Mountain Caller – Dead Language
One of the best names in post-rock beckons. Taken from their upcoming second Chronicle II: Hypergenesis – released January 26th via Church Road Records – ‘Dead Language’ is the full fleshed out embodiment of what make Mountain Caller so utterly brilliant. Hulking with a sense of progressive density that’s comparable to the lies of Russian Circles, *Shels and Elder whilst still brimming with a sense of verdant vibrancy, ‘Dead Language is both a continuation of the band’s brilliant approach to post-rock found within their debut whilst furthering the story that’s chronicled within their work. On top of this, the track also see’s the band entwining even more textures into their panromantic and rich sound with rare vocals courtesy of bassist El Reeve. Simply, if you’re yet to begin your journey with this wonderful band, ‘Dead Language’ is a vital first step. – Dan Hillier
Scene Queen – MILF
Coining “bimbocore” and taking TikTok, then the world, by storm without even a debut album, Scene Queen is set to put that final piece of the puzzle in next spring with Hot Singles In Your Area, and she’s unveiled the y’allternative anthem ‘MILF’ as its lead single. Fans who caught her on the recent headline tour will have heard it already, a blend of hoedown country with chuggy metalcore breakdowns that wears sex positivity on its sleeve. As Scene Queen explains, “The track came about from sitting with friends and asking, ‘what if we took all the most gate-kept genres and put them together?’ And it turned into one of my favourite songs I’ve ever written.” – Will Marshall
Going Off – Servant to the Skin / Smile
Dropping midway through their campaign of annihilation around the UK, Going Off have unveiled a pair of brand new singles sure to keep the pits moving. ‘Servant to the Skin’ is, as vocalist Jake Huxley describes, “about the fact that all human consciousness is bound to the human body. This living vessel, made up of flesh, bone, blood and all the gristly bits in between,” drawing heavily on Hellraiser for inspiration. It’s a slower, sludgy piece of nastiness that’s followed by second single ‘Smile’ that sounds perfect for two-stepping to. Barely four minutes together, it’s a scathing reminder of just how good the Mancunian outfit are and is sure to, uh, go off. – Will Marshall
Rough Justice – Backwards Mask
MLVLTD crew members Rough Justice are finally releasing their first record after 10 years of being a band. Those 10 years have been difficult, as all the members have other projects (their drummer, Josh Baines, shreds for Malevolence) but the stars have finally aligned. ‘Backwards Mask’ is the first track from January release Faith In Vain, and it’s a furious slab of British hardcore. With a snare drum that sounds like a beer keg falling down the stairs and possessing one hell of a chug, it’s a massive statement of intent. The vocals are suitably pissed off, with “my eyes burn in the acid rain” being a particularly brutal line. Joining Malevolence and NY hardcore guest-spot lovers Pain of Truth on tour in the new year, big things are coming for the band and if the rest of the record sounds this vitriolic and furious, then it seems justice will be served. – Chris Earl
Kid Kapichi – Tamagotchi
Dedicated to all those “looking down the barrel of the big three-oh”, the latest single from power post punks Kid Kapichi is bound to resonate with all of us who are witnessing the final grains of youth slipping through our fingers. Taken from the band’s freshly announced record There Goes The Neighbourhood – released March 15th via Spinefarm – ‘Tamagotchi’ is a humorous yet sincere love letter to the halcyon days of youth, times void of the turmoil that characterise modern living. Admittedly, this track may be a slight contrast to how the band have used their venom-tipped punk to articulate societal injustices, but regardless, ‘Tamagotchi’ is a fun respite from the grim nature of our current times. “‘Tamagotchi’ is a song about turning 30 and feeling for the first time like your life is running away from you.” says frontman Jack Wilson. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve found myself being more nostalgic about the past and the ‘good times’. This song is a homage to those times and fond memories whilst stubbornly clawing onto them.” – Dan Hillier
Death Pill – Monsters
