Ithaca – Ithaca
Ithaca calling it quits sucks. Thankfully, the quintet have blessed us with one final song before their curtain call at ArcTanGent this August. The self-titled track sums up everything brilliant about them, with acerbic screams and gorgeous melodies from vocalist Djamila Azzouz, complemented by as-ever top notch riff work and segues into calmer atmospheric passages too. It looks back on their storied career and the passion that drove them, lines like “Don’t cry because it’s over / We’ll smile because we had it” particularly poignant. The band explain, “‘Ithaca’ means home, the place you return to when the journey is complete. In this final song, we put this band to rest. Every memory, every tear, every laugh is in here. Thank you for everything. Om namo naryanaya.” – Will Marshall
The Armed – Well Made Play
Reversing their last album’s expansive, hook forward approach, the formerly anonymous, still eccentric hardcore collective The Armed are back with their new single ‘Well Made Play’, the first glimpse of their upcoming album THE FUTURE IS HERE AND EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE DESTROYED. Following a playbook that may be more familiar to old school fans than those who joined for 2023’s Perfect Saviors, ‘Well Made Play’ launches into a vicious two minute blast of energy with plenty of fuzzy synths, blast beats and screeching vocals that doesn’t forget the lessons learned in the band’s more recent work, throwing in a wild sax solo before building up to a violent and satisfying closing crescendo. With the force and speed of a brick to the teeth, ‘Well Made Play’ blends the multiple faces of The Armed into an eruption of hardcore energy with enough experimental fervour to keep the listener coming back. – Tom Bruce
Vower – Deadweight
Anyone with ears and a working brain got excited when members of Black Peaks, Toska, and Palm Reader decided to join forces to create a true UK underground supergroup. Infectious riffs? Check. High quality songwriting from some of the UK’s finest craftsmen? Check. Vower had the lot in spades, but had they really put it into something unique yet? That was the question .’Deadweight’ is Vower finding their sound, away from the comparisons of old glories and stepping into a bright, exciting new future. Focused, energised, and furious, ‘Deadweight’ sheds any criticism of the band being less than the sum of their parts and shows that they are about to become oh so much more. – Kevin Ashburn
Malevolence – Salt the Wound
The second single taken from Malevolence‘s upcoming album Where Only The Truth Is Spoken, ‘Salt the Wound’ sees Sheffield’s finest with the now-requisite metal ballad of the album. Unlike say, ‘Higher Place’ though, this time ‘Salt the Wound’ reaches across both sides of Malevolence‘s sound, from the gruff, tender melodicism in Konan Hall’s voice to the bruising metallic hardcore bark of Alex Taylor. The track itself moves between both these softer moments and grooving heft until the halfway mark when it bursts into a hellacious gallop with a bellow of “sink it” and a return to the chorus. By now, you know what to expect from the Sheffield bruisers, and its top shelf groove metal with that hardcore underbelly. Where Only The Truth Is Spoken will no doubt continue that. – Will Marshall
Greet Death – Motherfucker
Even before going into this, you might already have pre-convinced expectations of this track. But void all thoughts of something horrid to be had. The third single to be taken from Greet Death’s upcoming record Die In Love – released June 27th via Deathwish – ‘Motherfucker’ feel’s like a harmony of loss sung with love. Drawing upon thoughts of shoegaze, doomgaze and generally gazing into the yawning void that will one day swallow us all, ‘Motherfucker’ is a disjointed yet somber reminder to live in the moment, for our moments are not infinite. Fans of acts such as Slow Crush, Have A Nice Life and Deathcrash will find a lot to enjoy here. – Dan Hillier
They Are Gutting A Body Of Water – American Food
Ahead of playing both halves of Outbreak, alongside the rest of their first dates outside of North America, US shoegaze band They Are Gutting A Body of Water (or TAGABOW for short) have put out new song ‘American Food’. Although it is closer to lofi indie compared to some of the more full on parts of their discography, it still has the electronic manipulation that’s a constant through their sound, similar to sometimes label mates and fellow Outbreak bookings Feeble Little Horse. The dark acoustic guitar also gives hints of Slaughter Beach, Dog. Despite the aesthetic differences, this still feels like TAGABOW, with ethereal melodies to get lost in alongside the darker undercurrent of both production and lyrics – especially with the repeated “I’ll go get my gun” refrain. A band to catch if you have Outbreak tickets, and a one to watch regardless. – Mia Thunderska
Psycho-Frame – Blueprints For Idol Genocide
