Death Goals – Tchotchke (Feat. The Hirs Collective)
We had brat summer; now it’s time for queercore fall. Death Goals just dropped a lashing new single called ‘Tchotchke’, featuring Jenna Pup from The Hirs Collective. It’s a sneak peek of their upcoming EP, Survival Is An Act of Defiance, which will be out on August 29th. Guitarist Harry Bailey describes Tchotchke as a song that is “about the queer experience of being fetishised by members of the heterosexual community; the casual ‘harmless’ flirtation of a drunk straight friend, or the anonymous message on social media recounting all the sordid ways they’ve thought about you that evening. Queer people don’t exist to be objects of lust; we deserve love just as much as anybody else.” Tchotchke goes hard, thanks to the impressive breakdowns that capture the bleak state of the world. Fortunately, we have Death Goals to express it for us. Be sure to mark your calendars for queercore autumn – you won’t want to miss this. – Nessie Spencer
Alpha Male Tea Party – Battle Crab
After taking some time away, Alpha Make Tea Party are more storming the beaches than just scuttling back with ‘Battle Crab’. A most pinching and piercing track, ‘Battle Crab’ see’s the scouse math rockers return after a five year break with a vocal driven track dissecting nightlife violence and those kind of men who’s go to night cap is a drunken brawl. Yes, the addition of vocals may make some clutch their briny pearls, but if anything, such an addition only adds to the heft to this track. They may have been gone for half a decade, but Alpha Male Tea Party are back with an appetite only rivalled by those beasties that may or may not have eaten Amelia Earhart. – Dan Hillier
Thrice – Gnash
Thrice may have indulged everyone’s penchant for nostalgia by revisiting 2003’s The Artist In The Ambulance just recently, but to dub them as just another naughties band desperately stuck in the past would be nigh on criminal. ‘Gnash’ proves this wonderfully. Taken from their upcoming record Horizons / West – released October 3rd via Epitaph Records – ‘Gnash’ see’s the ever influential alt-rock quartet further pushing their sound without compromising that dichotomy between introspection and confrontation that made them just so brilliant in the first place. Gnarled, rugged and driven by an effects-soaked stomper of a riff, the track just effortlessly bites into that sense anxiety fulled anger we’re all feeling across the world right now. – Dan Hillier
Cheerbleederz – I Deserved Better
New Cheerbleederz single ‘I Deserved Better’ is a scathing, yet catchy two minutes of power pop and garage rock-influenced riffs and a production style that blends their polished musicianship with traditional DIY components. Clocking in at just over two minutes, this Alcopop! Records supergroup and trio have perfectly crafted memorable hooks since 2018 courtesy of Kathryn Woods, (Fresh) Phoebe Cross, (ME REX, Happy Accidents) and Sophie MacKenzie (Supermilk) and Kathryn’s second-guessing, yet strong, feminism-influenced lyrics have struck a chord with many. After touring with the likes of Lakes and Fresh and setting off on a headline tour in September, the only way is up for Cheerbleederz. – Ez Luscombe
Wot Gorilla? – Doomscrolling
Wot Gorilla? returned in June with ‘Very Good,Daniel!’ A track of emphatic math execution with post-hardcore edge to make the band feel at home alongside UK rising stars Love Rarely and Blight Town. Latest single ‘Doomscrolling’ sees them twist and turn with the precision of American Football seeing them seamlessly slip into a delicate and melancholic glide across the math rock spectrum. Holding emotional delicately in the palm of its hands, angelic vocal harmonies climb upon one another piggy backing its way into the songs post-hardcore culmination showing the bands time away has been a fruitful hibernation of artistic discovery. The return of Wot Gorilla? feels effortless and one where their experience will lead them beyond being an underrated band into an undeniable force in a scene which goes from strength to strength. – Andy Calderbank
Sprints – Rage/Beg
Hot on the heels of first single ‘Descartes’, Irish post punks Sprints have unveiled a double single from their upcoming second album, All That Is Over out 26 September. ‘Rage’ imbues their already formidable sound with a dose of garage rock, barrrelling along just under 3 minutes. ‘Beg’ contrasts it, at least initially, a laconic vocal line and pulsating synths lulling into a false sense of security before the song picks right back up where ‘Rage’ left off in intensity. The former calls out “false prophets and false promises” as guitarist/vocalist Karla Chubb explains, while ‘Beg’ “pokes fun at the idea that often it’s those in positions of power that preach their moral codes and judgments, while committing the most heinous crimes themselves.” – Will Marshall
Wolves – Reformed (Try Love)
