Dan Hillier
Still in Love are at their bone shredding best, with drums in the throes of a stampede and a visceral and raw vocal performance to leave you on bed rest. Inherit is a metallic hardcore stomp through the recesses of human trauma, pulling up the earth in search of the root of toxic behaviour and breaking cycles which feel doomed to be repeated for generations. Taken from debut album Recovery Language out September 5th on Church Road Records it brings back the melodic hardcore vulnerability of Landscapes with the fire and fury of modern metallic hardcore and with a tour lined up this July/August you are presented with a glowing opportunity to experience Recovery Language before it reaches the masses. – Andy Calderbank
Taken from her upcoming August release Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, second single ‘Fuck Me Eyes”’is a more electronically-tinged release than previous Americana single ‘Nettles’ but it still remains lush in production with a continuous melodic synth line reminiscent of the glossy production of American 1980’s pop, brilliantly distorted drums, and Cain’s expert and lyrical storytelling still shines through and leaves a personal impact as always. Telling the story of a popular girl who is clearly the envy of her classmates and the envy that Cain evokes in her lyricism in just six epic minutes. – Ez Luscombe
Essex death metallers/deathcore upstarts Beyond Extinction have carved a swathe of destruction through the UK underground over the past few years, including a thunderous set at the inaugural Noizzefest. That still won’t prepare you for the sheer bludgeoning, wanton fury of ‘Where They Gather’, their brand new single and title track from the long-awaited upcoming debut album. It’s very much rooted in their experiences of the last few years, taking a misanthropic lens to humanity and the idea of modern progress and society. Toilet noise maker Jasper Harmer explains, “‘Where They Gather’ is anchored to a groove-heavy arsenal of riffs that carries much of the song’s weight, being supported by speed and precision in its more surgical elements. The deep tuned guitars are allowed to swing open and wide in this track and fully display how low and sickening this album gets. The misery and chaos of the city centred in the album’s story is portrayed by this track through an autopsy of heavy organs.” – Will Marshall
A seemingly ever-relevant song reimagined for a time saturated by ceaseless violence, Lamb of God’s cover of this Sabbath classic is as poignant reminder of our collective tendency for self-destruction. Dropping just hours after it was debuted by Lamb of God at Black Sabbath’s Back To The Beginning event, this cover see’s the Virginia bruisers only adding more charge, venom and acid to a track that shocked everyone upon it’s original release back in 1971. Be it a celebration of the history of metal or a timely reminder of the violence inherent to man, this cover couldn’t have come at a more suitable time. – Dan Hillier
Documenting the depressing grind that is simply for the weekend, the new single from Salisbury indie punks Carsick is a bouncy little tune born from both existentialism and perpetual hangovers. Taken from their upcoming EP Tough Luck – released September 5th via Alcopop! Records – ‘Backseat’ takes a cynical look on our national drinking culture and it’s correlating link to the pressures late stage capitalism. It’s a grim subject, but one animated wonderfully by Carsick’s wit and charm. “British culture has always encouraged giving your entire week to work and then spending every last bit of your wage packet at the pub once Friday hits”, state the band on the track. “It’s easy to put your life into autopilot and endlessly repeat that cycle without realising it’s become a downward spiral. Sounds bleak, but luckily we’ve condensed that existential crisis into a catchy summer banger for you.” – Dan Hillier
Dropping just days prior to their appearance at 2000 Trees Festival, ‘Picking Wounds’ see’s Buds. doing what they do best; offering up sun-tinged melodic punk with a hardened edge. Harkening back to those 2010’s summer nights that where spent listening to nowt but the likes of Such Gold and Make Do and Mend all whilst carrying that sense of modernist punk chemistry shared by fellow scene fellows Shit Present and Brutalligators, ‘Picking Wounds’ is just one of those tracks filled with a sense of youthful energy that feels almost timeless. Perfect listening for those denying their age as they mentally prepare to ruin their back at a festival next week – Dan Hillier
How do you like your post-rock? Because it feels like Halfiax’s L.O.E are putting on a masterclass to cater to all palettes with new single A New Consciousness. There’s sprinklings of Nordic Giants and Public Service Broadcasting with their use of sampling, a little Overhead, The Albatross in their use of space, and a lot of If These Trees Could Talk in the riffing. Where L.O.E stand above their contemporaries in many cases is their ability to take that influence and sound like no one else but themselves. A New Consciousness is probably their crowning achievement to date, and an impressive step forward in to a new era for the band. – Kevin Ashburn
After an 11 year hiatus, Barnsley progressive sludge quartet Trudger are back with not one, but two absolute barnstorming singles. ‘God Rest’ takes early Mastodon and churns it through a meatgrinder, adding layer upon layer of slimy, greasy goodness to every corner of the track. There are at least three riff of the year contenders in its three minute run time, and they might only be pipped by the offerings on second single ‘Tethered System’. Opening like prime Behemoth, Trudger go back to their sludge leanings to create an abrasive all you can eat riff buffet, all exquisitely presented by the incredible production job of Pijn’s Joe Clayton. Songs this good are worth the wait, and don’t be surprised if this is just the tip of the riff infused iceberg. – Kevin Ashburn
