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April 10, 2022| Will Marshall |FEATURES
Cave In, VV, Puppy, Clutch and More: New Noizze – The 16 Must Listen Tracks Of The Week
Finished spinning the new records from HEALTH and Seek Harbour? Here's the best singles from the week, including a few from last week too. We're good like that.
Cave In – Blinded By A Blaze
Boston’s legendary Cave In barely need any introduction. Since their monumental 1998 debut Until Your Heart Stops, they’ve helped define and redefine metal, rock and hardcore. Ten years since their last album comes Heavy Pendulum, produced by Kurt Ballou and second single ‘Blinded By A Blaze’, alongside lead single ‘New Reality’, show the band haven’t lost their touch one iota. This latest song flows between swirling, pensive rock and post metal chugs, all with Stephen Brodsky’s distinctive vocals. A squalling guitar lead partway through leads into towering post metal grandeur that winds and crushes in equal measure. Describing the song, Brodsky says, “I had the idea for Blinded By A Blaze during the Final Transmission days, but it really came to life for Heavy Pendulum. Lyrically, it’s a sonic photograph of a strange magical moment that I had while driving along the Pacific Coast Highway during the golden hour, and the feeling of looking back on it years later – something everyone should try to experience at least once in their lifetime.” – Will Marshall
VV – Loveletting
The infernal son of modern goth rock beckons. Returning five years after the disbandment of love metal pioneers HIM, Ville Valo returns to the crimson spotlight with his latest single ‘Loveletting’. Branded with the classic Heartagram logo, flying under the new moniker of VV and following on from his first solo endeavour in 2020, the track see’s Valo channeling the same dark woe and whimsy that made his image so irresistible all those ears ago. “As fun as the funeral rites for HIM were, it took me more than a few moons to lick my wounds in the shadow of the Heartagram and come up with an excuse to strum and hum again”, says Valo on the new track. “Eventually I decided to put a leash on my beloved black dog and we started howling together instead of barking at each other. That’s how Loveletting was born”. – Dan Hillier
Young Pretorians – Why Worry?
After establishing themselves as one of the most promising young acts with their debut EP last year, Young Pretorians are back with their latest single in the form of ‘Why Worry?’. Further pushing the sound found on their first outing, the track urges one to tune out the deafening noise from the past several years and start focusing on the here and now. It’s a great track, one that feel’s perfectly optimised for Spring with it’s alt-rock stylings reminiscent of acts such as The Gaslight Anthem, The Menzingers, those of their ilk and one that’s grounded by a sense of cautious optimism. Young Pretorians have already found themselves the subject of early acclaim due their relatable tales of living in soulless towns and existing through grinding jobs and it’s clear that this track is only the start of their next prosperous chapter. – Dan Hillier
Clutch – Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)
US Groove Rockers Clutch have released a brand new single and video, titled ‘Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)’. The band have talked about there being an album on the horizon and have suggested this is one of the faster cuts from it. This would mark the band’s thirteenth album and would follow up Book Of Bad Decisions, released in 2018. The song boasts roaring riffs and Neil Fallon’s raw raspy tone. It is also spattered with bluesy riffs and captures a lot of the elements that Clutch have honed in their live performance over the years. The accompanying video and general premise for the song pays “homage to Philip K. Dick and a future where we have distortion coursing through our veins.” says Fallon. This was following Fallon discovering the Boss Metal Zone pedal schematic early in 2021; “I learned the Boss Metal Zone pedal schematic was being presented as “proof” that the Covid-19 vaccine had an electronic component to communicate with 5G cellular networks. It was, of course, nonsense.” Clutch are currently on the road in the midst of their worldwide touring schedule, including summer festivals, further headline dates, and a return to Europe. – Jac Holloway
Puppy – My Offer
The fifth single to be taken from the rifflords second record Pure Evil – released May 8th on Rude Records – ‘My Offer’ see’s Puppy ratcheting up the tempo and conjuring one of their most filthy, sludgy riffs to date. In true vein to the band’s ardent focus on revelling in the inherent fun of metal, the track is a boisterous slab of metallic joy that happily doesn’t take itself too seriously; something made animated by it’s great it not slightly disturbing video. “We made the video for the track using an iPhone face-hacking app normally used for lip sync videos on Tik Tok, turning the technology instead onto scenes & characters from our favourite paintings by Hieronymous Bosch. ‘The Last Judgement’ and ‘The Garden of Earthly Delights’ are two triptychs which juxtapose fantastic images of divine purity & grandeur with some of the most nightmarish & grotesque visuals ever painted”, say the band. We figured that if anything could make these eerie creatures more surreal & unnerving, having them sing along to the latest Puppy track might be a good place to start.” – Dan Hillier
Cancer Bats – Pressure Mind
