Punk rock used to be about haggard road warriors. Before all the breakdowns and flat irons, there were busted
transmissions and collect calls home. The Flatliners grew up believing in the later and rejecting the former, and after
seven years playing together, they’re unleashing Cavalcade, their third full-length record and an epic sonic testament
to the life they’ve chosen.
Over the last four years, the Flatliners have spent almost thirty months in vans, dive bars, and concert halls across
North America, Europe, and Japan, building up a dedicated following with a sound that mixes the endless fury of ‘90s
skate punk with the nuanced, intelligent songwriting of classic post-punks like the Replacements and Hot Water
Music. After releasing the ska-punk tinged Destroy to Create (Union Label Group) in 2005, the band evolved into a
harsh melodic machine with 2007’s The Great Awake (Fat Wreck Chords), completing their transition into a vital
modern punk unit with the Cynics 7” (Fat Wreck Chords) in late 2009.
For Cavalcade, the Flatliners once again teamed up with long-time producer and friend Steve Rizun, recording
sporadically between tours in their hometown of Toronto over the course of 2009. Seeking to immortalize the last year
of their lives on the road, the end result is easily the band’s finest hour; from the thrashy immediacy of “The Calming
Collection” to the dub-influenced “He Was A Jazzman”, it’s the sound of a band hitting their stride musically and
finding their voice lyrically, exploring the idea of unity through disconnectedness, of positivity in uncertain times.
Driving home the theme are the numerous guest appearances on the record: members of Cancer Bats, A Wilhelm
Scream, Dillinger Four, The Snips, Junior Battles, Permanent Bastards, and the Expos all contributed to Cavalcade.
Add to that the presence of veteran punk Fat Mike, who flew up to jam with the band in November of 2009, earning an
additional production credit and making one of the band’s childhood dreams come true.
They’ve grown up on record and in front of a crowd of like-minded punks. They’ve made sacrifices to keep the wheels
of their van on the road, and Cavalcade is the reward. It really is, as the band says, “a call to arms to all who travel
throughout the world on the wings of their creativity.”