‘Bernard Guez’ is another syncopated, mathy standout from French post-rock outfit Totorro and is their first solo single in almost ten years after collaborations with Do It Later and Pierre Marolleau. Despite there being zero lyrical content, this really allows the twinkly, complex riffs to shine and combined with the simple drumming and bass harmonies, ‘Bernard Guez’ is a great addition to their melodic discography after fifteen-plus years as a band. The distorted guitars that come in during the second section of the track add a lot more musical texture and although the rhythms are at times convoluted and elaborate, it still makes for an easy and enjoyable listening experience. – Ez Luscombe
From the bones of North Wales royalty Church Of The Rat (ex-Habits and Ex-Bastions) stroll into the saloon bar possessed by the spirit of The Bronx, Idles and Keith Buckley. Here to swing from the chandeliers with ‘End Times Prayer’, a sledgehammer track to destroy every ignorant supporting wall until the false empire crumbles into the streets of new and exciting rebellion. Moving with the angular swagger of southern inspired noise rock like Buckley fronting Unsane its a combination of grit and sonic impetus which will see Church Of The Rat plant their flag in the central nervous system of the UK’s underground causing an electric surge to alarm the ears of all who seek a brand new voice to herald the end of the world. – Andy Calderbank
Self-described as being “witchy Post-Metal”, doomy Ohio quartet Frayle’s latest effort and first single since 2023 ‘Walking Wounded’ is an atmospheric mid-tempo effort with a thundering introduction and Gwyn Strang’s dreamy, understated vocal delivery which really takes shape during the chorus of ‘Walking Wounded’. Against a backdrop of muted yet blistering guitars and stampeding drums, Strang’s vocals truly are the highlight on this track and with an arguably more polished sound than on previous releases 1692 and Skin & Sorrow, Frayle’s music is taking an exciting turn and they have a lot of potential to be frontrunners in the experimental era of 2020’s metal. – Ez Luscombe
There would have been a time where a song like The Dali Thundering Concept’s newest track ‘Greenwash Me’ could have been written by Architects but unfortunately, they seem more preoccupied with playing rejected Bring Me The Horizon and Rammstein B-sides to stadiums and sampling Gordon Ramsay to flip off the haterzzz. Instead, it falls on one of France’s and djent’s most underrated and consistently creative acts to voice awareness and concern upon grave ecological, ethical and political matters. In this case (you might have guessed it), the practice of greenwashing by major energy companies desperate to profit from the sales of products they swear have a negligeable or perhaps even positive environmental impact while the truth is more often than not the exact contrary. Deftly maneuvering between cinematic blast beat sections, modern hip-hop verses and huge djent grooves, TDTC express their frustration at the apathy of a large part of consumers as well as their hopelessness as we watch our world be dealt with unprecedented heatwaves for multiple summers in a row now while business models, environmental policies and global politics priorities are slow to adapt and show any tangible change. – Avrian O’Brien
Arguably one of the hottest death metal acts in recent times, Sanguisugabogg, yes, the band with the funny name and logo and all the memes but mostly the killer riffs, cavernous production and revolting vocals, are back with a new single ‘Abhorrent Contraception’ and they’ve brought German veterans Defeated Sanity along for good measure. On this new track, Sanguisugabogg continue to infuse the groove of nu-metal and the short-fused aggression of hardcore into the murkiness of old-school brutal death metal, but production-wise, this devious concoction has never sounded bigger, punchier or clearer than now, without loosing any of its grimy appeal, on the contrary. The drumming is definitely a standout as well as the many interesting groove shifts the band move through as they go, showing off their more technical chops. Just as you think things couldn’t get any filthier and the track had showed its cards, the Ohio butchers hit us with a disturbing spoken word sample leading to a breakdown so punishing it effortlessly gains our disgusted approval. The Bogg’s upcoming album Hideous Aftermath on October 10th is certain to be not only a lesson, but a masterclass in savagery with a star-studded death metal cast of guests as a bonus treat. – Avrian O’Brien
Hell Hotel are back at it again, having released ‘every broken part.’, another instant hit. As with their previous single ‘Sweetness.’ the duo craft a masterful blend of infectious melody, sharp tempo changes and stabbing guitars all of which produce a raucous anthem. The duo have struck upon a winning chemistry between Demi Jay and Tom Maxfield and ‘every broken part.’ is yet another example of them fearlessly experimenting with emo nostalgia and modern production. These key features alongside the incredible vocal duality of Maxfield and Jay mean that ‘every broken part’ never really stays in one place, holds a sense of fresh familiarity and impactful depth. Whether you need to scream until your lungs are empty or sing your heart out, Hell Hotel have you covered. It’s another huge hit for the duo who are on a massive winning streak right now, do not sleep on this. – Jac Holloway
Last time we checked, aside from having one of the longest band names out there and most likely causing many a debacle with booking agents when it comes to billing, The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die were also mostly known for their Midwest emo tinged version of post-rock. However, on new single ‘Se Sufre Pero Se Goza’ (“You Suffer But You Enjoy”), the Pennsylvania collective show a much more agressive, post-hardcore (even hardcore leaning) side to their band identity, which is further emphasized by the harsh vocal contribution of Brendan Murphy (Counterparts, END) near the end of track. This perhaps surprising shift towards harsher soundscapes for TWIABP makes a lot more sense when reading through the socio-politically charged lyrical contents of both this new track and previous singles ‘Beware the Centrist’ and ‘Auguries of Guilt’. The anger and urgency not only feels raw, but necessary given the topics being tackled. TWIABP will present this change in dynamics in greater detail later this summer with the release of their new album Dreams of Being Dust on August 22nd, which is already shaping up to be a sleeper pick for the top of AOTY lists. – Avrian O’Brien