Few bands in Britain have exploded and managed to maintain their initial momentum like Heriot. The disgustingly crushing H8000 worshippers have just announced their debut album Devoured by the Mouth of Hell to great fanfare and anticipation, and to whet whistles even more, they’ve a brand new track, ‘Foul Void’, to tide fans over. Heriot aren’t ones for doing things in half measures, and this track is one that certainly lives upto its name. Sludgy, abrasive, and at times, almost intimidatingly claustrophobic, it’s given a further dose of unease by the dying banshee-esque wails of Debbie Gough, one of the best modern extreme metal vocalists. Yet amongst the grime, the lumbering filth there’s moments of haunting beauty, like fleeting moments of heaven as you sink deeper into an unforgiving pit of hell. A must-listen, and the stage is set for Heriot to take the scene by storm. – Chris Earl
When Lamb of God, one of the most legendary metal bands of modern times announced a special edition of Ashes Of The Wake, their seminal 20-year-old masterpiece, there was the usual muted anticipation for B-sides and demos. However, as a pretty fantastic treat, we’ve got an existing B-side re-recorded with two special guest vocalists. ‘Another Nail for Your Coffin’ has been given a production spruce up With Matt Honeycutt and Alex Taylor (of Kublai Khan TX and Malevolence respectively) lending their voices to things. Going toe-to-toe with Randy Blythe is no easy task, but the two guests are powerhouses in their own right. It’s a track that probably only diehard LoG fans will have heard before so for newer listeners, it’ll feel like a brand new track, albeit one that has a lot of Ashes Of The Wake hallmarks. It may only end up being a curio in the grand catalogue of the band, but it’s a fun one all the same. – Chris Earl
After shocking alt types the world over with their debut single ‘It’s Supposed To Hurt’, relative ‘super-duo’ House Of Protection are back with yet another bolt from the blue. A confrontational battery of melodic hardcore in the vein of Comeback Kid and Graphic Nature, the track see’s Stephen Harrison (The Chariot, Fever 333) and Eric Importa (Night Verses, Fever 333) leaning into the realm of popular metalcore with genuine energy and progression aplomb. This, tied with the immaculate production one has come to expect of Jordan Fish, leads to ‘Learn To Forget’ solidifying House Of Protection as being one of the most promising bands in modern metalcore. If this is anything to go by, the band’s debut UK show at the Underworld in October is going to be quite frankly daft. – Dan Hillier
Rising alt-metal stars Mallavora continue their upward trajectory with new single ‘Skin’, blending ferocious metalcore energy with conscious lyrics and catchy melodies. Produced by Skindred guitarist Mikey Demus, ‘Skin’ sees the Bristol quartet finding their unique voice with powerful vocals and punchy riffs backed up by complex sonic textures and defiant lyrics channeling bands like Spiritbox and Saint Agnes. Voted as the winners of Kerrang’s The Deal competition, Mallovara are due to open the Avalanche stage at this year’s Download Festival and release their upcoming EP through Marshall Records, with their dynamic live performances and relentless alt-metal spirit this up-and-coming four-piece are sure to go far. – Tom Bruce
Another Aussie hardcore band making waves right now, Speed are practically the perfect hardcore band. Uplifting scenes and shining lights on them wherever they tour by way of short documentaries and delivering mosh anthems with every single track, the gang called Speed simply can’t miss. The second single off their debut LP Only One Mode, ‘The First Test’ is another slab of riffs, two-step parts and ferocious barked vocals from Jem Siow. The grooving breakdown halfway through gets even more satisfying and anthemic though by an unlikely inclusion – Jem on the flute. It serves to underscore just how hard the band go and ‘The First Test’ is another prime example of why they’re one of the most exciting bands around. – Will Marshall
One of the most legendary, unique death metal bands to ever exist, Nile are back and ready to take you on a journey deep into the realm of ancient Egyptian history. Their first new track since 2019 is titled – deep breath -‘Chapter for Not Being Hung Upside Down on a Stake in the Underworld and Made to Eat Feces By the Four Apes’. It’s a scathing, brutal slab of death metal, given the band’s signature edge by lyrics that regularly pull from the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Ahead of their tenth studio album, The Underworld Awaits Us All, it’s great to see that the veterans of over 30 years haven’t slowed down a single bit. The track itself is a medley of machine gun drumming, sinister vocals and technical yet fierce riffs. It may not be the easiest of song titles to remember, but the track itself is a fantastic reminder that Nile, when on form, are untouchable. – Chris Earl
The most charismatic set of pipes in prog-metal return with the lead single from Leprous‘ upcoming album Melodies of Atonement. This time, Einar Solberg finds himself crooning over a groove-laden track that lurches from industrial and hip-hop styled beats to thundering choruses laden with sludgy guitars and staccato leads. ‘Atonement’ plays with dynamics and pacing in a way that few bands can pull off, building to peaks and troughs of such wildly varying texture and mood that it feels much longer than its concise 5 minute runtime. As always, the vocals are the guiding light throughout the song, and Solberg continues to impress with just how much power and emotion he can inject in to anything he touches. – Tim Dorning
