Will Marshall
With Cloud Nothings‘ tenth studio album What Kind of Hell Did You Survive? set to release in January next year, the lead single ‘Death Keeps Me Alive’ is a thundering cacophony of despair and nihilism. Priding themselves on crafting a sound influenced by indie, grunge and classic punk, their latest single takes a lot more of a darker tone with lo-fi production, doomy downtuned riffs, and harsh vocals that are more synonymous with post-hardcore or even crust punk. With lyrics described by the band as being from the point of view of an evil power that can’t be defeated, perhaps it’s only a matter of time before we get a black metal album from the trio; only time will tell. – Ez Luscombe
While usually Bristol’s most energetic and riff-heavy alternative rock trio, Blank Atlas tone things down on their latest single ‘Same Mistake’, showing off their more tender side. Swapping out their usual alt-metal inspired riffs and punchy percussion for shoegazey, reverb drenched guitars and stomping rhythms backing their tried and tested multi-part vocal harmonies. Over the years the Blank Atlas boys have more than proven that their unique blend of distorted progressive riffs and boyband choruses work to make them one of the scene’s most interesting acts but ‘Same Mistake’ gives them the opportunity to show off their songwriting ability without some of their flashier tricks. – Rowan Bruce
Where many post-rock bands are willing to simply wallow in layers of reverb, letting single notes become waves of atmosphere without putting in too much effort, Cardiff based band False Hope For The Savage manage to approach the genre in a more intelligent and listenable way. On their latest single ‘Cities’, dedicated to Chris James of the band CITIES who contributed to the track, FHFTS build up layers of dense guitar riffs without ever losing their sense of melody or momentum while punchy percussion drives the song forwards into a gloriously cinematic and immersive climax. Remembering that post-rock is supposed to have roots in rock music, False Hope For The Savage elegantly balance intricate, swirling atmosphere with driving instrumental rock songwriting. – Rowan Bruce
As if knowing that their music hits harder as darker skies close in and your mood begins to dip, melodic hardcore crew One Step Closer are back with a double single to lead up to their third album. Zero is due out on 19 February (perfect for that post Valentines day malaise) and looks to continue the Wilkes-Barre band’s rise into one of the best young bands about. The first of the first two tracks dropped is ‘Blue Hour’ and it’s definitely not something to put on if you’re already feeling down. With an almost monotonous beat behind it, there’s an air of hopelessness throughout the whole thing, perhaps best summed up in the “carry me and all my fear” line. ‘Was It Ever Enough’ kicks up the pace and sounds more like their earlier, more aggressive work, like a Tony Hawk’s soundtrack song for people now reliant on SSRIs. A bouncy, chunky track, yet one that still has the air of doom around it, this a band on a hot streak right now and you’d expect their next time in the UK to be right at the top of bills. – Chris Earl
So it’s the weekend, and if you need something to perk you up before next week; look no further than Love Sex Machine’s new single ‘Borrow the Will’. The djenty Lille-based connoisseurs of the riff return after their huge release Trve with a gritty dark industrial groove that stomps its way through four minutes of metal tinged headbobbing action, smattered with HEALTH-esque vocals, heavy ass drums and gnarly fuzzed out guitar tone. Between the haunting saxophone section and that killer artwork this is one to blow those early autumn cobwebs out the back of your head for sure. It’s a pretty straightforward track, but one that’ll give you something to chew on on repeated listens, which you’ll be doing as it’s banging and sets up the release of the new record nicely. – Rob Bown
Ahead of their headline slot at the Rock ‘N’ Roll Freak Show that will storm Brixton’s Electric on 6 November alongside Professional 101, Daland and Vylan Soundsystem (AKA Bob Vylan and Rex Roulette), Southampton-based trio Band Of Skulls‘ latest venture and first studio single in two years ‘Bitter Dream’ is a delightful throwback that combines the psychedelic sounds of the 70s all the way up to the 2000s with sleek minimalist production, a laid-back vibe, and the delightful harmonies between bassist Emma Richardson and guitarist Russell Marsden. Going strong for almost twenty years and newly signing with FLG, this could be an exciting new era for the band. – Ez Luscombe
The Horses gallop further into their fuzzy psychedelic era and sound akin to fellow fellow groove laden chums such as Drenge and DZ Deathrays. It’s a new chapter and new beginnings with a mini step down a different path, and on their own terms with their own label Damage Limited Records for their next record Dopamine Hits. But that burning passion that they built their reputation on over the years remains. New single ‘Great White Lies’ set the “blueprint sonically” for the album, explains vocalist Tom Hudson, excitedly so. 2027 is shaping up to be a top return for the Leeds legends. – Adam Vallely
The third single to be taken from the band’s upcoming record Future Nausea, ‘Welcome to Hell’ is prime example of what can only be described as collapse era poptimism. Musically a knee-slapping bar-band banger, this single follows in the thematic footsteps of previous singles ‘Good American’ and ‘Doom Tripping’ in how it addresses we’re living the end times of a cess pool of our own creation. “I wanted a song that could thematically relieve the pressure of the album. There’s a narrow line to walk when writing a song that is even vaguely political, and I always want to make sure we don’t fall into finger-wagging. We’re telling stories about people fighting their way through life, not prescribing any absolute sort of answer,” says vocalist Dylan Slocum. “The song starts with someone like me and is an attack on cynicism. Then it moves on to the changes being forced down our throats by techno-oligarchs in the name of profit, and wraps up questioning whether all of us are settling for a worse world in the name of convenience, or worse, apathy.” – Dan Hillier
2026 may have seen Earth become utterly obsessed with two certain interstellar musicians, but Henge are back to prove that this planet is big enough for more than one alien band. Lifted from their freshly announced record Humans – released 27 January via Cosmic Dross Records – ‘Brains’ is four minutes of surrealist synths, psychedelic prog and otherworldly bass riffs bouncy enough to shake homo sapiens’ ass and Venusian tendrils alike. In true Henge fashion, it’s an absolute otherworldly bop, a single that highlights how humanity and it’s culture is inherently weirder than anything that lies beyond the Oort Cloud. – Dan Hillier
Whilst this may be the third single to be taken from Reclus.É’s upcoming debut LP The World Can’t Take Much More – released 13 November via Rise – ‘Isolationist’ actually stands as the first Reclus.É song. Written by Daniel P. Carter mid-pandemic long before the band was ever active, ‘Isolationist’ was the catalyst for this exciting and rapidly growing project, something fitting given its frantic and incendiary nature. Lytically condemning the complacency and complicity of both the US and UK in the face of the active genocide of Palestinians, ‘Isolationist’ is an understandably furious and grappling song that doesn’t cease it’s musical mauling across it’s two minute run time. It’s tracks like these that just highlight the promise of this young project. – Dan Hillier
PeelingFlesh return with ‘Crackology’, opening with their classic dialogue sample before throwing us straight into some filthy slam deathcore. The Oklahoma outfit bring plenty of their signature hip-hop influence, but it’s the sheer amount of new vocal techniques that really stood out in this track compared to their other tracks. The down-tuned riffs with crushing breakdowns and pounding drums all give the track that unmistakable PeelingFlesh sound. Another vocal sample closes things out, which makes this on brand for PeelingFlesh. It’s heavy, it’s ridiculous and there’s something genuinely fun about how much filth PeelingFlesh manage to squeeze into one track. – Esther Domnu