Zand, Sylosis, Guilt Trip, HAWXX and More: New Noizze – The 17 Must-Listen Tracks Of The Week

From horny ugly pop to bizarre Belgian art rock, here's the best singles released this week.

Zand – DTF

Truly, the latest single from Zand is the sonic embodiment the self-proclaimed ugly pop star’s modus operandi; it’s weird, larger than life, and the words of Zand themselves, “unhinged, orgasmic and an obnoxious proclamation of self lust.” The first track to be taken from the upcoming Sewerstar EP – released July 20th – ‘DTF’ is a stomping celebration of lust and the embracement of the animalistic desires that are impossible to control. It’s filthy, pounding, pulsating – and just like Zand themselves – unapologetically and brilliantly individualist. – Dan Hillier

Sylosis – Poison for the Lost

One of British metal’s most consistent and underrated acts, Sylosis are back with a vengeance ahead of their sixth record, A Sign of Things to Come with new single ‘Poison for the Lost’. It’s everything that makes the band great distilled into one movement. Guitarist and vocalist Josh Middleton sounds the best he has in years, his screams filled with anger and bile. The instrumental work is, as usual, impeccable and it sounds massive, particularly the furious solos and guitar squeals. The progressive elements the band is known for are ever present, with sprinkling of atmospheric electronics adding to the track, which also boasts one of the biggest choruses the band have had for years. With the recent departure of Josh from Architects, it’s time for people to realise what the man is truly capable of in the riff department, and come September, it’s a solid bet that we’ll have an AOTY contender on our hands. – Chris Earl

The Guru Guru – Lotta Tension

Announcing their third album Make (Less) Babies, Belgian alt-rock band The Guru Guru release the lead single ‘Lotta Tension’ which recently had a run out at their well-received set at Portals Festival. Taking on the whole process of recording live, producing and mixing themselves for their third full length they have already managed to capture their synergy and energy. Their arty fusion of styles with angular guitars and off-kilter beats, yet also creating catchy hooks with the chorus lines are truly enticing. The performance pressure that creates the tension mentioned is not only in the lyrical content but as the band build to a crescendo at the tail end of the track. An explosion of energy before a sudden ending, it’s The Guru Guru at their theatrical best. – Adam Vallely

Hawxx – Soulbreaking Machines

HAWXX‘s ascension to the top of scene continues with their hot new tune ‘Soulbreaking Machines’. Blending odd time signatures with their signature heavy guitar riffs and soaring vocals, the band continue to prove themselves as worthy of respect. Hard hitting riffs slam into you from the moment you press play, before subsiding to allow soft guitars and technical drum grooves to lull you before the song rears up again in full force. The production is great as usual, allowing every instrument to be heard clearly, especially the rumbling bass which provides a thick undertone to the song. ‘Soulbreaking Machines’ is yet another catchy, well-written metal monster that serves to further push HAWXX to stardom. – Jude Bennett

Guilt Trip – Sweet Dreams

Teasing a full length record in the best way possible, by releasing an absolute knee slapper of a single complete with a spectacular music video, Guilt Trip are certainly getting tongues wagging as of late. ‘Sweet Dreams’, featuring some guest vocals from French metalcore heavyweights Landmvrks‘ Florent Salfati, this track is an absolute rabble rouser from the opening chords. There’s some disgusting panic chords mixed with a fight riff about twenty seconds in, guaranteed to open pits wherever it lands. A much more hardcore focused proposition than their contemporaries, the band are not short of crushing beats and riffs but know how to throw some memorable and catchy vocal lines into the mix. When the album does eventually drop, you can bet your ass that it’ll absolutely slap your teeth straight. – Chris Earl

KEN Mode – The Strike

Sounding somewhat akin to Drive Like Jehu suffering from a skull-splitting migraine, ‘The Strike’ once again sees KEN Mode doing what they do best – channeling pure frustration and nihilism via the art of openly hostile noise rock. Fuelled by the frustration of the years lost to covid how we emerged from the pandemic into a world worse than the one we hid away from in 2020, the track is a crass and cold decanting of apathy and melancholy, one that hints towards the band’s next arc. Releasing September 22nd via Artoffact Records is Void, a companion record for KEN Mode’s 2022 record NULL and the band’s next full body of work. “[It was] both written and produced at the same time throughout the pandemic, and recorded by Andrew Schneider in the fall of 2021”, states the band on Void. “It conveys the overwhelming sadness and disappointment of the rollout of 2021, after the initial crazed shock of 2020. The material demanded a slightly more melancholy feel, and we wanted to explore more melody on the exit from this project.” – Dan Hillier

