Mil-Spec don’t do press cycles. The release of both their 2020 breakthrough debut, World House, and 2023’s Marathon came without much advance warning. That’s once again true with the out-of-nowhere drop of the Toronto progressive melodic hardcore band’s new eponymous EP. Something tells these pages that when it comes to calendars and time, they’ve no regard for any of that. Its leadoff track “When the Music Ends” is a highlight worth paying special attention to that reinforces that idea, especially in its extended state as heard in its accompanying visuals.

Initially, the sextet’s constant craft holds true in being a timeless one in its sound and convictions — vocalist Andrew Pedan is right up there with Fiddlehead / Have Heart / How Much Art frontman Patrick Flynn in the impassioned shout-along department while guitarists Dan Darrah, Matt Laforge and Codey Thompson whip up big cascading riffs that are both heavy and levitational as drummer Jacob Hellas and Brandon MacFarlane ensure the beat keeps their pace from fraying in momentum. All this, that is, up until it actually does break free from the continuum and Mil-Spec jams hardcore into the psychedelic, finding a groove with it all that could go on infinitely. If the music went on forever, would that be such a bad thing?

Mil-Spec’s Mil-Spec is available now on Lockin’ Out.