Following the release and consecutive tour for their brilliant debut LP, Ukrainian hardcore trio Death Pill are back with the sardonic lashing that this is ‘Monsters’. Taken from a forthcoming 7” split with Shooting Daggers – released November 17th via New Heavy Sounds – ‘Monsters’ brilliantly see’s Death Pill once again harnessing the power of modern riot grrl and timeless thrash to reaffirm their lacerating power as a unit, with the track directly taking aim at parents who refuse to let their offspring pursuit creative endeavours beyond the rigid parameters of societal norms. The band may have given the European scene quite the kicking with the release of their self-titled debut back in February, but it’s clear Death Pill aren’t offering any respite quite yet. – Dan Hiller
Racetraitor – Pastoral Monolith (Feat. Dennis Lyxzèn)
For most of their existence, Racetraitor have been known as “The drummer from Fall Out Boy’s other band” which is a massive shame, because the extremely political hardcore band are legends in their own right. Famed for a scathing, left wing brand of pummelling music, the fire in the band’s belly hasn’t faded over time, as demonstrated on their latest single ‘Pastoral Monolith’, from upcoming record, Creation And The Timeless Order Of Things. It features a guest appearance from Refused‘s Dennis Lyxzèn, but in a way that makes the track even filthier and lends it a charm difficult to ignore. One of the more interesting and notable records coming out in the dying days of 2023, it will definitely deserve your attention. – Chris Earl
USA Nails – Feel Worse
Noise punk underground legends USA Nails are back doing what they do best – making a goddamn nuisance of themselves via distortion. Latest single ‘Feel Worse’ fuses pounding drums and dry vocal delivery, cut with some space laser effect just to irritate the brain to another level. If you were ill would putting this on, make you feel better? No, it would make you feel worse for sure, and fans will be happy with that. This the title track from their upcoming album due March 2024 releasing via One Little Independent Records the home of many legends in their own rights, including Icelandic maverick Björk. – Adam Vallely
Exploring Birdsong – Diamond Eyes (Deftones Cover)
Released as a line dividing the band’s promising future and their wonderful Dancing In The Of Danger EP from March, alt-prog trio Exploring Birdsong have tackled arguably one the best songs from 2010 in a way that’s most unique. Highlighting the inherent beauty of ‘Diamond Eyes’ with their spellbinding piano-led approach, Exploring Birdsong’s take on Deftones’ single – which is now 13 years old, fun fact – sheds new light on both this act’s unique take to prog and the emotion of this timeless track. “Collectively, ‘Diamond Eyes’ is one of our favourite songs of all time,” comment the band. “It really feels like a song that is within the same realm of what we try to do as a band too, which made it in turn feel like a perfect song for us to put our own spin on. The weight of the riffs in the original are so crushing, but what we feel really makes this song so special is the chorus, so having the focus of our version be the harmony and melody felt like the most ‘us’ thing to do.” – Dan Hillier
Foreign Hands – Conditioned for a Head-On Collision (Feat. Oli Appleyard)
One of the most exciting upcoming metalcore bands teaming with an incredibly talented powerhouse of a vocalist? If we have to. Static Dress frontman Oli Appleyard joins Delaware rising stars Foreign Hands for ‘Conditioned for a Head-On Collision’, a track that’s a lot more influenced by bands such as Thrice and Thursday than Killswitch Engage. Containing some lush vocal melodies and classic post-hardcore guitar lines, it makes for one hell of a good time. Not eschewing the heaviness, it still features some gnarly moments and it doesn’t seem for a second like the band are softening up. With still no word of a full length from the band coming any time soon, this is a great way to tide fans over and caps off a fantastic year for the band. – Chris Earl
Kamino – Animal Magnetism
Comprised of freakish circus-esque synths, frenetic vocals and a central riff that sounds that it’s been ripped from an Electric Six A-side, the latest single from Bristolian alt-rockers is truly something as wild as it’s respective namesake implies. Completely DIY and exploring how we as a species are no better than the animals when it comes to communication and empathy, ‘Animal Magnetism’ is a bouncy, untamed and brilliantly bestial flurry of pure unfettered experimentalism that’s abound to resonate with anyone with an interest in acts such as The Guru Guru, False Heads and fellow Bristol oddballs My Octopus Mind. – Dan Hillier
Exocrine – Legend
