HET UP!, Almighty Trigger Happy, and the Sound of Toronto Punk in 2026

HET UP! doesn't have an origin story that looks good on paper. Five guys, a pandemic, too much time indoors, and a need to do something with their hands. What came out of it was sharper, faster, and more focused than it had any right to be, and they haven't slowed down since.

Born out of the 2020 lockdowns, part cabin fever, part creative necessity, the Toronto five-piece has spent the last few years releasing music at a pace that suggests they have something to say and no intention of waiting around to say it. Four EPs since 2023. No full-lengths. No filler. Just a band that understands its own strengths and plays to them every time.

Their latest move is a split 7" with fellow Toronto outfit Almighty Trigger Happy on Cursed Blessings Records, and it's exactly the kind of pairing that makes the Canadian underground feel alive right now.

EP4: Where HET UP! Locks In

Before getting to the split, it's worth spending a moment with EP4, released in December 2025, because it's the record that shows you exactly who HET UP! has become.

Recorded at Root Down Studio in Toronto by Simon Outhit and mixed and mastered by Chris Dimas out of Regina, EP4 is clean without being polished, urgent without being sloppy. The production serves the songs rather than overshadowing them, which is a harder balance to strike than it sounds, and one that great Canadian punk bands have always seemed to get right instinctively.

Musically, HET UP! sits somewhere between melodic punk and pop-punk, with enough low-end muscle to keep things from drifting too far into sweetness. They've drawn comparisons, fair ones, to bands like Strung Out and early NOFX, and their shared stages with those acts (alongside Lagwagon, during NOFX's Punk in Drublic farewell run) make the lineage feel earned rather than claimed.

"Smile…(see you in hell)": The Standout Track

The song HET UP! brings to the split is "Smile…(see you in hell)" and it hits differently than the title might lead you to expect.

"Is about the struggle between good and evil and battling inner demons. A constant theme that can be applied in multiple aspects of life. How little choices can shape and define your path and your future. Redemption or ruin are around every corner."— Mark, HET UP!

That kind of weight could easily tip into melodrama in the wrong hands. HET UP! avoids it entirely. The song is tight, propulsive, and genuinely moving, with bright verses that open up into a breakdown that lands with real force. It's the kind of track you play twice without meaning to.

The Split: Two Toronto Bands, One Great Record

HET UP! is teaming up with internationally touring Toronto melodic-hardcore veterans Almighty Trigger Happy for a split 7" on Cursed Blessings Records, and if you're not already familiar with either band, consider this your introduction to two of punk's most compelling acts on either side of the border.

Almighty Trigger Happy have been doing this since 1991. Over the course of five full-length albums, countless tours across North America and Europe, and a devoted following on both sides of the Atlantic, they built a reputation as one of the most ferocious live acts to ever come out of Toronto, sharing stages with NOFX, Pennywise, Bad Brains, and Good Riddance at a time when the skatepunk and melodic hardcore scenes were rewriting what punk could sound like. Loud guitars, blistering drums, melodic but aggressive vocals. The kind of band that makes you understand why people fell in love with this music in the first place. They've been quiet for stretches, but a 2025 single and a new full-length in the works signal that they're far from finished.

Pairing them with HET UP!, a band carrying that same Toronto DIY DNA into 2026, isn't just a good idea. It's the kind of split that feels like a document. Two generations of the same city's punk scene on one piece of vinyl, connected by a shared belief that this music still has something to say.

The pre-order is live now through Cursed Blessings Records. Get in early.

Why You Should Care

HET UP! is the kind of band that rewards early listeners. They've done the homework, shared stages with legends, released consistently strong music, and built a real community around what they do. The split 7" with Almighty Trigger Happy is their strongest statement yet, and "Smile…(see you in hell)" is one of the best punk tracks to come out of Toronto this year.

Get in now.

Stream EP4 on Bandcamp, order the new split 7" through Cursed Blessings Records, and give HET UP! a follow on Instagram and Facebook. If the last few years are any indication, they're not slowing down anytime soon.