NEWS RELEASE
Montreal, QC – September 10, 2026
Out Now! FEN’s Doug Harrison’s Solo Project SLUG COMPARISON’s New EP “Cold in Cold out”
|
|
Doug Harrison – Photo Credit – Peter Wiholm
Canadian (Victoria, BC) songwriter Doug Harrison, best known as the vocalist for progressive rock/metal band Fen, unveils his solo project Slug Comparison’s new EP, “Cold in Cold out,” available everywhere now. The six‑track collection marks a deliberate shift back toward the project’s introspective, atmospheric roots, trading electric urgency for slow‑burn emotional weight.
Moving away from the upfront rock production of his 2025 album “A Battle to the End Fought on the Edge of a Knife”, this new offering of “Cold in Cold out” leans into the spacious, layered acoustic textures reminiscent of Fen’s “Trails Out of Gloom” that was released on Ripple Music. Across its six tracks, the EP dwells in a depressive, reflective territory, an environment Harrison admits he’s glad to return to. Harrison encourages listeners to experience the EP in full.
“These songs rely more on mood than hooks. The instant gratification isn’t there. The songs are a slow release. For best results, they should be listened to all in a row, privately, and in headphones,” adds Harrison.
The EP’s writing process was an experiment in speed, an attempt to break the long gaps between Fen and Slug Comparison releases. Harrison set out to write and record several songs within a year, ultimately overshooting by only a few months. For the EP, he also collaborated with drummer Randall Stoll (Boulevard, KD Lang, Tom Cochrane), who brought the songs to life in the studio, while Sheldon Zaharko added depth and character through mixing. Harrison handled all writing, arrangement, and instrumentation before drums were added.
The EP unfolds as a sequence of stark, emotionally charged vignettes. “Tongue of the Hollow” opens the record with an acoustic homage shaped by a verse riff echoing Nirvana’s “Something in the Way,” lyrically telling the story of a dying man surrounded by bewildered cats and soothed only by the upstairs neighbour’s nightly singing. “To Whom Would You Answer” relives a spiraling closed-door encounter with gatekeepers bent on extracting an assurance of loyalty. “Back to the World” reflects on reconnecting with an old friend who has survived a dark chapter, stirring guilt, hope, and a confrontation with one’s own neglected demons. “Burden of Life” deepens the EP’s somber emotional terrain, while the title track “Cold in Cold out” meditates on the lonely trial of human existence, its pain, exhaustion, fleeting wonder, and the recurring question of how long it all must continue. The closing piece “No Healer” follows a fevered final journey beneath a jungle canopy, surrendering to whatever forces guide the end of one’s existence.
Recommended for fans of Nirvana, Katatonia, Porcupine Tree, The Pineapple Thief, Fen, and Mark Lanegan, “Cold in Cold Out” offers a brooding, introspective journey into Harrison’s most personal and imaginary songwriting yet.
“Cold in Cold Out” is now on all major streaming platforms.
Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/album/6lN49YhB6T8TzH5R7IpBJD
Bandcamp – https://slugcomparison.bandcamp.com/album/cold-in-cold-out
Single Stream – Tongue of the Hollow – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUziXxuV0uY
|
|
Track Listing:
1. Tongue of the Hollow (4:01)
2. To Whom Would You Answer (3:47)
3. Back to the World (4:03)
4. Burden of Life (4:44)
5. Cold in Cold out (5:31)
6. No Healer (4:36)
EP Length: 26:42
EP Recording Credits:
• All songs performed by Slug Comparison
• All songs written by Doug Harrison
• Produced by Doug Harrison
• Mixed by Sheldon Zaharko
• Mastered by Brock McFarlane at CPS Mastering
• Album Artwork by Inkantation
• Member of SOCAN
• Canadian Content (MAPL)
EP Lineup:
Doug Harrison: vocals, guitar, bass, programming, songwriting, production
Randall Stoll: drums
More info:
https://www.instagram.com/slugcomparison
https://www.facebook.com/slugcomparison
-30-
“A moment with SLUG COMPARISON has always been an emotional and musical exploration from the heart of one of rock’s finest songwriters and Cold in Cold out continues that particular seduction to offer one seriously thrilling and inspiring proposal.” – The Ring Master Review
“so much emotion, so much to ponder, so much complexity even while on the surface seeming so simple.” –Stephen Conrad, Prog Archives
“a mix of Pink Floyd and Simon & Garfunkel.” –Melodic.net
“un superbe album.” –Prog Et +
“The album takes us through the self-doubt, denial, and defiance of the artist and is another mini-masterpiece delivered under the Slug Comparison banner. 10/10” –SonicAbuse
“In no way “progressive” in the traditional sense, there is a depth to each composition, and a variation in styles across the album, that rewards careful listening.” –DPRP
“Harrison’s voice tends to have a grungy quality, but it also unfolds in epic, theatrical, or simply beautifully melodic ways.” –Musikreviews (translated from German)
“modern, emotionally rich, and laced with just enough grunge to hit us right in the feels.” –Mandatory Music
“The highlight is a twisted power ballad about having much too much of a good thing (Too Much Love).” –Here Comes the Flood
“progressive and alternative inclinations align with dark rock, punk and other rich hues. It makes for a palette of surprise and unpredictable adventure” –The RingMaster Review
“One of my favourite songs of the year” (about “Bringer of Doom”) –Dutch Progressive Rock Radio
“Simply engulfs the imagination and emotions” -The Ringmaster Reviews
—
ASHER MEDIA RELATIONS
Jon Asher – Music Publicist
#.514.581.5780
jon[@]ashermediarelations[.]com
Facebook @AsherMediaRelations
Instagram @AsherMedia
Tweet @AsherMedia
ashermediarelations.com 
Comments
Trackbacks & Pingbacks
No incoming links found yet.