Wolves return as a near casualty of the pandemic with a sound which is in the midst of nostalgic celebration. It’s Poison the Well meets The Dillinger Escape Plan and The Chariot, bands we all wish we could experience for the first time all over again, now you can. Wolves are a confrontational vehicle of visceral aggression, armed with a panicked and frantic mathcore sound to hold a candle of tribute to genre elders but added venom in the construction keeps it fresh. Vocally Wolves is a three headed hydra barking, howling and shrieking its way into a stellar spoken word passage condemning false and harmful narratives. ‘Reformed (Try Love)’ takes a sledgehammer to politicians and those spewing poison from their platforms in a barrage of discordance and chaos which feels like the perfect message for the modern day. Signed to the darling Ripcord Records and with a new album in the cannon, now is the perfect time to Try Love and Try Wolves. – Andy Calderbank
Supernova – Nowhere To Go
As sentimental as it is shit-kicking, the new single from London straight edge hardcore crew Supernova is an intimate tribute to a late friend and inspiration. Bound and driven by both love and bereavement, ‘Nowhere To Go’ see’s Supernova embracing the grief that stays in the wake of the passing of a loved one in order to grow spirituality. The end result is a brilliant track, one perfectly suited for both remembering departed loved ones and stage diving on friends still with us. – Dan Hillier
Zetra – The Spider
Heralding the announcement of a brand new EP Believe releasing 22 August, ‘The Spider’ is everything fans have come to love from the goth synth rockers. Gorgeous washes of synths, dual lamenting vocals and crunchy guitars to underscore it all; this is Zetra as they ascend once more to the stars. Naturally, the duo are as cryptic as ever, remarking of ‘The Spider’; “The golden thread becomes a web. The silken strands entice you, but do not linger. Will you climb to brighter heights? Or descend into madness. And ever he waits. And ever he watches.” – Will Marshall
Hatebreed – Make The Demons Obey
Death, taxes and a new Hatebreed album every few years, the only three things in life that are absolutely certain. It’s been five years since the Connecticut legends last released music and from the sound of ‘Make The Demons Obey’, they’ve not been wasting that time. A two minute rager of a track, you already know what you’re in for with Hatebreed but the sheer bounce in this track combined with the aural familiarity of Jamey Jasta’s bark make for a good time. There’s powerful gang vocals, lyrics designed to make you feel like you could headbutt a rhino successfully and groove for days. With no announcement of an album just yet, this is a fun little salvo which will whet the appetite ahead of the bands UK jaunt with Killswitch Engage in October. – Chris Earl
Enrose – Glad It Happened
Gabi Rose is a busy woman, jetsetting across the world as part of Bilmuri, but still finds time to release music under her own moniker, Enrose. The latest, ‘Glad It Happened’, takes funky pop rock and, of course, injects it with some deft, anthemic saxophone work. That’s the first thing we’re greeted with, a recurring sax motif that’s as characterful as it is an earworm. Taking lead vocals makes her own voice shine, an undercurrent of “fuck you” energy to her performance, though it’s more overt lyrically. Top notch work as ever – it’d be great to see a bigger body of Enrose work if there’s ever time. – Will Marshall
Greyhaven – Burn A Miracle
Greyhaven bring some of the spirit of Every Time I Die back into 2025, a chaotic, anthemic take on metalcore that swaps between frantic guitar and melodic vocal hooks. It’s the first single taken off their new album Keep It Quiet incoming 10 October, and as vocalist Brent Mills explains, ‘Burn A Miracle’ comes from a far more vulnerable place than before. “I felt like an open book on this new record. But that’s a scary thing and I wrestled a lot with how much I was opening myself up, and that’s exactly what this song is about. I wanted to hide and bury myself in abstractness but that’s not how this record wanted to be presented. This song is basically me recognizing that and saying, ‘Here I am, here’s my truth, take it or leave it.'” – Will Marshall
Human Leather – Dark Depths and Surface Tension
Brighton noise legends Human Leather are just weeks away from releasing their debut album, Here Comes The Mind, There Goes The Body, via Cargo Distribution and Wrong Speed Records on September 5th. This album is anticipated to be one of the most significant releases from the seaside resort since Lambrini Girls’ ‘Who Let The Dogs Out’. Musically, they draw closer to influences like Big Business, Melvins, and Zeus. To celebrate the upcoming release, they have also unveiled a completely absurdist yet hilarious video for their track “Dark Depths and Surface Tension.” This video (and song) is perfectly on brand for Amée Chanter (bass and vocals) and Tom Close’s (drums) wackiness, heavy riffs and shambolic lyrics. If you don’t believe me, you should see them live to experience it for yourself. – Nessie Spencer
Slow Crush – Bloodmoon
A hypnotising shawl of dusk-lit sound, the new single from shoegazers Slow Crush may not tick the boxes of a summertime hit but there’s no escaping this nocturnal call from the dark. The fourth single to be taken from their upcoming record Thirst – released August 29th via Pure Noise – ‘Bloodmoon’ is a slow yet ceaseless cascade of fatally gorgeous noise designed to enchant and posses; which is fitting given it’s subject matter. “In the absence of light only the darkness remains. In this dark void we feel lost without purpose or spark while time slips through our fingers like sand.”, state the band on the single “‘Bloodmoon’ is about the struggles and pain of a passionate and purposeful life but a life worth living. A life without is dark. In this fulfilling life we can completely lose ourselves and forget about the crunch of time.” – Dan Hillier
