A.A. Williams – Splinter
Ahead of her US headline tour, A.A. Williams has released a standalone single ‘Splinter’ through Robot Needs Home. It might not be a hint of a new album, but it does hint at her continued evolution as a musician and songwriter. Delving into melodramatic goth and even more doom than last album As The Moon Rests, ‘Splinter’ is a haunting song that deals with the challengss of change in life, particularly those necessary for someone to move on. At points A.A. Williams even channels a little Electric Wizard, but her arresting, yearning vocal performance marks this out as uniquely her. She explains, “Splinter is a song of realisation, of recognising that things have gone too far, of seeing that we finally need to acknowledge how we feel in order to grow.” – Will Marshall
Mastodon x Lamb of God – Floods of Triton
Fresh off their collaborative Ashes of Leviathan tour, metal titans Mastodon and Lamb of God have come together once more with the riotous ‘Floods of Triton’. The track definitely leans harder towards the prog-tinged, sludgy Mastodon brand, but Randy Blythe’s iconic vocals offer a fresh and brutal cherry on top of some classic Mastodon riffs that at times seems to be playfully nudging us in the ribs with its callbacks to classic tracks from both band’s back catalogues. The duelling guitar solo is classic metal collab flexing at its finest, and while being a relatively tame sub 5 minutes in runtime there’s plenty of meat on the bones for repeat listens. – Tim Dorning
Yvette Young – Always
Yvette Young returns with her first true solo release since 2019’s Piano EP. ‘Always’ marks a new direction in Young’s already-storied career, breaking free of her math rock past to embrace her undeniable talent for hazy, melodic nostalgia. The perfect soundtrack to the slow retreat of summer as the leaves turn and the nights draw in, ‘Always’ is slathered in ear candy and beautifully arranged – undeniably pop, but unafraid to explore into lo-fi and take instrumental tangents along the way. This sounds like a form of artistic bloodletting, a phenomenally gifted artist bleeding directly onto tape and transforming her demons and hardships into a gorgeously optimistic piece of art. – Tim Dorning
Love Rarely – Mould
The latest offering from Leeds-based math rock outfit Love Rarely is a dynamic and ferocious affair, offering not just technical complexity, but substantial power and infectiousness. ‘Mould’ rips through a variety of polyrhythms and time signatures, with jangly noodling guitar passages draped over chunky, distorted bass. There’s a compelling and distinctive vocal performance that delivers both ethereal melodies and vicious screamed passages, providing both moments to sing along to, and moments to bust out your best two-step. All of this is brought together with production and mixing that makes the track feel wonderfully polished without losing any of its jagged, post-hardcore edge. With a formula like this, Love Rarely feel destined to blow up. – Ryan Ward
Happy Accidents – Blink
The latest single to be taken from the band’s upcoming record Edit Undo – released September 27th via Alcopop! Records – ‘Blink’ is a wonderfully breezy breath of fresh air from indie-punk duo Happy Accidents. Dropping just after the band’s first show in five years, the track is simply radiant with a sense of genuine meaning and earnestness, the kind of zeal and heavy purpose that’s palpable and doesn’t compromise the track’s soothing, almost cathartic nature. But if anything, it’s just another ode to Happy Accident‘s skill in making music that’s just undeniably cathartic. “Blink centres around the moments in between sentences, the hidden meanings, the unspoken. Communicating the most through not speaking at all”, states guitarist and vocalist Rich Mandell. “Sometimes, words get in the way of what you actually want to say. The verses are full of contradictions – the webs that you can tie yourself up in with words. But sometimes when you say less, it all makes sense.” – Dan Hillier
Sixth Wonder – Escalate
Glaswegian “djent-pop” outfit Sixth Wonder‘s latest single ‘Escalate’ is their second of the year and shows the group’s continued evolution and penchant for writing heavy metalcore hooks with pop sensibilities. Where previous single ‘BRUTAS’ did its damage in just over 2 minutes, ‘Escalate’ settles into a solid groove at near twice the length and gets to explore more ground because of it. There’s something of Courtney LaPlante in Rebekah Kirk’s savage screams, but the clean singing showcases winding melodies all Sixth Wonder’s own, and the post-breakdown chorus lifts the song even higher. They might be a young band, but there’s something special brewing that modern metalcore fans should be keeping an eye on. – Will Marshall
Tayne – Down
A product of beauty and chaos, the new single from noise pop industrialists Tayne perfectly embodies the band’s binding theme of exploring love as a catalyst for conflict. Directly exploring the history of Matthew Sutton’s (vocals/bass) father as a gay man in a heterosexual marriage whilst living in a time and place where homosexuality was outlawed, the track perfectly balances the tension, pull and conflict of such a situation and the release that the end of such personal hostilities bring. Anyone with even a passing interest in acts such as HEALTH and Author & Punisher will find plenty to adore here, especially with the band’s focus on producing visual narrations that run parallel to their musical work. “The artwork and music videos leaned into telling a story based on my own father’s conflicts with love”, states Sutton. “My dad being a family man, married with kids and then realising he was gay, coming out, navigating those tribulations and transforming his life and finding love and acceptance again. The three acts of the story were broken into each individual video. The Conflict, The Transformation & The Acceptance / Celebration. ‘Down’ examines my dad’s “conflict” in love, the focus in this case deals with his sexuality. Being married in a heterosexual relationship but understanding the reality of being gay man is a big conflict. I can’t imagine the tension and angst that must’ve brought.” – Dan Hillier
Jinjer – Rogue
Ukrainian metalcore chuggers Jinjer aren’t exactly known for their reserved approach to the genre but their new track, “Rogue” ranks up there as one of their most intense and heaviest efforts yet. Angular with plenty of heft behind it, there’s plenty of the band’s signature technical take on the genre. In the words of the band, it’s a track that is a “reaction to many things” and you can feel that in every note. Perhaps missing that clean chorus the band have made their name with, it still manages to be catchy and will delight long time fans and new alike, it teases the direction the band will be heading in on what’s assumed to b their as yet unannounced, new record. – Chris Earl
August Burns Red – Exhumed
The exemplars of consistency, August Burns Red have dropped a new track ahead of their annual Christmas Burns Red shows. Much more straightforward than the ambitious tracks shown on their last record, ‘Exhumed’ is a no bullshit riff and chug rest with a gnarly guitar solo thrown in for good measure. Described by the band as showing off their hardcore influences, there’s definitely a bit of old school grit about this track, particularly in its inspirational, fist in the air lyrics. As a standalone metalcore track, it’s one of the best of the year and will surely lead to some pretty disturbing scenes when it’s played live, particularly during the breakdown call of “my demons die today”, which scratches that primal itch in your brain so damn good. – Chris Earl
Slung – Neurotic
The members of this act may be spread all across the continent, but Slung spiritually call the fertile sands of Brighton home. Nothing quite embodies this more than their new track ‘Neurotic’. A groove-laden alt-grunge swagger that harkens thoughts of the fuzz and sleaze of the 90s, the track instantly showcases how Slung have perfected their proof of concept and bares witness to the fluid chemistry that fuels their craft. It’s still early days for the band, but going from tracks like this Slung are no doubt set for big things in the coming months. – Dan Hillier