At the beginning of the year, Kaonashi set the standard by releasing a hellacious, deeply personal EP The 3 Faces of Beauty: A Violent Misinterpretation Of Morgan Montgomery. A mix of intense, bug-eyed hardcore and almost La Dispute level emotional toil, it spawned one of their most popular tracks and exposed them to a wider audience. It may come as a surprise then, that the first release off their second EP of the year is more akin to traditional, introspective emo than aural chaos. ‘Passing Through the Hourglass’ is a mix of Balance and Composure style melancholic beauty and Touche Amore‘s direct lyrical battering. It will be very interesting when A Second Chance At Forever: The Brilliant Lies From Casey Diamond comes out on July 26 if the rest of the tracks take this approach or if it’s simply a demonstration of the band expanding their sound. – Chris Earl
Hot off a UK headline run culminating in their first-ever festival performance at Slam Dunk this weekend, LA pop rock duo Honey Revenge have released the first single off the deluxe edition of debut album Retrovision. ‘Recipe for Disaster’. Vocalist Devin Papadol describes it as “one for the overthinkers,” as the lyrics tackle her “curiosity for where I’ll be a year from now, wondering if I’ll become more level headed. There’s an internal discussion regarding my struggles with change and pondering what “could’ve been” if certain scenarios played out differently.” Musically, it’s the Y2K-loving pop rock they’re so beloved for, with propulsive earworm hooks and electronic elements, including a dance-influenced intro. There’s a reason the duo have had such a rapid rise, with pop charm and raw honesty in their lyricism, and ‘Recipe for Disaster’ is another slice of addictive pop rock from them. – Will Marshall
Translating to “the shapeshifter,” ‘Muuntautuja’ is the first taste of a new Oranssi Pazuzu album and is every bit as bewildering as we’ve come to expect from the experimental extreme metallers. Across its four and a half minutes, there’s influences as wide-ranging as Death Grips, Nine Inch Nails and My Bloody Valentine; mechanical-sounding drums driving juddering synths and throaty singing. As ‘Muuntautuja’ continues it does exactly as its name suggests, shifting into gradually heavier territory as guitars and harsh walls of screams batter the eardrums. In the Finns’ own words – “Let it open your skull towards the void and guide you to the intoxicating state of transformation.” – Will Marshall
The latest single from Sheffield’s New Ghost, ‘Over’ is a fuzzy, spellbinding and absolutely gorgeous spiel of dreampop-orientated shoegaze. Resonating the grandiose goosebump-raising beauty of their recent singles ‘Wayfarer’ and ‘The Ghost Of Allendale’, the single once again bares witness to New Ghost’s unique ability to amalgamate a plethora of genres with a progressive mindset in order to present something that’s concise, cohesive and effortlessly pristine. Should you be a fan of acts such as Slow Crush, Din Of Celestial Birds or even Slowdive, then this is crucial listening, and truly, New Ghost really are one of those bands set to breakthrough soon now. Should one want those elusive bragging rights come their newfound popularity, then now is the time to get on this before everyone in the UK progressive scene does so too. – Dan Hillier
If film composer Colin Stetson wrote a skramz track as part of their score for Hereditary it most probably would have sounded something like this. The first track to be taken from Respire’s upcoming record Hiraeth – released July 26th via Dine Alone Records – ‘Distant Light Of Belonging’ sees the self-described “orchestral post-everything” collective realising their vision in the most vivid way possible. Driven by impassioned screams against vocal harmonies, animated by both strings amidst brass and further embellished by metallic chugs, the track inhabits a deeply textured movement that fully deserves the band’s orchestral association. Truly, given the sheer amount of layers composing this track, this ultimately could have been a mess if approached with hands less adapt than Respire’s. However, ‘Distant Light Of Belonging’ is a tenderly crafted sweeping of sound, one grounded within the realm of screamo but one that heralds poignant feelings of joy, sorrow, rage and other emotions beyond the scope of language in equal measure. – Dan Hillier
Most musicians don’t even have a single band that has reached legendary status, let alone two. Daryl Palumbo is not most people. Not content with shaping the entire post hardcore scene, back in the early noughties he formed Head Automatica who then proceeded to release one of the best pop-rock albums of the decade. It’s that album which we’ll be getting in full early in the afternoon at Slam Dunk. Decadence is a non-stop booty shaker of a record, filled with sexy, high energy bass lines, jazz influences and of course, possibly the most danceable emo anthem of all time, ‘Beating Heart Baby’. If the sun hits at just the right moment early afternoon this has the potential to be one of the most danceable, feel good sets of the day.