The Canadian hardcore heavyweights recently released the third and final single from their upcoming album Psychic Jailbreak, their first since the departure of guitarist Scott Middleton. Any concerns about their future were swiftly dispelled with the title track lead single, and both previous single ‘Lonely Bong’ and latest single ‘Pressure Mind’ continue to prove Cancer Bats are very much alive and still kicking. ‘Pressure Mind’ kicks off with a raucous exclamation of the title before a a more melodic verse, still with their trademark bluesy bite and Liam Cormier’s bark. While some songs are deeply introspective, ‘Pressure Mind’ takes a far more straightforward approach to catharsis. As Cormier tells it, “sometimes you just need a release with everything going on in the world, this song is our punk rock way of blowing off some steam. Melodic verses and bridge are all about introspection and thinking how we get ourselves in these mindsets time and time again and then the chorus is all about LETTING IT OUT!” Almost twenty years into their career and Cancer Bats are as vital, dependable and full of vigour as ever. – Will Marshall
Hot Milk – Bad Influence
Solidifying their inner motivations with a tale of societal, familial and personal oppression; the Salford guardians of nihilistic intervention Hot Milk, seek to obliterate the senses with the advancing goal of liberating listeners via their latest single ‘Bad Influence’, off of the upcoming EP – The King and Queen of Gasoline. Portraying themselves as defiant cast offs, co-vocalists Han Mee and Jim Shaw revel in the debauched perception of themselves, provided by traditional leaning influencers in their past lives. The embodiment of wilful malevolence is assumed to be a colossal “fuck you” to those that ousted the duo, as well as an intended dog-whistle to fellow rejected souls to gather and bask in the welcoming arms of an accepting community. As hard hitting and abrasive as this track may seem at a first listen, feeling the essence of overwhelming pride and resilience despite an onslaught of peoples intolerance and judgement, will be a long lasting source of comfort for all of us who defied the norms of yesteryear. – Bennie Osborne
Royal & The Serpent – Happier In Hell
Navigating the deepest and darkest rabbit holes of their inner psyche, as part of their ongoing rise to the new Millennial confessant of desperate melancholy; the Garden State grunge/alt-pop provocateur Royal & The Serpent, dive headfirst into a reflective space of despairing relatability, with their slow burn anthem ‘Happier In Hell’. Continuing to portray themselves as an expert in rallying the spirit of disenchantment; the clear distaste towards the ideology surrounding “wellness”, which pales in comparison to actual viable interventions for addiction/mental health struggles, as well as the taxing nature of societies insensitivity towards somewhat high functioning individuals, just lends itself beautifully as a familiar echo in the hearts and minds of those with a shared lived experience. The tracks incessant ability to eradicate the inner loneliness of its intended listeners, with a carefully crafted synergy between the instrumentals gradual ascension into mania and the thought provoking lyrical torrent, is not only sonically but spiritually captivating – Bennie Osborne
Petrol Girls – Clowns
Coinciding with the announcement of their upcoming record Baby – released June 24th via Hassle – ‘Clowns’ see’s Petrol Girls containing to add additional nuance to their work whilst never relenting on the crucial and highly important rage that fuelled them from the beginning. A visceral and swaggering take down of the corrupt powers that be, the track is a bombastic, chaotic and fully righteous punch to the throat that’s delivered with unhinged and decanted anger. With it’s thrashing math rock riff barreling through the song, the track serves as a continuation of the two singles previously released from the record so far, showcasing Petrol Girls’ newly found attitude of irreverence towards the current political environment. In essence, ‘Clowns’ is thrashing, righteously pissed off and totally crucial in times like these. – Dan Hillier
Ithaca – In The Way
The second single taken from their hotly anticipated sophomore album They Fear Us, ‘In The Way’ storms out the gates with panic chords and the hardest mosh call you’ll ever hear in the form of “And wash your blood down the sink / ‘Cause we don’t keep souvenirs”. The guitars churn under Djamila Boden-Azzouz‘ scathing vocals, while the chorus soars. The description of a “glitter-covered nailbomb” is incredibly apt; their metallic hardcore is twinned with elements of blackgaze, industrial and even 80s power pop as they redefine how heavy music can sound. Boden-Azzouz describes the song as “a revenge fantasy. Pleasure, blood, violent vengeance. There are moments that sound innocent and lure you into a false sense of security – contrasted with big riffs, aggressive breaks, whispers and sexual lyrics that reflect the true nature of the song.” Ithaca have never been ones to follow any scene or crowd and with their upcoming second album, they’re making a compelling argument for being one of the most exciting and vital bands in their scene, not just in the UK. – Will Marshall
The Callous Daoboys – A Brief Article Regarding Time Loops
