Make Them Suffer Collaborate With Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante on ‘Contraband’

Aussie metal outfit Make Them Suffer have teamed up with fellow upstart rocker Courtney LaPlante of Spiritbox to deliver moments of pure pummeling mixed with hypnotic melody on the new song “Contraband.”

This marks the first collaboration of the band’s career and it’s fitting as LaPlante definitely leaves her mark on the song. The end result is a track that lands its mark, rocking you to the core with a little sweetness thrown in to even things out. The track is also notable for what the band calls their “floppy fingers riff.”

“‘Contraband’ came together centered around one of the riffs in the song that we’d aptly named the ‘floppy fingers’ riff,” says vocalist Sean Harmanis. “We’d actually had this [riff] in the bank since way back in 2016. As the song came together, we decided that it was a great opportunity to include Make Them Suffer’s first-ever guest feature, and we couldn’t have picked anyone better than Courtney! She was a joy to work with and showed such a great enthusiasm toward the song and her parts.”

As for the track’s subject matter, Harmanis adds, “Lyrically, the song is about everything and nothing at the same time. It’s about relationships with friends and family. But it’s also a low-key political song, as well as an expression of the frustrations surrounding COVID and its impact on our lives, particularly as members of the music community.”

He concludes, “‘Contraband’ is a build up — the result of two years without musical catharsis.” Get a closer look at the lyrics and video below and pick up the track here.

Make Them Suffer Featuring Courtney LaPlante, “Contraband” Lyrics

They want you dead.
They want you finished.
They want you signed, sealed and delivered.
Sent to the grave.
A flame extinguished.
Another crooked soul to be relinquished.

Repressed, another patient admitted.
Depressed, another lie contradicted.
Regress, go figure no fucking answers.
Except to save yourself at the expense of another

Contraband won’t protect you,
when there’s a contract on your head.
So tell me why you’re killing all your friends.
Contraband won’t protect you.
Not when the war’s inside your head.
So tell me why you’re killing all your friends.

Ghost, lifeline,
Will you come save me.
They want you dead.
They want you finished.
They want you signed, sealed and delivered.
Sent to your end.
A flame extinguished.
Another crooked soul to relinquish.

You keep telling us to die for something, and yet you fight for nothing.

Ghost, lifeline,
Getting help from you is a fine line.
Ghost, lifeline,
You could build a home from all your lies.
Contraband won’t protect you,
when there’s a contract
on your head.
So tell me why you’re killing all your friends.
Contraband won’t protect you.
Not when the war’s inside your head.
So tell me why you’re killing all your friends.

Ghost, lifeline, will you come save me?
Pick me, pick me, pick me.

They want you dead.
Pray for the end.

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Make Them Suffer (Featuring Courtney LaPlante), “Contraband”