Like ignorant, trashcan-snare deathcore? If so, boy do Psycho-Frame have a track for you. The second single from the newly-announced upcoming debut album Salvation Laughs In the Face of a Grieving Mother, ‘Blueprints For Idol Genocide’ is as ludicrously hard as it and the album name suggests. A ferocious, three-and-a-bit minute blast of vitriol and ignorant deathcore, there’s more than a hint of the classic early-era deathcore to it, updated for the modern era without utilising the overblown production of much modern deathcore. “It’s a song about bad actors in the community,” explains vocalist Michael Sugars. “I see people moving in weird ways. So, I’ll keep my distance and let God sort ’em out while I do my thing.” Salvation Laughs In the Face of a Grieving Mother lands 25 July via SharpTone. – Will Marshall
Delilah Bon – Princeless Princess
Sassy rap rock and nu-metal inspired musician Delilah Bon has been writing, singing and producing angry alternative music about raising awareness about the patriarchy, and lifting up women and other marginalised voices since 2020 and ‘Princeless Princess’ is lyrically and musically no exception. Bon returns with another girl power anthem about not needing a man and being strong enough to save yourself, which is musically diverse due to the rapid fire rapping, the distorted guitars which add a level of unbridled rage to the track, and a catchy chorus which will get stuck in your head for days. – Ez Luscombe
Fortitude Valley – Sunshine State
UK indie-punks Fortitude Valley are a supergroup containing members from Tigercats, Fast Blood, and Martha and have been making Pavement and Los Campesinos! inspired tracks for almost seven years. Fortitude Valley return to form with their first single in four years and the lead single from their sophomore album Sunshine State, three minutes of summery, punchy, yet melancholy-tinged power pop and lyrics that pull off the classic sad lyrics, happy instrumental trope perfectly. Sunshine State is a modern power-pop staple and possibly the song of the summer due to the repeated refrain, “my heart was never in it” and the upbeat guitar riffs. – Ez Luscombe
Lakes – Hypernow
The third single to be taken from their upcoming record Slow Fade – released July 4th via Lucky Art / Big Scary Monsters – and dropping just prior to their upcoming tour with pop punk pioneers The Get Up Kids, ‘Hypernow’ sees Watford emo assemble Lakes addressing the realities of what being in a band demands. Driven by the punchy vocals of Cat Rowland and the twiddly glockenspiel-tinted emo that has become synonymous with their name, the track documents the curses that come with the blessing of being in a touring band; the missed birthdays, the distanced anniversaries and the serious strain on personal relationships that touring brings. “’Hypernow’ is about not being present and thinking about the band all the time. It’s one of those where I wasn’t really sure what it meant until after we’d tracked it”, states vocalist and guitarist Roberto Cappellina. “I definitely carry a lot of guilt for not thinking twice about missing a birthday or a wedding for years on end, and I think at some point it’s put a strain on all of our relationships.” – Dan Hillier
Believe In Nothing – Fist Full of Worms
The third single from Eastbourne noise dealers Believe In Nothing, ‘Fist Full of Worms’ is a downright horrible experience that marries the mania of Chat Pile with the caustic nihilism of Full Of Hell and distils the final result via the obtuseness of Primitive Man. Sounding akin to the disjointed and mentally fractured thoughts of the kind of serial killer normally narrated by the aforementioned Chat Pile, ‘Fist Full of Worms’ almost feels like a faithful recounting of how our collective cultural consciousness has become one of hatred, bile and paranoia. Regardless, with only three singles now Believe In Nothing are truly shaping up to be one of the most promising and exciting bands in our national sludge scene. – Dan Hillier
Honey Revenge – Risk
Two years on from their debut album, LA duo Honey Revenge are back with another dose of infectious pop-rock. It’s a danceable, bass-heavy track with all the energy we’ve come to expect from the band. Their earlier songs like ‘Airhead’ or ‘Worst Apology’ favoured bright pop punk riffs, but ‘Risk’ goes more for fuzzy bass and neon synths. If Honey Revenge is usually bubblegum pink, this latest track is a shift into ultraviolet – complete with their own new purple hairdos. Singer Devin Papadol has said she takes a lot of inspiration from 2000s Disney Channel rock, but ‘Risk’ could be the start of a more mature streak in Honey Revenge’s style. – Eleanor Taylor
For I Am King – Exile
After over a decade together, Dutch hellraisers For I Am King are calling it quits. Their final track ‘Exile’ is a vicious showcase of melodic deathcore – there’s brutal blast beats, crushing riffs, and, of course, some absolute powerhouse vocals. Front woman Alma Alizadeh gives her screams a blackened edge at certain points, pushing her voice into almost inhuman shrieks. And if that wasn’t enough, the band have thrown in some dramatic strings for the symphonic crowd too. If this really is the end of For I Am King, it’s one hell of a curtain call. – Eleanor Taylor
