Dan Hillier
A supergroup comprised of members of such esteemed artists as Enslaved and Ulver, DROTT are an enigmatic and spiritual band for an age where the population at large has lost contact with the metaphysical realms. Now the trio’s latest single ‘Arch Of Gloom’ – the latest track to be presented from their forthcoming LP Orcus – is the perfect guide back into the world in which we have collectively lost access to. A deeply esoteric and alluring tapestry of world, prog, post-rock and pagan folk, ‘Arch Of Gloom’ as a whole piece is hypnotic, possessive and surreal in it’s decadence. With Orcus set to further soundtrack the planes of spirituality and superstition upon it’s release on the 24th of September, DROTT are a voice from beyond that many will be captivated by. – Dan Hillier
An ode to all the narcotics and chemicals that help us though the toughest times of our lives, the latest single from Brutalligators is a massively relatable offering of brilliant power-punk that’s bound to resonate with everyone who has turned to the coffee press in times of heartache. Showcasing the band’s self-stated post-youth sound, ‘Coffee & Codeine’ is a brilliant mash up of sonic qualities reminiscent of bands such as PUP, Nervus, Bong Mountain, The Hard Aches and Worriers that’s delivered with a distinctive UK tang, served with a bittersweet aftertaste and leaves notes in your mouth nostalgic of a cherished youth that’s long gone and faded. – Dan Hillier
Jacked up with retro arcade sounds and chopped up idol pop vocals, Paledusk deliver a batshit insane wallop of chaotic dance-core, which is nothing unusual for them but for first time listeners it may be a lot to take in. There’s method in the madness though, as the new single ‘Black Ice’ delivers groove and dancability in droves, alongside a healthy dose of arm flailing, spin kicking, mosh ready heavy noise. There’s a big future ahead for Paledusk if they keep this energy up, and by all evidence from live footage of the band they’ve got an endless supply of it. The band signed to Greyscale records not so long ago, with every intention of bringing their high intensity presence worldwide, so make way, cause Paledusk are dropping in hot. – Elliot Grimmie
Alongside the announcement of their hotly-anticipated debut album Disposable Youth due in November, Irish hardcore quartet Bailer also unveiled their latest single, ‘Cruel Master’, featuring Brady Deeprose of Conjurer. Led in by foreboding guitars before cascading drum fills and roaring vocals join the fray, it soon accelerates to a breakneck pace. The song deals with addiction; the band say of it “‘Cruel Master’ is about the give and take that comes with addiction. While things like alcohol offer a safe space, an escape from anxiety, something to take the edge off, dependency to these things lead to enslavement. You give yourself to these things and they eventually take everything from you.” – Will Marshall
There’s clearly something in the water in Sweden. Not content to produce bands that pioneered entire genres (At The Gates) with the Gothenburg sound or to pioneer the ‘Swedeath’ sound with bands like Entombed, they’re also producing some of the most anthemic metal around with Orbit Culture. Hot on the heels of last year’s Nija, the band are due to release their new EP Shaman in September, with the band choosing to focus on songs that would thrive in the live environment. ‘Carvings’ is no different, with a bludgeoning stomp in the chorus and double bass drum driven verses and bridges, all capped off with vocalist Niklas Karlsson’s emphatic roar. – Will Marshall
Both the latest single to be taken from the band’s forthcoming record DIORAMA and further establishment of MØL’s prominent standing in the blackgaze echelon, ‘Serf’ is simply a jaw-dropping exercise in nocturnal dynamism. Feating a full embrace of the blistering fretwork that many within the genre opt to substitute, the Danish group’s latest single is simply an immersive and cloaking shroud of textures, one that’s lush and one that’s abrasive. “’Serf’’ refers to the position of servitude and submission to a master, taken from the feudal age”, state the band on the track. “The title of the track comes from being accustomed to thrall to the underlying pattern of understanding. Our upbringing plays a huge part in the way we tend to act as grownups.” With their penchant for introspection and detailing the blackgaze sound in a cohesive and concentrated manner effortlessly established within their 2018 debut, DIORAMA is poised to further push MØL’s reach and is undoubtedly poised to live up to the lofty hype surrounding it. – Dan Hillier
Florida’s metalcore titans Wage War have released the second taster from their upcoming album Manic. This will be the band’s fourth full-length album and with the releases so far they are clearly doubling down on efforts from previous album Pressure. Whilst Wage War’s first single ‘High Horse’ was a raging metalcore beast featuring solely growls and harsh vocals, newest single ‘Circle the Drain’ showcases the band’s melodic side. The song sticks to the usual formula that Wage War have honed by putting clean vocalist Cody Quistad at the forefront of the track. A meaty breakdown, soaring vocals and crammed full of hooks ‘Circle the Drain’ is further proof of Wage War’s finesse and ability. Manic is released 1st October, 2021 worldwide. – Jac Holloway
Chapter and Verse are fast becoming one of the UK’s hottest new bands, showing no signs of slowing down with their recent performance at Reading and Leeds festival, and a slurry of new singles in recent months including their latest track ‘No Future’, another opportunity for frontman/vocalist Josh Carter to flex his gargantuan set of pipes, this man can hit notes that many singers can only dream of. The band have stylish flair, and a steadily growing collection of EPs and singles that prove them one of premier songwriting bands of the United Kingdom, ‘No Future’ being an alt-rock, groove laden bop. Chapter and Verse are beginning to feel unstoppable at this point, they’ve got all the right elements to hit it big, it seems all that’s left is the time it takes for them to boil over and out of the pan. – Elliot Grimmie
Rivers Of Nihil dropped jaws the world over with their epic Where Owls Know My Name. They’re due to release the follow-up to that, The Work, in September of this year and have just unveiled its second single, ‘Focus’. Dark atmospheres and cleanly sung vocals set the scene but aren’t to last. The death metal growls are as present as ever but this might just be one of their most melodic songs to date – and is every bit as epic as its predecessor, ‘Clean’. As a descriptor, “epic” is perhaps the most overused in the English language but Rivers Of Nihil simply deserve it; there’s no other word for their progressive death metal that transcends such simple trappings of genre. Released alongside a striking video, the band describe it as telling “the story of an individual in a fractured state of mind confronting the darkest parts of his inner self and battling with a physical manifestation of his deepest fears and concerns; the worst parts of himself. This manifestation represents the presence in all of our heads that tries to pull us down into the throes of self-destructive behavior and patterns of thinking.” – Will Marshall