Counterparts

A fierce Canadian hardcore band who've won a growing audience for their relentless, technically precise attack, Counterparts emerged out of Hamilton, Ontario at end of the 2000s, though it wasn't until their fourth release, 2015's Tragedy Will Find Us, that they began to earn widespread success. In spite of a major lineup change, their 2017 release, You're Not You Anymore earned their highest chart placement yet, setting the table for their sixth album, Nothing Left to Love, two years later.

Originally known as Brigade, the group was formed in 2007 by vocalist Brendan Murphy, guitarists Jesse Doreen and Curtis Washik, bassist Eric Bazinet, and drummer Ryan Juntilla. The band was also briefly known as Sharia before adopting the name Counterparts, and they began playing extensively around Ontario. In 2009, Washik left the group, with Alex Re stepping in as their new guitarist, and Counterparts set out on a demanding cross-Canadian tour. In 2009, Counterparts signed with the Canadian punk label Verona Records, which released the band's debut album, Prophets, in 2010. Also in 2010, Juntilla left Counterparts, with Chris Needham taking over on drums, and the band cut a split EP with Exalt. Following lots of road work in Canada and the United States, Counterparts struck a deal with the American independent label Victory Records in 2011, and began work on their second album. During the sessions, Needham left the band, and Juntilla returned to his spot behind the drum kit.

Counterparts' first album for Victory, The Current Will Carry Us, appeared in the fall of 2011, and once again the band hit the road. By the time the tour hit Canada, Juntilla had once again parted ways with Counterparts, and Kyle Brownlee of the deathcore group Majesty sat in on the road; in 2012, it was announced that Kelly Bilan of I Am Committing a Sin was now Counterparts' official drummer. In July 2013, the band returned with their third full-length album, The Difference Between Hell and Home, and after the first rounds of touring, Re announced he would be playing his final show with Counterparts in December 2013. The group went through more personnel shakeups before emerging in 2017 with a new lineup, with vocalist Murphy joined by guitarists Adrian Lee and Blake Hardman, bassist Tyler Williams, and returning drummer Kyle Brownlee. This edition of Counterparts released the band's fifth album, You're Not You Anymore, through Pure Noise Records in September 2017, which hit number 112 on the Billboard 200. This same lineup remained in place for 2019's punishing Nothing Left to Love. ~ Mark Deming