Beneath Augusta was the evolution of (criminally under-appreciated) Toronto space-rock/shoegaze act Mellonova. After parting ways with their rhythm section, singer/guitarist Michael Brennan and guitarist Matthew Cromarty formed a new band and named it after one of the tracks on their self-titled EP. (likely welcoming the opportunity to no longer be mistaken for melanoma). The band released just one album: You Gotta Come Down Sometime. Citing boredom with the space-rock formula, the group traded in a wall of reverb for a fuzz pedal and exchanged angst for rage. The lead-off track “Satellites,” a re-recording of a Mellonova song, spoke to the difference in philosophy.

Brennan’s strength has always been his penchant for moodiness and melodrama. On the song “Security Wires” he and Cromarty use duelling arpeggios to build tension as the song comes close to exploding but never quite reaches that point. A similar approach is used on the restless “Ten To Three”. There are a handful of straightforward rockers in there in “Silhouettes In Tow”, “Knees Buck From Under” and “Gatherine of Lawlessness.” My personal favourite track on the record, Cromarty’s “Exhibition Hall A” is a loud sea-song of sorts. Unable to resist using some old tricks, album closer “Shaking The Post” makes the most obvious use of the build-build-explode dynamic.

Sadly, You Gotta Come Down Sometime didn’t take off and after losing their second drummer in as many years, the band split up. A shame because some of their best material (including a loud-as-hell space-dirge) went unrecorded.