After ten years of silence, Edmonton’s hardcore band Tension have found their way back — older, sharper, and with something heavier on their minds.
The group, formerly known as Ringleader, first formed in 2009, toured across Canada and parts of the U.S., and self-released a full-length before life caught up with them. “Ringleader sort of did what it was meant to and we all kind of wanted to try other stuff,” says vocalist Andrew Elter. “The band never really ended. We stopped writing music but we’ve consistently talked every day for over a decade since. When we started writing again there was a collective sense of a sort of return to normal and we all kind of needed it.”
That return arrived under a new name — Tension, a new rock’n’roll and heavy metal infused beast fed on d-beat hardcore.
“Ringleader was a product of a different time in our lives,” Elter explains. “We’ve all grown up a lot since and felt like a clean slate and a new name with Tension was a natural next step.” Over the past year, they’ve released three songs, with a new single out on October 1st and several more waiting on final vocal takes.
The newest track, “Drought,” dives into what Andrew calls “the commodification of our basic needs.” He continues, “I don’t think anyone is under any illusion that the things we need have become more expensive. You have the CEO of Nestle arguing that water isn’t a human right and Blackstone buying entire neighbourhoods of single family homes to use as rental revenue. This kind of thing will piss you off enough to write a song about it, y’know?”
That same frustration runs through their three-song EP “High Tension,” which Andrew says “shares a very similar lyrical approach and agenda.” The songs are direct and urgent, driven by the same uncompromising energy that once took Ringleader across the continent — but grounded now in perspective and lived experience.
The band’s influences reach wide, from Tragedy and Anti-Cimex to Motörhead, Wolfbrigade, and Cursed, along with “a ton of ’70s hard rock and garage rock.” That blend shows in Tension’s sound — raw but controlled, with an undercurrent of grit that feels earned.
Back home in Edmonton, Andrew sees a scene that’s cycling upward again. “The hardcore/punk scene goes through phases of attendance size growing and shrinking. I’d say that’s true of most mid-sized cities. Right now, it’s a lot of younger kids getting in to it and starting bands. It’s on the upswing,” he says. “Some of the bands have stuck it out over the years as well. Demise is still cranking out really good stuff and Homefront is killing it. We’re lucky to have the promoters we do who have worked consistently since we were kids to keep Edmonton music scene alive. Tyson, John and Mattie to name a few.”
Tension’s new material was recorded with Lealand Grauwiler, who handled both recording and mixing duties for “Drought” and the “High Tension” EP. Mastering came from Ryan Kennedy, with artwork contributions from Emily Bueckert (“High Tension”) and Robbie Cronin (“Drought”). Photos were shot by Andrew Elter.
For Ryan Bodner and his bandmates, this comeback isn’t about chasing nostalgia or picking up where they left off — it’s about expression and community. “Our goal is to just get music out there and hopefully inspire the younger community to do the same.”
