Vower – Satellites
Few bands in Britain have arrived with such a pedigree and momentum as Vower. The progressive post-hardcore mob have a mere handful of tracks released, yet in December they’ll be be performing to sold out crowds in around the country. Their brand new track ‘Satellites’ is accompanied by a music video conceived, created and edited by their own talented hands. Filled with soaring, vulnerable vocal lines and determined riffs, it’s a track laden with emotion. Written about the distance felt from loved ones, whether physical or emotional, its at times raw lyrics and catharsis ridden delivery will cut deep into the heart of all but the most stoic folk. Combined with their debut EP from earlier in the year, this track helps cement Vower as one of the best new bands of 2024 and it seems that 2025 is theirs for the taking. – Chris Earl
Beyond Extinction – Tyranny
The new kings of absolutely disgusting gurgling noises return, with one of the greatest extreme metal vocalists of all time in tow for a fantastic guest spot. British grinding deathcore upstarts Beyond Extinction have released the first new track of their upcoming, as-yet-unannounced debut album and they’ve enlisted the help of Black Tongue vocalist Alex Teyen. ‘Tyranny’ is an ungodly level of downtuned, pummelling deathcore that harks back to the days of the aforementioned Hull legends and also bands like Carnifex and early Despised Icon. Amongst buzzing, filthy guitars and stomping drums, vocalist Jasper Harmer manages to hold his own in the toilet noise stakes with Alex, the two combining for a late contender for the most ridiculously brutal tracks of 2024 and shows that ahead of what looks to be an important year for the band, that they’re not taking any prisoners. – Chris Earl
Death Goals – COVO
2024 has been a great year for British queercore duo Death Goals, with standalone single ‘Knife Bouquet’ featuring Haggard Cat and Heck frontman Matt Reynolds and a split EP with Rhode Island screamos Dreamwell as well as a tour alongside Canadian noise titans Tunic, Death Goals show they still have another treat for their fans before the end of the year. Singer/guitarist Harry Bailey dedicates new single ‘COVO’ to their poet grandfather, screeching through a rapid, distorted eulogy with tender, sincere lyrics which clash dramatically with the track’s apocalyptically loud sound. While Death Goals have already proven themselves to be one of the UK’s most exciting underground acts ‘COVO’ drives home their potential as future hardcore stars. – Tom Bruce
Coheed and Cambria – Searching for Tomorrow
It’s a fantastic time to be a fan of legendary progressive post-hardcore nerds Coheed and Cambria, alongside their scorching new single ‘Searching For Tomorrow’ the New York based quartet also announced the third part in their Vaxis series of albums with the suitably long-winded title Vaxis Act III: The Father Of Make Believe. ‘Searching For Tomorrow’ takes a vastly different approach to Coheed’s specific brand of prog tinged emo than their previous album A Window Of The Waking Mind, which revolved around an 80s inspired synth rock sound, by throwing back to the band’s earlier work while staying fresh and up to date with the addition of a hefty breakdown and an earworm lead line. More than two decades in, Coheed and Cambria are still proving that they’re full of exciting new ideas. – Tom Bruce
No Cure – The Basement Beneath the Fountain
Having just signed to SharpTone Records, the incendiary hardcore outfit No Cure are about to launch their second EP, I Hope I Die Here and unveiled its second single ‘The Basement Beneath the Fountain’. A particularly ignorant strain of seething hardcore, it’s bolstered by death metal fury and a fist-swinging breakdown that’ll loosen teeth. A grinding, hellacious assault, it also features Kayhan Vaziri of Wretched Blessing and Vautja to add extra fuel to an already raging inferno. Of the EP as a whole, the band explain that it’s a love letter to their home state of Alabama, while tackling a range of issues; “there is a distinct reason for each song to exist. We approach many topics, including what it’s like to grow up under the boot of religion, fraternity culture, the dark side of a beloved landmark, local ecological exploitation, and more.” – Will Marshall
Pleiades – CV5 (Constant Variation)
