METZ - Sugar Pill

What this video is

Released February 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, when live music had been halted globally, the video sidesteps band performance entirely in favor of a community-driven skate document shot in Thunder Bay, Ontario. This reflects a broader trend in punk and noise rock video-making during the pandemic era: pivoting toward subcultural communities and found/documentary footage as substitutes for live energy. The…

Why it matters

METZ occupy a critical lineage in North American noise rock, drawing from AmRep-era abrasion, 90s DIY hardcore, and post-punk angularity. 'Sugar Pill' and its video represent the band's fourth album campaign at peak creative confidence, with the skate-video format lending the track a kinetic…

The director

Shayne Ehman is a Canadian director, artist, animator, and musician. He co-directed the animated feature Asphalt Watches (TIFF Vanguard, 2013) with Seth Scriver, and also directed Abandoned: Angelique's Isle (2018). His work spans fine art, animation, and…