The title track of their upcoming new full length – released January 26th via Season Of Mist – ‘Legend’ see’s Exocrine doing what they do best; throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the mix. An absolutely bewildering rush of calculated technical death metal, ‘Legend’ see’s the French band only further doubling down on the constant blast-beats, endless finger-taps and surprising left-field turns found within their previous works in a way that’s organic and fresh. Granted, this is an absolute onslaught of some of the most relentless conventions of tech-death, but as ‘Legend’ highlights, Exocrine are one of the few acts in this genre that can not only organically amalgamate these elements cohesively, but articulate them in a way that’s technically stunning. – Dan Hillier
Single Wound – Whisper in the Wind
Metalcore quartet Single Wound from Woodbridge, ON has been a mainstay in Ontario’s metalcore and hardcore communities for a solid few years now, dropping hard hitting tracks and working even harder to deliver an amazing live experience for newcomers and tenured show goers of both scenes. It shouldn’t come as a surprise to any in the know that these Ontario heavyweights just added yet another absolutely crushing single to their catalogue. With a hint of Being As An Ocean and just a dash of August Burns Red in the mix, Single Wound mix in their own spin on it to make ‘Whisper in the Wind’ an easy highlight for the Canadian metal scene. – Nathaniel Maure
Disperser – None Taken
California’s Disperser are among the state’s hottest acts right now. Gearing up for the release of their upcoming LP Critical Moment of Agony which drops December 22nd, the group have gifted fans with their latest single from it in the form of ‘None Taken’. Some of the purest and most ignorant hardcore/power violence in their state, Disperser deserves whatever praise or attention comes their way following this release. A ton of two step to go around for all those hardcore dancers with a closing breakdown big enough to cause absolute mayhem at any show. Disperser proves they know how to bring the pain and more. – Nathaniel Maure
I See Aura – Ill
Ontario metalcore trio I See Aura have been tearing up the provincial scene since the release of their first single ’20/20′ back in February 2020. Fast forward to now and the group have solidified their place as some of the top dogs in the growing Canadian metal scene. That’s not changing anytime soon with the release of their newest single ‘Ill’. A barrage of progressive metalcore antics sure to pique the interest of metalcore and djent fans alike, ‘Ill’ is bouncy and sure to put a pep in listeners’ steps. Full of influences from Periphery, Veil Of Maya, and Volumes. ‘Ill’ is a prime example of how I See Aura have put their own spin on a well-established sound. – Nathaniel Maure
Get Wrong – Too Late To Hide
An indie synth-pop ballad in the key of New Order courtesy of bonafide UK emo royalty, there’s plenty to love about the new Get Wrong single. The latest single from the synth pop duo – comprised of Naomi Griffin (Martha) and Adam Todd (The Spook School) – ‘Too Late To Hide’s is a charming and serene ray of discotheque light that see’s the duo implementing their respective emo stylings into a new sound that’s intriguing and nostalgic. Truly, this single and project as a whole is as organically contemporary as it is faintly reminiscent, and with it’s unique pacifying charm, Get Wrong is a unique and brilliant proposition. – Dan Hillier
The Young Hearts – Hit The Ground Running
The latest single to be lifted from the band’s second record Somewhere Through The Night – released December 1st via Year Of The Rat – ‘Hit The Ground Running’ see’s The Young Hearts becoming the UK’s answer to The Menzingers. Containing the earnestness, heart and endless melodic punk hooks of The Wonder Years, The Gaslight Anthem and the Philly punk heroes aforementioned, this track witnesses The Young Hearts further taking the Americana tinged sound of heartland punk and marring with relatable UK lilt. “[This] is a song about finding the courage to remove yourself from situations or circumstances that have a negative impact on your life”, state Craig Lawrence on the track. “As someone in their thirties, it can be difficult to convince yourself to make that leap, especially when it’s something you’ve been comfortable and familiar with for so long. Sometimes you just need to be reminded that it’s never too late to start over, there’s always going to be troubles along the way, so why give some of your best years to a lost cause.” – Dan Hillier