If you decide to take a gamble and see a smaller band who you might not have heard before at Slam Dunk, you need to make it One Step Closer. The Pennsylvanian pop punk/melodic hardcore crew are more accustomed to heavier fests, having played Outbreak twice in the past but with their brand new record, All You Embrace possessing a healthy dose of bands like Citizen and early Rise Against in its sound, Slam Dunk seems like the perfect option. Be prepared for stage dives, circle pits and perhaps even a glimpse of the band repping their utterly fantastic jorts. Also, make sure you pick up one of their UK tour exclusive football shirts, because they’re bloody gorgeous.
Some sets are meant to go down in history (pun intended) before they’ve even happened. When Matt Davies left Funeral For A Friend last year after over two decades with the legendary Welsh post hardcore band, many were shocked. However, because the band had already decided to play Slam Dunk, they stuck to the old adage of the show must go on and recruited fellow Valleys boy and Holding Absence frontman Lucas Woodland to handle vocals. With Lucas having a generational set of pipes on him and being a longtime fan of the band, you can only assume this is a dream come true for him. Indeed, it makes the promise of seeing some of the most legendary British emo of all time performed in a unique way, this has to be one set that you simply cannot miss.
Picture it; it’s the end of a long day, you’re tired, your feet hurt and you’ve had a bloody good day. Then The Wonder Years come onstage and 0.you find a whole new reserve of energy and a good bit of it will be dedicated to screaming and crying at the same time. The Pennsylvania crew, lead by the unmatchable vocal presence of Dan ‘Soupy’ Campbell, promise to end your day in emotional, cathartic style. With a now-legendary discography and a sound that mixes The Menzingers with the bouncier elements of pop punk, they’ve made Slam Dunk a home of theirs for years and this stage headline set will feel like a homecoming.
Don’t call it a comeback. After years flickering in and out of the spotlight, Los Campesinos! are finally back with their first material in seven years in the form of new singles ‘Feast Of Tongues’ and ‘A Psychic Wound’. The first tracks to be lifted from their new record All Hell – released July 19th via the band’s own Heart Swells – the two tracks are a testament to both Los Campesinos! longevity and their penchant for exploring new elements and avenues without ever comprising their core identity and the ethos. The singles may be polar opposites in scope, with ‘Feast Of Tongues’ being a slow burner in the vein of Manchester Orchestra and ‘A Psychic Wound’ being a genuine, bonafide tear-your-throat shout along (something proven at their brilliant career defining show at London’s Troxy back in February), but together, they present the band’s unrivalled skill in expressing creativity with wit and charisma whilst the majority of their established peers dryly repeat the same ideas. The world and wider music industry may be a complete mess at the current time, but at least we can take some comfort in the UK’s first and only emo band releasing music once again. – Dan Hillier
Following their support slots with Bring Me The Horizon, Static Dress‘ popularity has grown significantly. From developing and instantly selling out a video game based on their lore as a band, selling out Anaheim’s greatest alternative venue Chain Reaction and now supporting Underoath’s US and UK tours, the Northern quartet endeavour into their self-proclaimed ‘product of their destruction’. ‘crying’ showcases the experimental sound of post-hardcore which the band is praised for. It begins with heavily edited vocals by Olli Appleyard similar to what the band has featured in previous song ‘such.a.shame’. Appleyard’s vocals are arguably his strongest performance to date, providing contrast with a perfect singalong chorus, softer parts in the midsections as well as his typical screaming. It’s also George Holding’s recorded debut and it’s exciting to see his vocals incorporated as well as strong bass work. The middle eight section features a rather unique take on a post-hardcore breakdown featuring both melodic guitar riffs by anonymous member Contrast and a strong rhythmic backbone. ‘crying’ is the first original release for Static Dress since their 2022 debut Rouge Carpet Disaster; although their focus on their ‘redux’ releases has given a new spin on their previous songs, this new era has given their fanbase new material and created hope for new releases in the new future. – G Garland