Speaking of love letters, Pleiades have also released what might be perhaps the single greatest song about Coventry. The post-hardcore quintet have just released ‘CV5 (Constant Variation) and it embraces everything from midwest emo to blastbeats to stirring effect. Written as an homage to guitarist Andrew Packwood’s Coventry roots, it blends the nostalgia of gazing back on a misspent youth with the knowledge afforded by lived experience through its balance of aggression and more fraught emotion.It indicates a fascinating new direction after their 2023 release Affinity With that’s sure to keep catapulting them up the UK underground. – Will Marshall
Cloned Apparition – Holly Green
Montreal is full of hot acts these last couple of years and with that is Cloned Apparition. With their newest single ‘Holly Green’, the first off an upcoming LP which is set for next year, this Canadian quartet are not disappointing in the slightest. Bringing forth a sound similar to Turnstile’s Glow On, it’s refreshing to see hardcore slowly dropping the tough guy act for just a moment to let some genuine emotion show every once in a while. Cloned Apparition do this masterfully on ‘Holly Green’, making that 2025 LP one to watch out for. – Nathaniel Maure
Seagrave – Sanctifier
Canada has absolutely delivered these last couple months with no sign of slowing down. Delivering listeners an early Christmas gift is Ontario’s Seagrave with their newest single ‘Sanctifier’. Low and slow is the motto here as is most of the Seagrave catalogue, but that’s not to say it isn’t enjoyable. The group opted to throw clean vocals this time around which was a pleasant surprise to say the least. Produced by the wonderful Nocturnal Audio, Seagrave show signs of a refreshing deathcore sound on this new venture. This Canadian four piece manage to surprise with every release and ‘Sanctifier’ is no different. – Nathaniel Maure
Solsic – Grudgetown
Kitchener-Waterloo has a quaint hardcore scene that just foams at the mouth for their hometown heroes in Solsic, and what better reason to do so than their newest single ‘Grudgetown’? This alternative hardcore outfit has managed to take their sound and morph it into something special on this new single. Opting for a more melodic sound with more clean singing, that’s not to say it doesn’t pack a punch. The Ontario foursome have really come into their own this year with this new single really proving just that. Self produced and released by the group, it’s clear this is only the beginning of what proves to be a promising career for Solsic. – Nathaniel Maure
Nakedburn – Jaded feat. Liam Cormier
Toronto post-hardcore outfit Nakedburn have delivered one of the best early Christmas presents for fans of emo and hardcore alike with their new single ‘Jaded’. Paired with a wonderful music video directed by their own vocalist Matt Guarrasi, Nakedburn blend punk and new age emo flawlessly. Produced by their guitarist Luc Chiasson with a hard hitting guest spot from Cancer Bats‘ Liam Cormier; the group deliver a near-perfect single. If this is a peek into what they have in store for 2025, listeners are not ready for what these Canadian talents have hiding up their sleeves. – Nathaniel Maure
High Regard – Blindside
Power trio High Regard are back with their latest earworm in ‘Blindside’ as they explode with a glittering cacophony of addictive alt-rock straight from the soundtrack of a Twilight film. Off the back of the fantastic ‘Mirror Glass’ High Regard return with a delicately constructed anthem as vocalist Georgia Casey sits at the tracks emotional core soaring with beautifully arranged instrumentation which collide and explode with vibrant colour and fury. Its confessional delivery and startling hooks will leave fans of As Everything Unfolds and Brand New Eyes-era Paramore with a new favourite band. High Regard are on a hot streak releasing emphatic single after single and seemed destined to reach the peaks at which their idols stand. Expect to hear High Regard at every turn In 2025 beginning with their first headline show in London in February, and a spot at Noizzefest on 26th April. – Andy Calderbank
Gridiron – Talk Real
Listening to Gridiron inspires a certain level of fervor that other bands can only aspire to. The Michigan/Pennsylvanian crew have captured the full and rapturous attention of audiences across the world over the last few years with their brand of rap-influenced hardcore. It’s been a long two years since No Good At Goodbyes made them a worldwide force, and their brand new single ‘Talk Real’ is the first release from the band since signing to the up and coming Blue Grape Music. Gridiron know what the people want, and ‘Talk Real’ a track that has the potential to make anyone feel like they could take on the world. Destined for pits and full crowds singing along, it’s a fun, chunky slab of modern hardcore that looks set to continue the band’s momentum into their next record and beyond. The ending salvo which ends with “Gridiron’s back, best believe we locked in” is just pure distilled fire too. – Chris Earl
