Upon opening my laptop this morning, the first YouTube suggestion was a VICE video on the story of Papa Roach’s Last Resort. So, once I’d got myself fired up by giving that a listen, it felt like fate to get the day started with some gritty nu-metal that screams of the 2000s from Canadian band Fatal Switch, who describe their hooky sound as “explosive, emotional and unapologetic.”
The Montreal band is led by Steve Tobin on vocals, alongside Max Rope on guitar, David Vigliotti on bass, and Ralph A. Samah on drums. They also owe plenty to former band member Ryann Paqueo, who played a key role in songwriting, while the band also counts on Florencio Saint-Thomas for synth arrangements and Kevin Jardine (Slaves On Dope) as a producer and creative ally.
On the sound they’ve crafted, Steve told us: “What started as an experiment in genre-blending quickly became a mission: to create music that’s raw, cinematic, and painfully real. Imagine Linkin Park, Rage Against the Machine, and Korn had a bastard child raised on defiance and heartbreak. That’s Fatal Switch, a cinematic metal experience with hip-hop cadence, nu-metal angst, and hooks that stay with you long after the pit clears.”
Our latest taste of that is Apex, which was released last month and for which the music video is described as “The best wrestling song you’ll ever see! Think Linkin Park meets Limp Bizkit and RATM on a WWE stage.” It opens up with increasingly intense repeats of “There’s a brawl going down,” before a big smash of guitar chords and cymbals drop into an engaging verse of rapped vocals that begin “Swinging with the hooks thirsty knuckles got ya shook, Crooks caught in the drama snagging trouble that we cook, Larger than life more color than a comic book.” That flows into a big singalong chorus staccatoed by repeats of “It’s the apex.”
Another rapped verse follows, including the wonderful triple-rhyming line “You kumquat full of snot twist your face in a knot,” before building up to another catchy chorus. That ends with a deliciously piercing guitar solo that ends with heavier guitars teeing up a final blast of the chorus.
On the track, Steve said: “The response to Apex has been incredible, with not a single negative comment so far. It’s our most polished, strategic release to date. It fuses massive riffs with militant rap verses, an anthemic chorus, and just enough chaos to spark a mosh pit. Apex is the soundtrack for anyone who has ever fought through the dark to rise again.”
Apex is Fatal Switch’s first release in six years, following on from a couple of singles after the band’s debut album Doctors & Demons. From that, we love the feisty opening title track, which you can check out in the video below, but the album is packed with nu-metal goodness like A1L9I4E7N.
Unsurprisingly, the Fatal Switch sound draws on influences like Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine and Korn, along with rap legends like Eminem and groups like A Tribe Called Quest. but they also draw inspiration from Pink Floyd’s storytelling, The Roots’ soul, and all the classic metal bands.
And on what inspires them to write music, Steve explains: “We write for the fighters, people dealing with loss, injustice, mental battles, or societal corruption. Duality is a big theme in our music, light vs dark, rage vs restraint, grief vs rebirth. There’s no fluff in what we do. Just emotional truth, told loudly.”
If, like us, you liked what you heard with Apex then don’t worry, you won’t have to wait another six years for its follow-up. The band just shot the video for their next single B.R.E.A.K and they’ve already got two EPs ready to release, Black Sky Anthem: Dusk and Black Sky Anthem: Dawn. They’ll also be busy playing live shows, releasing more videos, dropping more merch and developing a growing crossover into the wrestling world.
And Steve added: “Fatal Switch is more than a band; it’s a franchise in the making. We’re building something that blends music, storytelling, visuals, and live energy into an experience people can feel in their bones. Whether you’re a metalhead, hip-hop head, or someone fighting to be heard, there’s a place for you in our world.”
You can follow Fatal Switch on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music, Soundcloud and YouTube.
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