Once again continuing to counter the notion that post rock is a stagnant genre reserved for po-faced types, the new single from And So I Watch You From Afar is a carbonated amalgamation of everything that makes this band so uniquely brilliant. Taken from the band’s newly announced record Megafauna, ‘Do Mór’ is a giddy spiel of jazz syncopation, playful riffs and abrasive distortion that’s delivered with sophistication and proven aptitude. It’s brilliant, and furthermore, a testament to the fact that no other band can master this level of balance between joyful euphoria and confrontational left-field progression than And So I Watch You From Afar. – Dan Hillier
Math rock nerds rejoice, the UK’s chief exporters of intricate, twinkly tunes have returned with their new single ‘Sunchaser’. Ramping up from an intimate, stripped down vibe placing frontman Devin Yüceil’s soft, calming vocals front and centre to the complex, uplifting sound that put Delta Sleep on the map, this single shows off every facet of the band’s range. Simultaneously one of the Canterbury quartet’s cosiest, most mellow tracks in years and their most impressively layered, ‘Sunchaser’ feels like both a return to form and an evolution of Delta Sleep’s sound. Whatever comes next, it’s great to have our favourite math rockers back. – Tom Bruce
18 years since Daryl Palumbo and his pop rock crew last released material they return to dance floor sound systems with ‘Bear the Cross’ Electro beats dripping with sweat alongside Daryl’s intense, almost sexual vocals they certainly create an eye brow raising mood. This is a new era and sound for a band that put out arguably one of the greatest 21st century rock bangers. So don your leather jacket, jump on your Tron light cycle and head to the underground club of the future and ask the humanoid DJ to spin this. – Adam Vallely
Taken from the band’s upcoming EP I Don’t Think I’m Ready To Be Without You – released May 31st via Beth Shalom Records – ‘Rain’ is a gentle summer sprinkling of twinkling math rock and heartfelt realism that’s refreshing and revitalising regardless of its morose mood. Sounding not entirely unlike American Football after binging the best of the UK’s math and emo scene for hours upon end, the track is one of those organic musings channeled straight from the heart that also carries a sense of gentle left field dynamism void of pretence or gimmickry. UK math rock is in brilliant form at the current time, and that’s no doubt in thanks to fantastic and genuine bands such as The Yacht Club. – Dan Hillier
The duo of Zetra are on everybody’s lips at the moment. Fresh off a slot supporting legendary love metal icon Ville Valo (at the Royal Albert Hall no less), the third single off their upcoming album is out to entice and entrance those still not won over by their gothic magic. ‘The Mirror’ is a slower, more atmospheric affair than their previous singles and you can almost see the smoke fill the room as you listen to its mysterious, somber magic. There’s something special about Zetra, they possess a uniqueness to them that entices you in and even if you’re not one for the pomp and theatrics of their style, the dark, atmospheric beauty of their music will sink its claws into you. When their self titled record drops on the 13th of September, the whole world will be able to see and witness the magic of Zetra. – Chris Earl
The third record from the noise-wracked doom duo formed of Jade Ashleigh (drums) and Thom Longdin (vocals, guitar), It Gets Worse is both an album and mantra that will no doubt resonate with many in a time of uncertainly and tension such as this. Born forth from a place of trying to find optimism in an age and culture where such hope is being purposefully undermined and where the rungs of the ladder out the mire are being fed to the forge fuelling our miserable state, the record is as cold and callous as the nature of modern living itself.
As the duo chug, gurgle and writhe through through sludge-stained doomscapes in the nature of Chat Pile, Part Chimp, Modern Technology and PigsX7, a primeval sense within their work becomes apparent, one that harkens thoughts of reverting to basic survival instincts in order to survive and endure. However, this is not a primitive record. If anything, this sense of hulking weight contrasts and compliments one of the most evident and exciting elements of Kulk; their sense of artistic and progressive versatility.