Hey Colossus – My Name in Blood

20 years in and with their 14th(!) record on the way, Hey Colossus have remained as intriguing and engaging a listen as ever. Their new single ‘My Name In Blood’ is layers upon layers of guitars and sounds passing through every spectrum and angle of the brain when listened on headphones especially. The slow plodding pace gives everything space to breathe as vocalist Paul Sykes guides us through a small piece of British folklore, of which the incoming album In Blood will delve into. Even with another slightly changed line up they sound as cohesive as ever, as if Hey Colossus is more of an overarching idea than a specific set of people making music. A wide-ranging unit of musicians who have never chased fame or glory but continually released challenging, interesting music. We can only hope for another 20 years more. – Adam Vallely

Code Orange – Grooming My Replacement / The Game

Pittsburgh’s metallic hardcore titans Code Orange are back with two bruising new singles in the form of ‘Grooming My Replacement’ and ‘The Game’, both of which arrive with the force of a jackhammer. In the days leading up to the release, the band released a typically cryptic, hostage-style video which both intrigues and unsettles before launching into ‘Grooming My Replacement’. If you were worried that 2021’s stand-alone single ‘Out For Blood’ would lead the band down more melodic paths, those fears are swiftly cast aside. Beginning with an Iowa-esque squealing intro, the track explodes into one of the band’s most groove-laden riffs to date, accompanied by Jami Morgan’s now trademarked barks and roars. Described as ‘the bug infested subconscious of a band on the run from its past and future’, this stomper does everything that Code Orange do best. ‘The Game’ continues the aural battering with its combination of chugging riffs, uncompromisingly aggressive vocals and glitching, earth-shattering breakdowns and once again serves as a reminder of how truly special Code Orange are. – Jordan Aldridge

To Kill Achilles – Chemical Counterpart

Ahead of their sophomore album Recovery due out August 11th, the Scottish alternative four piece To Kill Achilles have dropped ‘Chemical Counterpart’ to give us a taster of what the album will be. First and foremost, if you’re looking to find a groove laden slow piece, then you’re in the right place. The vocals of Mark Tindal echo throughout from his harsh screams to high soaring cleans, taking notes from Aaron Pauly from Of Mice & Men, along with a chorus you’ll find yourself singing along with after a few listens. The tear-jerking single has shown that album number two is ready and prepped to be unleashed. Tasteful and emotional in a beautiful little package. – Liam True

Vibration Boys – Cloud Nine

Bristol based four-piece upstarts Vibration Boys are just starting to make a name for themselves on the UK hardcore scene. With only grunge-tinged debut single ‘Godspeed’ available so far, the band are looking to show off a slightly more in-your-face throwback inspired by 80s DC hardcore with new single ‘Cloud Nine’. Keeping a relentless pace for its three minute run time, the track opens with a big hooks and bouncy rhythms before breaking into d-beat for old school hardcore vibes. It’s packed to the brim with riffs to mosh to, snarling vocal lines and even a cheeky little shredding guitar solo before moving back to the bouncing groove to close the track in which is sure to be a raucous pit anthem live. In terms of modern comparison, ‘Cloud Nine’ lands somewhere between the upfront savagery of Drain and the playful rhythmic energy of Turnstile; safe to say, if you’re a fan of the throwback style of hardcore, then Vibration Boys are definitely worth keeping an eye on. – Harry Shiels

Empire State Bastard – Stutter

Empire State Bastard finally announced their eagerly awaited debut album Rivers Of Heresy alongside its second single ‘Stutter’. The musical wizardry brothers of Mike Vennart (Oceansize/Biffy Clyro) and Simon Neil (Biffy Clyro) set out to create some of the most ‘nihilistic’ and ‘poisonous, vile’ music and lyrics they could conjure, and this track is definitely representative of their darker sides. Featuring Dave Lombardo (Slayer) on drums and Naomi Macleod (Bitch Falcon) on bass, the rhythm section stampedes through just under two and half minutes of relentlessness as Simon belts out horrid, screamed vocals that shift into more sinister and ominous tones with added electronics towards the end. The album release of September 1st can not come soon enough. – Adam Vallely

