Scarecrowz Turn the Volume All the Way Up on “Scream Cycle” and Prove Old-School Hard Rock Still Has Teeth

“Scream Cycle,” the latest single from the Ottawa hard rock veterans’ album Husk, doesn’t waste time pretending to be subtle. Within seconds, you’re dropped straight into Drop C-tuned guitars that rumble like distant thunder, backed by a rhythm section that hits with the kind of physical punch modern rock sometimes forgets about. It is loud, unapologetic, and honestly kind of refreshing.

Scarecrowz has been grinding since 2000, long enough to watch entire waves of rock trends rise, collapse, and get recycled into TikTok aesthetics. But instead of chasing whatever algorithm rock music is trying to satisfy this week, Scarecrowz stick to their lane: big riffs, aggressive groove, and hooks that punch through the distortion.

Ger Madden’s vocals sit right in that sweet spot between grit and melody. He does not try to out-scream the guitars. Instead, he rides the groove, delivering lines that feel like they belong in a packed bar with sticky floors and a crowd shouting every word back at the stage. Trevor St. Peter’s lead guitar work cuts through the mix with sharp, confident solos that clearly come from someone raised on Metallica and Godsmack records.

What makes “Scream Cycle” work is the momentum. Todd Campbell’s drumming keeps everything moving forward like a runaway train while Kevin Tysick’s bass fills out the low end with just enough weight to make the whole track feel massive.

Thematically, the Husk album leans into imagery of harvest, cycles, and endurance. Tracks like “Children of the Corn” and “On & On” reinforce the idea that the band sees their music as a crop finally ready to be harvested after years of work.

And honestly, that metaphor tracks. This is not a band chasing virality. This is a band that has been in the soil for decades, building a sound that feels rooted in classic hard rock but still alive enough to hit modern ears. Who needs to hear this? Anyone tired of hyper-polished rock that sounds like it was designed in a marketing meeting.

“Scream Cycle” sounds like a band that still believes rock music is supposed to feel dangerous. And in 2025, that energy is weirdly rare. Scarecrowz are currently rehearsing for upcoming shows, and if this track is any indicator, those gigs are going to be loud in all the right ways.

“Scream Cycle” feels built for live chaos. When you wrote it, were you imagining the studio version first or the crowd reaction at a show? Yes, it is!  It was basically written on the spot at our rehearsal studios some years ago.  When it came time to record it, yes, we imagined what it would be like on record first.  As it is one of the more standout tracks to play live, it totally works as a live song.

You’ve been a band since 2000. What parts of modern rock culture excite you right now, and what parts make you roll your eyes? Haha, good question.  Yes, I've seen a number of bands come and go in that time, both locally and internationally.  I also love to hear something just a little different that stands out from the crowd of whatever music I am listening to.  For the heavier side, I've liked more recent acts such as Mammoth and Maneskin for what they have brought to the table.  Don't get me wrong, love all that has come before, but this is where Rock and roll will live...always looking to the future of something new.

Drop C tuning has become a signature part of your sound. Was that a deliberate identity choice or something that just naturally evolved from jamming? That was something that just evolved. In the early days, we were in different tunings, especially when trying to find that sound.  We started in standard 440, then half step down (Eb), then D tuning (our first record was in that key), and finally Drop C in 2002.  Once we started playing in that Key, I felt like I found the voice I was looking for to sing heavier music.

The Husk album imagery leans into harvest and cycles. Is that a metaphor for longevity as a band or something deeper about life stages? Both really.  It's funny how life sometimes comes around to where it started.  This year, we are celebrating the band's 25^th year.  It feels cyclical for sure.  the harvest idea i was trying to loosely base on our name, our countrified-Metal so to speak but also the carrying on the theme perhaps from the last record.  It could have been our answer to Fleetwood Mac's Tusk, but we could get as many songs out, LOL.

If a younger band asked you the one mistake most rock groups make trying to “break through” today, what would you tell them not to do? Don't copy your idols.  learn from them.  networking is pretty important, but for you to stand out, follow whatever it is YOU create.  I have taken EVERYTHING I have ever listened to and gulashed it together in some form or another to write the songs I have written.  Only afterwards, have I noticed (or sometimes others' hands) that something in a song was reminiscent of something that came before.  I'm okay with that.  It's part of me, it's part of the big picture, it's part of the rock and roll story.  Bands in the 1970s were still copying Chuck Berry Rifts for example.  Anyway, all to say is take from what you like, but make it your own.  You don't want to be up against the next Metallica if you sound like them.  Find that niche, but make it you.