Looking for something to cut through the sweaty lethargy of summer? Boy, do we have an EP for you. Meet Atlantic Break, a cross-continental project linking Melbourne and Montreal. Collision of Fears is packed with drum fills you’ll want to smash out on your dashboard and more than a few hooky guitar lines. It’s a punchy and energetic “hello” from this new outfit—and a promising statement of intent that hints at more to come.
Steve Brum and Matt Howard initially met as teenagers in Greenfield Park, a working-class suburb on Montreal’s South Shore. Life eventually pulled them in different directions. Howard relocated to Australia, while Brum stayed local, working on projects such as Minor Sun.
When the pandemic brought Howard back to North America, grief and isolation sparked a creative reconnection with his old jamming buddy. Studio time followed quickly, with Le Trouble drummer Jesse Gnaedinger soon brought into the mix soon after. His inclusion adds more than just percussive flair—it brings a sense of urgency and groove that keeps things driving forward.
Despite vocals and additional instrumentation being completed across the ocean, the results sound impressively cohesive, thanks in no small part to engineer Peter Van Uytfanck’s attentive eye and ear. I’ll admit, the idea of a cross-continental rock band initially seemed like it might lack punch. But the five tracks on offer here land with satisfying impact. There’s an undeniable tightness in the playing and a clarity in the arrangement that defies the project’s remote workflow.
Influenced by CONE faves New Junk City and loaded with a healthy dose of sizzling ’90s fuzz guitar, Atlantic Break is one for listeners who like their music impactful, anthemic, and delivered with a welcome shot of melancholy.
Opener “Will Summer Come” makes for a strong introduction. Spidery guitar lines wrap around Gnaedinger’s intricate cymbal work and the track’s earnest vocal delivery. It’s almost like The Foos took a detour into midwestern emo—and surprisingly, it suits them. There’s a balance between grit and gloss here that’s difficult to pull off, but Atlantic Break make it sound easy.
“Typical Me” is a scrappier affair but still delivers a killer chorus and pounding piano lines. Those extra touches of texture and detail lift the material above your simple, brash rock track. “New Lights, Old Water” had me convinced it could’ve aired on MTV2 back in the day—an aging thought, sure, but the song’s snotty, anarchic teenage spirit is undeniable. It’s the EP’s most accomplished number: taut, confident, and the clearest expression yet of Howard and Brum’s shared punk and indie sensibilities. There’s a bite to it that lingers after the track ends.
Overall, Collision of Fears is a deceptively enjoyable EP. It doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but the band’s chemistry and instinct for melody make it well worth returning to. With years of experience across different scenes and outfits, the trio know how to make their instruments sound sharp. The tones are great, the fills are clever, and the lyrics just stick. It’s an impressive—and more importantly—fun debut from Atlantic Break. There’s potential here that feels both grounded and genuinely exciting.
Cone Mag Album Score: 72/100
Byline: Sam Walker-Smart