Car Bomb – Blindsides
Surprisingly enough, polyrythm and guitar effect manipulation mathcore wizards Car Bomb have revealed a second track off of their upcoming three track EP, Tiles Whisper Dreams, to be released on the first of August. The signature brain-scratching, disorientating tempo shifts and digital FX experimentation are in full effect on new track ‘Blindsides’ as guitars go from sounding like a full-scale starship battle to a race car revving up and shifting gears on neon highways. While there is a conversation to be had concerning the validity of man-manipulated and edited generative AI for music video purposes, the music however, is still very much (sometimes unbelievably so) organic and man-made. AI could never replicate this. – Avrian O’Brien
Splitjaw – Vigilance
It’s a curious thing how influential Halo has been for certain music scenes over the years. The sci-fi epic has spawned more than a few tracks and, in the case of Splitjaw, band names referencing the worlds lore over the last decade or so. Hailing from Chicago, the metallic hardcore group have made some serious waves with last year’s Dreads Comforting Embrace EP (Which had more than a few Halo references and samples) and we’ve now been treat to the first single off their second release. Titled ‘Vigilance’, it’s not your average metalcore song, mainly because Splitjaw are not your average metalcore band. Throwing mathcore, metallic hardcore and even some sass into a vitriolic blender, you’re never sure what’s coming next. A track that will make you want to mosh as much as shake your hips, the full EP (Titled Truth And Reconciliation) drops on the 7th of August and it’s one you can’t afford to miss. – Chris Earl
The World Is A Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die – Dissolving
Opening with a fuzzy and shoegaze-influenced riff that’s strangely reminiscent of 90’s Deftones, the atmospheric yet memorable vocal lines and the weird alien filter on David Bello’s vocals throughout the majority of ‘Dissolving’ is further proof that TWIABP aren’t afraid of experimentation and haven’t just stuck to midwest emo. This new era of the band celebrates all things political, dissonant, and noisy and although fans of their earlier work may not be as drawn to this era as their previous mathy and brass-laden discography, it’s admirable seeing a popular band making the music that they want to make after sixteen years of less experimentation. With seventh album Dreams of Being Dust set to release in late August, it’s an exciting time to be a fan of The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die. – Ez Luscombe
Netherlands – Black Fractal
If you haven’t heard of the band Netherlands yet, this is the perfect time to check them out! Their sound is a fantastic mix of tech-sludge and psych heavy rock that you don’t want to miss. At the helm is the incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist Timo Ellis from Brooklyn, who teams up with drummer Don Pusateri, and they’ve just released a new single from their upcoming album Vapors, which comes out on August 15th. This lively track, just under three minutes long, is a fresh take on their live classic “Black Fractal.” With a fuzzier and sludgier vibe, this new version really highlights their unique style of organized chaos. Get ready for an unforgettable tune that’ll stick in your head long after it ends, pulling you into their enchanting sonic world. You’re in for a treat. – Nessie Spencer
Pendulum – Cannibal (Feat. Wargasm)
With half of Pendulum’s fanbase being ravers and the other half being rock and metal fans, Pendulums combination of hard-hitting synth lines and drum and bass rhythm section is popular for a reason and latest venture into a more alternative driven sound is another certified banger. Teaming up with electro-puckers and nu metal revivalists Wargasm, ‘Cannibal’ is just another example of why rock and electronic music blend together so seamlessly and with distorted guitar lines aplenty over an obvious jungle influenced breakbeat and Wargasm frontwoman Milkie Way’s combo of harsh and clean vocals. Another single from upcoming August release Inertia, it’s always exciting to see what Pendulum will do next, and surely their latest album will be no exception. – Ez Luscombe
The Fear – Sit Down (James cover)
Manchester’s musical legacy is undeniable. Goodness, it’s even escapable right now given the non stop coverage of the Oasis tour at the moment. Paying homage to this is The Fear’s cover of James’ ‘Sit Down’. A more or less faithful rendition of the indie classic albeit with more crunch a corresponding level of fun, this cover almost feels almost feels somewhat refreshing. It would have been oh so easy for The Fear to fully indulgence their nu metal side and render this cover a naff gimmick, but given the level of respect paid here, this feels like a fitting tribute to the city that ultimately forged them. – Dan Hillier