lives! Only The Strong are a Calgary-based three piece that are making a case for why “pop punks not dead”. With just a few singles to their name from 2019 onwards, Only The Strong just dropped their new EP Fractured via Art & War Music Group and it’s some of the strongest easycore material we’ve heard since the return of Chunk! No, Captain Chunk! earlier this year. “Burn” is an absolute anthem of a pop-punk song, while “Sinking Ships” explores their heavier side; regardless of which song you start with, this EP has tremendous replayability and promise for the future of this band.

5. Pale Sky

With just over 600 monthly listeners on Spotify and only three singles released to date, Pale Sky is an incredibly fresh progressive metalcore duo looking to make a name for themselves in 2022. Vocalist Quinn McGraw brings expressive tones and dark gutturals to Ben Davis’ instrumental soundscapes, providing what they call “an unfiltered outlet of pure frustration.” Reflecting on our modern society, Pale Sky match their intense performances with the dark lyrical themes perfectly. From “Parasite” to “Oceania” to “Hive”, any heavy music fan can find something to enjoy!

Photo credits: Josh Ford Media (Dead Days) & Omar Ludin (TEETH)