Atlanta mathcore outfit The Callous Daoboys recently announced their signing to MNRK Heavy’s roster and, to celebrate, released their new single ‘A Brief History Regarding Time Loops’ to celebrate. The sextet’s chaotic, sassy blend of post-hardcore and mathcore makes for mind-bending, extreme music with multiple vocal contributions, spoken word fragments and occasional stabs of violin. It’s a bold evolution of their artistic vision that sacrifices none of the accessibility while becoming somehow even more chaotic and unhinged than before. The heaviest moments are even more abstract than before and they embrace churning, off-beat time signatures and conjure an impenetrable wall of aural dread. In typical fashion, vocalist Carson Pace explains further, “Capturing your first experience of Déjà vu? Have you heard this breakdown before? Does it matter? What are the intentions of man’s best friend? Start over.” – Will Marshall
Eat Your Own Head – The Concrete Of Moulded Men
A self-proclaimed sledgehammer to the slab of toxic masculinity, the latest single from noise-rock unit Eat Your Own Head is a blunt force concession that many could do with experiencing. Fierce and forthright, the track mirrors the long redundant traits of masculinity and exceptions that many young men believe they need to meet in society. There’s no subtleness to be found here, just the blunt obtuse dynamism and sardonic directivity that’s of the likes of The St Pierre Snake Invasion, CLT DRP and Cassels, delivered in a way that’s staggering and unapologetic. – Dan Hillier
In The Mourning – The Way It Goes Both Ways
In The Mourning is the pop rock project of Amanda Tran, the Seattle-native/LA based artist who is bringing a fresh take on the nostalgia of artists such as Avril Lavigne and Demi Lovato, in their prime pop rocking days. Take the nostalgic value and fuse it with emo-style lyricism and you have the basic idea of what you’ll get from the new single ‘The Way It Goes Both Ways’. There are bubblegum pop sensibilities throughout the song though hard-hitting drums and the 1-2 of fuzzy riffs and soaring vocals definitely breathe a bit of mid-2000’s rock queen vibes. That said, ‘TWIGBW’ does still feel fresh and is shameless in it’s composition and delivery. It’s a singalong for sure with the usual uplift in the chorus strong enough to have an anthemic quality. The chorus is full of infectious hooks and will stick in your head for days. The single is one of but a handful currently released and it is yet unclear what lies ahead for In The Mourning but from what we’ve heard so far you can expect more top shelf emo pop rock bangers. – Jac Holloway
Blackgold – Sorry
Nu Metal outfit Blackgold took their first steps into the music scene with ‘It’s Art’ which dropped earlier this year and have now released their second single ‘Sorry’ as well as announcing their debut self-titled EP featuring both songs. The masked group have garnered a lot of support and curiosity due to their supercharged take on Nu Metal and anonymous personalities. A conversation with a careers advisor was the catalyst for the formation of Blackgold with the band members describing themselves as misfits. Born out of remand centres and community service programmes the troublemakers have instead flipped their perspective towards making music. Striking the balance between nostalgia and creatively innovative the band do Nu Metal as if it has been injected with crack cocaine. The face-melting nature of ‘Sorry’ is visualised with a perfectly apt music video that depicts the band conducting a shoot out and robbery with plenty of violence to match the grit and snarl of the song’s tenacity. – Jac Holloway
Sicksense – Forgotten Days
Sicksense have dropped the final single prior to the release of their debut EP Kings Today. The band are one taking a stab in the Nu-Metal revival scene and are doing so in their own unashamed and outspoken way. Carrying strong messages in their songs plus a certain raw and muddy quality to their music they have the perfect balance of melody, rap and riffage you need to make it work in this genre. “Forgotten Days” is a supercharged track that features rapped verses, melodic vocals and a soaring chorus fused together well enough to not feel jarring or at odds with one another. Robby J. Fonts is able to offer tremendous diversity with an incredible range and varying vocal styles that are showcased in the song. The harsh vocals are on point and the Nu-Metal quality of the band is tied together well by the previous mentioned rapping verses. Additionally Vicky Psarakis is able to match this energy and elevate verse and chorus with soaring vocals. The band’s ability to take their talent and make music that isn’t choppy or jarring is impressive and ‘Forgotten Days’ is a straight up banger. Kings Today will be out on the 22nd April. – Jac Holloway
Halflives – Dynamite
Halflives are back with brand new single ‘Dynamite’. It marks the beginning of a new era for the band, now solo project of Linda Battilani. This change in line up was recognised in a recent statement that spoke of Halflives being solely Linda and the fans but that longtime members Federico Bernardi and Oscar Scantamburlo will be part of touring though the live lineup could change. The song it brilliantly catchy and full of hooks. Between the lyrics and video the narrative of the ups and downs of a relationship is depicted. With an explosive chorus (sorry not sorry) and huge pop sensibilities ‘Dynamite’ is set to be one of the pop rock bangers of the Summer. With this being a new era for Halflives it will be intriguing to see what Linda Battilani does with the freedom to create a project that is solely her own. Eyes peeled for what comes next. – Jac Holloway