Eighteen Visions – Rot of Humanity

Arguably one of the most influential bands from the early noughties metalcore bands, yet not really one of the bigger names, Eighteen Visions have been making a solid comeback the last few years. Their latest track, “Rot Of Humanity” is a short, sharp blast of in your face metalcore; opening with spoken word samples, before shifting from pounding rhythms and abrasive riffs to the classic breakdown, it’s nothing you haven’t heard before but that doesn’t stop it being a load of fun. The band themselves haven’t officially announced a new release but have teased that there’s a lot more to come. With Unearth releasing a cracking record and potentially one from Bleeding Through on the way too, it seems like some of the earlier metalcore bands are here to remind their younger peers how it’s done in 2023. – Chris Earl

Fever 333 – $wing

At long last, Fever 333 are back. After both of his former band mates departed, Jason Aalon Butler has worked to reshape the band into a brand new four-piece, unveiling the new line-up with the earworm new track, ‘$wing’. Whilst still retaining the politically charged rap rock that has given the band its dedicated following so far, ‘$wing’ definitely takes this style in a far more light-hearted direction, and it surprisingly pays off. Butler’s rap flows in the verses are incredibly fun to listen to, whilst the ‘swing, batter batter’ hook in the choruses is deviously catchy. Lyrics are coupled with simple but punchy riffing and a well-executed breakdown in the back half of the track, making ‘$wing’ an instantly unforgettable return from Fever 333. – Ryan Ward

Moodring – WouldYouWaitForMe?

Following on from their previous track ‘BLACK_WAVE’, Moodring have returned with another incredible song from their upcoming EP Your Light Fades Away, which drops on July 14th. ‘WouldYouWaitForMe?’ leans heavily into a Deftones style sound, with crushing guitars that are punctuated by moments of electronic ambience. The breakdown towards the track’s midpoint opts less for sheer brutality and more for slick and swaggering technical precision. On top of all of that, vocalist Hunter Young pulls off some gorgeous, haunting melodies throughout, particularly during the choruses which are packed with melodic hooks that will draw you in. All of this culminates in a track that sounds deeply relevant musically, yet feels leagues ahead of so many of their contemporaries in the heavy scene. Moodring aren’t here to be boxed in by expectations. – Ryan Ward

Panic Response – Back Alley Trial

Hailing from the Flower City of Brampton, Panic Response is one of Canada’s freshest acts. They’ve stepped up to the plate and set the tone for beatdown bands coming out of the Greater Toronto Area with their newest single ‘Back Alley Trial’. Opening up the track in an almost VCTMS-esque way, it doesn’t shy away from any brutality. Representing Flower City hardcore the best way he knows how, vocalist Ivan Mondragon slams through this ferocious track with ease while displaying consistent and powerful roars that seem to slip through vocal cords with ease. Vocals aside, this piece is fresh and exciting and proves to be what Ontario hardcore needs in a world that can be slightly oversaturated at times.  – Nathaniel Maure

Prison – Outta My Head

Having dropped May 31st and set to be a certified rager for heavy music patrons, Prison welcomes in a new era the only way they know how. With a brand new single. ‘Outta My Head’ starts by pounding the listeners ears with metalcore ferocity. Not your usual metalcore song though; mixing a combination of killer riffs, consistent and catchy drums, and a flawless vocal display by frontman Johnny Crowder, Prison has managed to blend stylings of nu-metal with modern metalcore perfectly to bring one of this summer’s funnest metal songs. A perfect example of what new Prison is all about, you’d would be silly to ignore it. – Nathaniel Maure

Saltwound – The Company You Keep

Northern California just got hotter and it’s not due to climate change. Although that’s still an issue, the root cause of all the heat is Saltwound’s newest single ‘The Company You Keep’. Deathcore in the same vein as Falsifier and Spite, it doesn’t shy away from insane riffs and heavy breakdowns. Displaying some beastly guttural vocals overtop of some disgustingly low tuned guitars, it’s very much setting an exciting tone for deathcore. With an insanely good music video to pair, shot by the always talented Tyler Dugoni of CaliberTV, this track has proven itself an audial and visual stunner in terms of US deathcore right now. – Nathaniel Maure