Their very name speaks of perseverance and a fierce desire to craft music that will radiate to every corner of the modern world. Tenacity is a message reflected not only in their designation and their music, but also in their actions. It comes as small surprise then to hear that this band has cut their teeth on tour across the nation on four separate endeavors, surviving the standard member changes, broken vans, and the relentless pressure to conform over the years. The product of all this tempering is a collective and absolute artistic vision. One Shot Left brands rock music with a defiant mark, fuelling amiable and sincere melody with ferocious metallic riffs. Drummer Chad Schebelbien’s menace and bassist Justin Brown’s resolution drive each social anthem with convergent vigor. It is this backdrop that sets the stage for a personal-side-of-political lyrical arena, in which singer/guitarists Jeff Barrett and Blair Cooney toss vocal hooks back and forth between limber guitar leads. Their musical methods show maturity (and occasional doses of humour) tantamount to their road-tested character. The band’s lineage, unlike their music, is a familiar story: four confined small-town (Medicine Hat, Alberta to be precise) teenagers meet in a parent’s basement armed with instruments and ready to rock. The kids sharpen their musical skills, grow adventurous, and begin touring. The real world deals its share of blows to the band, boys grow into men, and those members left standing arrive at the promising present. The story itself is so common among today’s most notable artists that it might almost be a recipe for success. Despite this auspicious notion, that “success” is not a part of the band’s mandate. “The way it makes me feel // the way it makes you smile // looking down onstage // I’m glad I’ve walked this mile // the friends we’ve made // the moments shared // when all is said and done,” reads the chorus to closing track “The Journey” on One Shot Left’s new album: Restitution. The lyrics themselves reflect the band’s anti-glamour stance and agenda for connecting with its audience, while the sonic delivery pummels the message home. Complemented by Travis Saunders’ (Maverick/Warner recording engineer) coproduction, “The Journey” and the ten other mini-epics on the band’s sophomore effort are delivered with potency. Alberta-based Meter Records ran a limited release of Restitution in June 2006 as One Shot Left headed out on their fifth tour across Canada. The group, more determined than ever, are pleased to offer their most robust album yet, and look forward to bringing it to the world in the summer of 2007 as Meter reissues the record with an additional track on both vinyl and CD. ### Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.