Dan Hillier
Having recently signed to Church Road Records and celebrating with previous single ‘Dispirit’, Heriot’s momentum shows no sign of slowing down. They’re once more proving just why they’re one of the most exciting metal bands in the UK with latest single ‘Ten Ton Hammer’, their cover of the Machine Head classic. Weaponising their already potent brand of metallic sludge and hardcore, it’s a cover that only dials up the intensity of the original with vocalist Debbie Gough’s piercing vocals and guitars heavy enough to level entire cities. The band comment: “Amidst writing and recording new material earlier this year, this cover came to be. As fans of Machine Head, we thought it would be a great opportunity to honour a band who have not only influenced us, but who have been at the forefront of the scene for many years.” If it doesn’t make you want to run through walls, you aren’t listening loud enough. – Will Marshall
Bridging the gap between this year’s Gushing Interest EP and the LP that’s currently sat in the oven, ‘Lifer Death’ see’s self-confessed grungegazers Timelost sauntering back into the spotlight with rhythmic groove. Featuring Failure’s Kelli Scott on drums, the track is a downtempo yet irresistibly catchy ode to the nature of being a lifer in the world of art that once again see’s the band swimming the mire of reverb that’s also shared by acts such as Nothing, Narrow Head and Hum. “’Lifer Death’ is about the frustrations of being a “lifer” in music, art, whatever”, state the band on the track. “Realizing and accepting that things don’t always work out the way you dreamt upwhen you were young. Even if it kills you, it’s not about “making it” anymore, it’ just who you are and what you do. Life or death.” – Dan Hillier
After a lengthy hiatus, ‘Refuturing’ see’s Maybeshewill reclaiming their place atop the global post-rock hierarchy. The Leicester troupe’s first material since 2014 and the lead single from their forthcoming LP No Feeling Is Final, the single is a lush, beautiful and intricately weaved tapestry of neo-classical marred by post rock that carries volumes of potent emotion despite it’s purely instrumental nature. Much like the rest of their finely attuned discography, the track is toweringly cinematic in scope and swells in intensity and fearless purpose in order to portray the human condition in all it’s problematic and self-destructive nature. “Conceptually, ‘Refuturing’, and the album as a whole, is concerned with the existential dread surrounding the climate crisis”, states guitarist Robin Southbury. “[It’s] how we understand our complicity in the crisis within the confines of our current morality system and ‘refuturing’ – rejecting existing power structures used to subjugate, and reimagining a future built on entirely new systems that are sustainable and beneficial to all.” No Feeling Is Final releases November 19th via the Robot Needs Home Collective, and if this spellbinding single is anything to go by, it’s set to be one of the finest offers to come from the world of post rock this year. – Dan Hillier
Much akin to the haunting album art of their forthcoming release Your Time To Shine, the latest single from the Swedish doom trio straddles the thin, faint line dividing beauty and desolation. The second single to be taken from the group’s aforementioned new body of work, ‘I’ll Be Damned’ is a granulating and crushing affair that’s faintly wistful in the way it obverses the grace in bleak finality. However, above all else, it’s simply irresistible; even catchy despite it’s purely raw finish. This may be desolate listening, especially with the record it’s taken from detailing how we’re leaving nothing but ruin for our future generations, but regardless, it’s still crucial for anyone with even a passing penchant for doom. – Dan Hillier
London-based alt-rock quartet Hawxx recently released their latest single ‘Death of Silence’; originally inspired by the #MeToo movement, the song is a call for empowerment and solidarity with marginalised and oppressed communities. Opening with warlike drums, it swiftly erupts into their trademark swaggering groove. Guitarist and lead vocalist Anna said of the song, “’Death of silence’ means the death of shame. Shame has deeply shaped us as a society and erodes our capacity for real systemic change. To fight and speak out against those that silence us creates a movement and momentum that is contagious. Nothing can stop it. This is a song of solidarity, a song about finding the power in our voice, our words instead of our collective shame and fear.” – Will Marshall
Taken from their upcoming self-titled third album, Zeal & Ardor’s latest single ‘Götterdämmerung’ is sung mainly in German – Frontman Manuel Gagneux comments, “‘Götterdämmerung’ is our most bare bones song yet. No gimmicks, no frills, no distractions, just rage. Most of it is in German commanding your attention and heralding the dawn of a new point of view. This is Götterdämmerung.” He’s not wrong, as it opens with a simple guitar before upending that with a chugging groove. Furious screams sit alongside his soulful croon and even a brief melodic intermission without the song ever losing intensity or letting up. It’s a furious, scathing track that alongside the three already-released singles, really does beg the question of whether Zeal & Ardor can do any wrong at this point. – Will Marshall
Self-styled doomed heavy metallers Khemmis have unveiled the second single ‘House of Cadmus’, taken from their impending fourth album Deceiver. It’s a profound song, representing the emotional lowest point of the album. Crushing riffs collide with yearning vocals that plead for salvation, describing a bleak outlook while retaining a glimmer of hope. Vocalist and guitarist Phil Pendergast says of the themes, “We are all weighed down by some aspect of our lives: addiction, abuse, mental illness, fear, regret, and shame, to name a few. These traumas distort our views of ourselves, of each other, and of the world around us. But these are merely stories we tell ourselves, and no matter how all-encompassing they may feel, these stories cannot define us.” – Will Marshall
Crossfaith’s new single ‘Feel Alive’ swaps raging guitars and harsh vocals for a melodic drum and bass vibe, a euphoric release of pure high energy radiance, this sees the band take on new sounds vastly different to anything they’ve released in the past. After a string of new single releases from the band, it’s currently unclear if they’re gearing up for a new album or EP release, it seems like the band have been busy enough in the studio recently to indicate more new things to come. – Elliot Grimmie
London grime-punk trio Pengshui lash out with hefty new single ‘Break The Law’. Featuring grime king P Money, the track features blaring alarm-like electronics and effortlessly flowing bars from both P Money and the bands own frontman Illaman. The double power hit of these two lyrical craftmasters propels the song forward at maximum velocity in such fashion that only Pengshui are capable of. There’s no band out there mixing grime and punk elements quite as seamlessly as this one. – Elliot Grimmie
Sanguisugabogg certainly caused a bit of a stir back in Spring with the release of their provocative debut Tortured Whole, but love them or loathe them, the death metal sensations are back with their new track ‘Sewer, Skewer’. As one can expect, it’s filth and smut ridden outing, one complete with the band’s trademark view on the death metal genre. The release of the track coincides the announcement of the re-release of their fan hailed demo Pornographic Seizures, and whilst it may not feature that sensational snare ping from , it’s still abound to appeal to everyone who enjoys their death metal gruesome, vile and utterly obscene. – Dan Hillier