Forlorn – Spirit
Delivering the ultimate soundtrack to bask in the beauty of the darker half of the year; the folk horror spiritual guardians, Forlorn, invokes a keen sense of otherworldly essences living amongst us, with their first official Church Road single ‘Spirit’. Inspired by vocalist Megan Jenkins’ fascination with shape-shifting post-reading Stephan King’s The Outsiders, as well as a personal quest to connect with the ebb and flow of our world’s untapped energies; ‘Spirit’ is an engaging journey through ethereal reconnaissance of the soul, with sudden bursts of infectious screams that pierce through, calling to the power living within us which seeks its connect with our transcended form. While experiencing the sheer dynamism of this latest track in full, it made us especially excitable come sitting with the knowledge that in only 5 months time, we get the chance to embrace the influence of this mystifying track live when Forlorn headline the Fuel stage at Noizzefest 2025. Such a ritual is one you won’t want to miss. – Bennie Osborne
Spiritbox – Perfect Soul
Making a splash with the announcement of their second studio album alongside their latest ballad-esque single ‘Perfect Soul’. Spiritbox are no novices when it comes to creating a stir surrounding their releases, having consistently delivered a merry helping of dramatics and terrifying sonic bombardments over recent years. The latest double act of the Tsunami Sea era, previous single ‘Soft Spine’ and now ‘Perfect Soul’ feel like the yin and yang of relational grief, as they process separate stages of anger and forlorn. ‘Perfect Soul’ feels like the marriage of Eternal Blue and earlier, such as ‘Secret Garden’ and ‘Perennial’ with a distinct weighted depth in its overall production, which is most effortless yet striking to the core. Shooting off of the latest impressions of Spiritbox’s latest offerings, we can’t help but ready ourselves to be willingly dragged to the deepest depths of their oceanic cluster of emotional turmoil with how undeniably pleasing their progression to metalcore dominance is coming along. – Bennie Osborne
Thornhill – Nerv
Ravaging our psyche with one of their heaviest excursions into auditory personal and relational mismanagement; the Aussie metalcore quartet Thornhill, seek to unravel the complex transient state between the green and red flags in exclusive dalliances. While both enchanting yet fascinatingly defiant, ‘Nerv’ acts as the emotional thorn in all our sides when navigating the perilous road to finding your person or your string of persons in the contemporary dating game. With a sonic disposition placing the band in the territory of the early 00s nu metal frenzy, paired with their no holds barred approach to poetic songwriting, shoegaze influences and Jacob Charlton’s alluring yet cutting vocals, ‘Nerv’ seems to fit 2024’s mould for a catharsis chasing anthem of danger seeking self-preservationists. – Bennie Osborne
Grief Ritual – Recursion feat. Cage Fight
With a barely-contained rabid aggression, Grief Ritual’s third single ahead of their January debut has arrived in a frenzy of caustic noise. They are joined by Cage Fight’s Rachel Aspe to howl about the rigidity of the world, and its complete lack of flexibility for the individual. Whilst its lyrical content may be profound, the breakdown is the opposite side of the coin in its utter ignorance, and may well be an exercise in IQ lowering through heavy music. The sheer volume of contempt and bile being output is palpable, with even the guitar riffs exuding hate as they tear up the speakers you’re playing them through. – Jake Longhurst
Whispers – Wisenheimer feat. Demonstration of Power
Recently signed to Flatspot Records, Bangkok’s Whispers have brought Thai metallic hardcore to the big leagues and have brought Demonstration Of Power’s lead vocalist Shaun Alexander into the fold on their latest single ‘Wisenheimer’. Across three and a half minutes of relentless heaviness, the band engage in an exercise of outputting the most throttlingly angry example of self determination heard since Hatebreed’s ‘I Will Be Heard’. The sharp, cutting tone is precisely where it should be on a hateful hardcore track, with primordial drums and sledgehammer guitars pairing up to ensure the listener won’t get a moment’s respite. – Jake Longhurst