Divine Sentence – Where Olive Trees Now Weep
Having built a reputation as a fierce, no bullshit act over the last few years, Zurich based metalcore group Divine Sentence have joined forces with The Coming Strife for the release of their debut full length, Killing Is A Cycle, set for release 3rd July. The first track to come from that, ‘Where Olive Trees Now Weep’, is written about the abhorrent, despicable treatment of Palestinian people by the Israeli state and all proceeds from the track’s sales on Bandcamp go to The Sameer Project, an grassroots organisation set up to help get aid into Palestine. As the band themselves have said, this is a track to express “grief, rage and solidarity” whilst also acknowledging the suffering that the Palestinian people go through is impossible to put into song. It’s doubtful you’ll hear a track more pissed off all year, blending H8000 distortion and fury with Sofia’s throat scraping vocals, alongside blistering drums. It’s hard not to clench your fists in fury with the band as they refuse to shut away from these crimes against humanity. From the river to the sea. – Chris Earl
Fox Lake – Pure Adrenaline
Taking cues (and some would say the baton) from Alpha Wolf, Fox Lake have been putting out some of the most fun, entertaining nu-metal influenced metalcore of recent times. With their sophomore album, New World Heat just announced for a July release, the most recent track ‘Pure Adrenaline’ lives up to its name perfectly. A fast, frantic banger of a track, it’s probably the best way for new fans to get familiar with the band, blending downtuned, chunky riffs with a hardcore stomp and most importantly, a sense of fun that makes you want to dance and shake some ass to it. This is music for getting out your baggiest jeans, shiniest wallet chain and throwing on your gnarliest flames shirt. – Chris Earl
Death Pill – Phone Call
Taken from their forthcoming record Sologamy – released June 20th via New Heavy Sounds – ‘Phone Call’ sees the thrashy Ukrainian riot grrl trio Death Pill taming their sound in order to offer up their most accessible track to date. Almost sounding akin to Blood Command tracking a long forgotten Green Day track intended for 1991’s Kerplunk, ‘Phone Call’ is a brilliant bit of raw guitar pop that’s far more sour than sweet, a track that documents the crawling and dragging frustration that comes from awaiting contact from an estranged or unwilling partner. It’s certainly a contrast to the Exodus-meets-L7 bile that characterised the band’s previous work, but ‘Phone Call’ is still a brilliantly raw track that speaks volumes of the versatility of this wonderful act. – Dan Hillier
I Prevail – Violent Nature
After announcing the departure of founding co-vocalist Brian Burkheiser last week, Michigan metalcore outfit I Prevail return with statement new single ‘Violent Nature’. Having originally risen to prominence for their cover of Taylor Swift’s ‘Blank Space’ and built a following for their brand of melodic metalcore, this blistering new track takes a sharp left turn that will take existing fans by surprise. Noticeably absent of clean vocals, Eric Vanlerberghe’s furious, full-throated screams dominate the track amidst a fierce backdrop of fast-rising arpeggios and drop-tuned riffs that have one foot planted either side of the metalcore and deathcore intersection. Directed by Orie McGuinness, the mind behind the music video for Spiritbox’s ‘Soft Spine’ and Wage War’s ‘NAIL5’, this video features the band performing against a futuristic backdrop interspersed by sweeping shots of a sentry drone as it hunts down anything in its path. Clocking in at just over two minutes, this single is deadly and definitive proof that you can throw out any preconceptions about I Prevail. – Shan Harewood-Malone
Keeper – Alright//Too Slow
Blending breezy alt-rock and retro pop-punk with catchy Y2K inspired hyperpop, South London based artist Keeper is crafting the perfect sound for your summer on his new single ‘Alright // Too Slow’. Produced by and written in collaboration with Jon Cass of As Everything Unfolds and featuring percussion from Dream State’s Tom Connolly, ‘Alright // Too Slow’ uses cutting edge alternative momentum to propel its poppy hooks deep into the memory centre of the listener’s brain. With unexpectedly poignant lyrics about the slow recovery from a breakup and the freedom that comes from moving on, ‘Alright // Too Slow’ manages to elevate a memorable pop inspired track with some genuine substance below the surface. – Tom Bruce
Neck Deep – You Should See Me Now
UK pop-punk icons Neck Deep have been a pivotal part of the alternative scene for almost 10 years and return to form with a more mature sound on ‘You Should See Me Now’ which lyrically focuses on living in the present, and is a more emo adjacent track to what Neck Deep fans may be used to both lyrically and musically compared to previous releases from 2013 onward. Despite the slight change in sound, they still consistently deliver bangers that are catchy, perfect for summer, and put you in a good mood. – Ez Luscombe