The Flatliners’ relentless work ethic turned them into a major force in Canada’s heavy music scene. Formed in 2002 outside Toronto, the band toured the country and honed their live chops for a few years before releasing a debut album, Destroy To Create, in 2005, blending no-nonsense punk and blistering ska. A couple of years later, the group signed to the iconic Fat Wreck Chords and began shifting away from the upstroke. On later records, like The Great Awake (2007) and Cavalcade (2010), vocalist Chris Cresswell wears his heart on his sleeve for ‘90s-indebted songs including the muscular “Monumental”. Through constant touring and albums like 2022’s hooky New Ruin, The Flatliners influenced Canadian punk, which is audible in the melodic bruising of bands like PUP; they’re building their own legacy while passing the torch to new generations of misfits.