Fuck the Facts Returned Anew in Toronto

After an eight-year absence, Ottawa grindcore powerhouses Fuck the Facts returned to Toronto. Since the band's inception in 1997, they've boasted a variety of different lineups and spent years touring relentlessly around the world. In recent years however, live performances from the band have become few and far between, with priorities shifting to other things. With that in mind, it feels like a must-see event when Fuck the Facts play live. 

Even though it had been some time since they'd performed in Toronto, the band sounded tight as ever in their most recent incarnation. Supporting their latest album Pleine Noriceur and boasting a new lineup, Friday night's performance felt like the beginning of a new chapter for the band. 

The show was an excellent combination of newer music mixed with deep cuts. The set opened with newish classics like "Doubt, Fear, Neglect," "Pleine Noirceur" and "Aube," which are not only welcome additions to the Fuck the Facts live set, but also very much showcase how the band's newest material is their best to date. With various blast beats and iconic riffs throughout, these songs feel like they'll stay in the band's set for a long time. "Doubt, Fear, Neglect" got the biggest reaction from the crowd and created the most chaotic mosh pit of the evening. 

The best surprise of the night came near the middle of the band's set with their heavily stoner metal influenced cover of Shallow North Dakota's "Open Minded" — which bore little resemblance to the original song, with its influx of blast beats and tremolo picking — a welcome addition to their repertoire. 
It's great to see Fuck the Facts thriving in this latest incarnation; They've never sounded better live — it feels like they could go anywhere from here.