Canadian vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Doug Harrison, known for his progressive rock outfit FEN, is excited to share his solo project SLUG COMPARISON’s third album, “A Battle to the End Fought on the Edge of a Knife,” out now, as of May 9th, 2025.
Recorded over the same period as Fen‘s Dear Mouse (Sept 2024). Both recordings had been a long time coming, and then by chance, they converged to completion at the same time.
“It became a bit of a competition to see which one would be mastered first. In the end, it was pretty much a tie, because I had a couple of recalls for the Slug Comparison master, but I wanted to put out Dear Mouse first, because it had been so bloody long in the making, and we were desperate to wash our hands of it,” adds Harrison.
Slug Comparison‘s previous records were built on the layering of electric and acoustic guitars, and earnest, melodic vocals. This latest 11-song album has abandoned the acoustics and is more riff-heavy to lean into his early influence of grunge.
Harrison comments:
“For past albums, it was tricky keeping the momentum going with half the songs being acoustic and light and the other half being heavy-ish. This time around, electric guitars carry the listener from beginning to end. A straight-up rock album. That was the goal. And lyrically, it follows in the tradition of songs like AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way to the Top,” the difference being that Slug Comparison hasn’t left the house yet. A Battle to the End Fought on the Edge of a Knife is a grief statement about the abandonment of rockstar dreams. It’s also a collection of yearnings, regrets, and celebrations along the way.”
“A Battle to the End Fought on the Edge of a Knife” was written by Harrison along with vocals, guitar, bass, and programming. He is joined by drummer Flavio Cirillo (Art of Dying, Puddle of Mudd), along with a collaboration on the song “Wish to Adapt” with Matt McCallum. Mixing was done by Ben Kaplan (Biffy Clyro, Bend Sinister, Ninjaspy, Mother Mother, Corb Lund) and mastering by Brock McFarlane at CPS Mastering (Mother Mother, Corb Lund).
Harrison does assure fans that future releases will continue to explore the moody, acoustic-based territories that defined his earlier work. After this album, fans can expect a new EP from Slug Comparison in 2026. Recommended for fans of Mother Mother, The Killers, and Porcupine Tree, “A Battle to the End Fought on the Edge of a Knife”is available at the following links:
Spotify – https://spoti.fi/452Fk2t
Bandcamp – https://slugcomparison.bandca
Song Stream –“Wish to Adapt” – https://youtu.be/zCntMSHpp1A
Song Stream – “March Through the Forest” –https://youtu.be/WPwp061C0ZU
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Track Listing:
1. Wish to Adapt (3:46)
2. March through the Forest (3:54)
3. Game of Repression (3:57)
4. Undead Plots (4:06)
5. Outta the Jam (4:51)
6. A Battle to the End Fought on the Edge of a Knife (4:13)
7. Too Much Love (5:04)
8. Metal Roots Came Twisting (6:45)
9. Played for a Centipede (2:36)
10. Of Being Apart (5:19)
11. Hamsters in a Tub (3:02)
Album Length: 47:33
More info: Slugcomparison.com | Instagram.com/slugcomparison |Facebook.com/slugcomparison
