Dan Hillier
Two of modern British metal’s biggest bands join forces on this brand new single from While She Sleeps. The link between the groups may not be as clear musically these days, but the Sheffield connection these two hold will be stronger than any genre debate. It’s lead vocalist from Malevolence, Alex, who pops up on ‘Down’ and when he comes in, it’s like an incitement of pit violence. Unlike the divisive ‘Self Hell’, this is a much more straightforward track, and it’s the WSS we know and love. An arena ready chorus, great riffs and Loz Taylor sounding incredibly brassed off. With a new record due out in March, anticipation is building and it looks like, with a strong showing, Alexandra Palace won’t be the biggest venue the band end up playing regularly. – Chris Earl
One of the most iconic voices in modern punk, Laura Jane Grace, is back with a new single ‘Cuffing Season’, the third single from her upcoming solo album Hole In My Head. Like her other solo work ‘Cuffing Season’ takes a more bare-bones approach than her work in Against Me! or with The Devouring Mothers, instead primarily focusing on Grace’s vocals and a lone acoustic guitar while still keeping her raw, powerful voice intact. Relying on potent songwriting and artful lyricism rather than punk hostility, ‘Cuffing Season’ is Grace at her most open and intimate. – Tom Bruce
South Wales quartet Dream State have been making some big waves in 2023, solidifying their brand new lineup and going on to play some huge live dates alongside As December Falls and Funeral For A Friend. Now, in anticipation of their upcoming mini-album Still Dreaming, Dream State have dropped their newest single ‘Anxious State Of Mind’, blending a catchy pop-inspired chorus, EDM style synth hits and powerful post-hardcore guitar riffs, this track shows off Dream State at their most confident. Vocalist Jessie Powell’s voice flows naturally between lilting, pop-diva highs and venomous stabs backed by a band who are just as comfortable with soft melodies as they are with hard-hitting breakdowns. – Tom Bruce
Alternating between overwhelming, fuzzy noise and slick grooves, the latest track from Bristol based four-piece Sun Spot sees the outfit pushing their experimental boundaries further than ever before. Vocalist Will Palmer sounds barely human, layers upon layers of distortion warping their voice into what feels like simply another instrumental element in the waves of glitching noise. When all of the additional electronics are stripped away, subtle, melodic bass lines and simple but luscious guitar work pop into life, adding some particularly gorgeous musical levity to the otherwise densely compacted track. – Ryan Ward
‘Grace’ finds post punk superheroes IDLES in uncharacteristically melancholy waters. The delightful meandering melody carries the song for a wistful four minutes that showcases Joe Talbot’s unique gravel in a softer light. Of course there’s the ever present driving bass lines and the constant threat of manic energy bubbling just below the surface, no more so than the last few seconds of the track as it threatens to break out from below the carefully constructed façade of sadness. However it never appears, the anticlimactic false crescendo leaving feelings unresolved. Perhaps something that might have more meaning in the context of the upcoming album as a whole. – Rob Bown
Berlin/Istanbul based quartet, Bipolar Architecture are well known for pushing metal boundaries with their coalescence of post-metal, blackgaze and djent. ‘Alienated’, the second release from their forthcoming second album, Metaphysicize, truly emphasises just how exceptionally and seamlessly this band blends genres. Ferociously launching into a wall of heavy noise and abrasive chunky guitars, after only a short time you are whiplashed into a delicately raw and ambient post-metal section. As the pace and heaviness enhances, the remaining 3 minutes of the track marries aggressive drums, trashing ambient riffs locked in with a beautiful building melody. Going by the singles they have put out so far, Metaphysicize is sure to be an exciting release from this boundary defying band. – Amy Bowles
After bedazzling listers with their furious and utterly bewildering amalgamation of grind, doom, jazz, mathcore and everything in between, Utopia are back with ‘Withering Away And Laughing’. The first track to be lifted from the band’s second LP Shame – released February 2nd – ‘Withering Away And Laughing’ is the sonic embodiment of Utopia as a creative entity; it’s obtuse and difficult, but it’s idiosyncratic charisma makes it impossible not be enveloped in the strange world Utopia inhabit. On the surface this may seem like a slice of musical madness void of thought, but below lies a truly proactive and dadaist soundscape that vividly mirrors the nature of navigating a world characterised with endless complexities that compound upon one another. It’s a challenging experience in the same vein of how The Dillinger Escape Plan and Deadguy challenged listeners upon inception, but for those brave enough to endeavour unto the soundscapes of Utopia lies musical treasures of unfiltered ruminations on philosophy and existentialism. – Dan Hillier
Heavy, fast-paced, chaotic Black-Metal is everything you expect from The Infernal Sea and “Abhorrent Lord”, the second track released from their upcoming album Hellfenlic lives up to expectations. Does the pace and chaos let up for a moment? Absolutely not, the soul-stirring ambience of this track consists for over 4 minutes, consisting of brutal riffs, malevolent screams and ferocious drumming – it’s exactly what you want from a Black-Metal track. Following the earlier release of ‘Bastard of the East’, there is no doubt Hellfenlic is going to be another exceptional album from The Infernal Sea. – Amy Bowles
Modern living is hard. Thankfully, Timelost’s new single ‘Eternal Vibe’ is a track that both understands and comforts. Channelling the 1990’s garage rock sound in the vein of Dinosaur Jr and early Weezer whilst sounding comparable to current contemporaries in the likes of Fiddlehead and High Vis, ‘Eternal Vibe’ is a rumination on how negativity has become culturally ingrained in society and how we as individuals need to dispel it for our own personal health. With the band’s forthcoming record Drained releasing February 23rd via Church Road Records continuing to document the exhausting nature of modern existence through a personal lens, Timelost are a curial act for anyone longing for the relatively comfortable halcyon days of 90’s living. – Dan Hillier
To be frank, the only way to describe the ‘March Of The Göll’ is by calling it a clamour of riffs. The third single to be taken from Mountain Caller’s forthcoming second release Chronicle II: Hypergenesis – released January 26th via Church Road Records – ‘March Of The Göll introduces a new antagonist within the overarching narrative in which Mountain Caller animate with their vivid take on post-rock, and it’s nigh-on impossible to visualise a hulking primordial beast through the towering riffs that compose this track. Whilst those who love a good ol’ riff will no doubt appreciate this for what it is, ‘March Of The Göll’ is a brilliant testament to Mountain Caller’s wonderful ability to animate characters and emotion through purely instrumental means. – Dan Hillier
Taken from their upcoming debut album, title track ‘Faith in Vain’ is a heavy made-for-stomping track from Sheffield-based hardcore troupe, Rough Justice. While this track is composed of the quintessential elements of a great metallic hardcore track; raspy screams, aggressive riffs and a smacking breakdown, ‘Faith in Vain’ is undoubtedly emotionally charged. Despite starting off heavy, ‘Faith in Vain’ really rips into life with the surprise of an intimate, melodic, clean vocal chorus which is sure to be in everyone’s head for weeks. Foremost, ‘Faith in Vain’ is a great hardcore track but the standout chorus really elevates this song to new heights making it an exceptional release from Rough Justice. – Amy Bowles
The gloves are off. Brighton metalcore discourse generators Architects are back and they’re pissed off. ‘Seeing Red’ sees the band hark back to their downtuned, heavier roots. Mixing vitriol, a children’s choir and a pretty massive chorus, it doesn’t take a genius to work out what this song is about. That works in the bands favour though, as it stands as a firm middle finger to their numerous online critics who attack the band for even breathing in the wrong tuning. Is this an indicator of the group’s musical future or perhaps just a release of the frustration and anger building up inside of them? Only time will tell, but if it’s the former, there’s few who can stand against them when they’re on top furious form. – Chris Earl
Essex-based hardcore band, Splitknuckle fully demonstrate how exceptional the UKHC scene is. Taken from their upcoming 2024 release, title track ‘Breathing Through The Wound’ is brain-rattling heavy and in short, fucking ignorant. Slamming in at just under 3 minutes long, ‘Breathing Through The Wound’ features unforgiving riffs, relentless chugging and a mix of traditional hardcore screams and death-metal-esque growls leaving you feeling as if you’ve been chewed up and spat out… in a good way. If the belligerence and quality of the first two releases are anything to go by, ‘Breathing Through The Wound’ is going to be an exceptional hardcore release in 2024. – Amy Bowles
Exocrine are back teasing a new release on the horizon hot on the tails of last year’s The Hybrid Suns. It seems that they can’t help but crank out meaty blackened tech death, and ‘Life’ is no different, being a rip roaring ride through shredded leads, staccato breakdowns and shuffled groovy yet technically adept riffing. The sound seems to be a little less expansive than the last record, giving it more of a claustrophobic air as the drums pound away at the speed of light. It all lends to quite a suffocating atmosphere, there’s barely space to breathe as vocalist Jody Besse goes from standard growls to chanted choral lines. If the recent singles are anything to go by, the new album will be a highlight of 2024. – Rob Bown
Unrelenting, the new single from Infant Island is exactly what it says on the tin. It’s 2 and a half minutes of furious tremolo picked black metal, underpinned by stress inducing banshee like vocals, blast beats that just won’t stop and sprinklings of grimly sublime shoegaze. Unrelenting leaves a breathless wake, sloshing about murky waters, threatening to consume everything it comes across. The new album Wreath is out January 12th, and it’s shaping up to be a ripper. Infant Island have built up a healthy fanbase gnashing for more of their unique black metal, and the new singles refuse to disappoint. – Rob Bown
Ontario isn’t just a hotbed for great hardcore. In fact, the province’s entire metal/alternative communities seem to be thriving as a whole right now. Bringing attention to their growing deathcore scene is CRUELINTENT and their newest single ‘Rot in Agony’. Old school meets modern age deathcore with ease, seamlessly blending the style with hints of beatdown. Vocalist Pauly Padg brings the heat with vocals comparable to Ben Duerr of Shadow Of Intent while accompanying instrumentals slam through each passing second. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by the wonderful Luc Chiasson and a massive guest spot surprises all from Sentinels‘ Kenny Stroh; ‘Rot in Agony’ is a massive step in the right direction for Canadian deathcore going into 2024. – Nathaniel Maure
The works of Tolkien have long been an inspiration for realm of metal, and judging from the work of Dwarrowdelf, it appears the author’s legacy is far from ever waning. For those new to Dwarrowdelf – the musical output for South Coast multi-musician Tom O’Dell – the seven minute epic that is ‘This Shattered World’ is the perfect introduction to the immersive melodic death metal that’s courtesy of this one-person project. Across the track’s sweeping riffs, panoramic black metal passages and fantastical moments of atmospheric melodicism, the track brilliantly and most vividly conjures the world in which Dwarrowdelf resides within, one inspired the aforementioned Tolkien and universe of Elden Ring. Should one not be acquainted with Dwarrowdelf and find themselves fans of acts such as The Infernal Sea, Hellripper and Noctule, then ‘This Shattered World’ is the perfect introduction. – Dan Hillier