Mitchell Wojcik
January 14, 2024| Dan Hillier |FEATURES
Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties, Gouge Away, Lynks and More: New Noizze – The 24 Must-Listen Tracks of the Week
Featuring a cheeky couple of tracks from last week too, here are the best singles of the past 7 days.
Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties – In Lieu of Flowers
It’s been nearly half a decade since the last record from Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties. But the story of Aaron West has continued silently over that period, and with the Roaring Twenties now a band 16 members strong, the American troubadour has returned with the title track of their new record. A genuinely heart-wrenching tale of West tending the now festering emotional wounds he’s ignored over the years, ‘In Lieu Of Flowers’ is a testament to West’s unparalleled talent in storytelling via songcraft and the band’s now blossoming personal. Truly, as the track’s horn arrangements, stings, slide guitar and keys all work in unison, ensuring they have the individual room to breathe, it’s impossible not feel the ache of this track as well as the weight that has accumulated over the years and records that characterise the overarching tale of Aaron West. With the new record set for release April 12th via Hopeless Records, it won’t be long before we all experience what may be the final arc of this decade spanning story together as one. – Dan Hillier
SNAYX – Sink Or Swim
One would forgive SNAYX for briefly resting on their laurels after the year they had in 2023. Quite frankly, after releasing their Weaponised Youth EP in March to rushing the UK live circuit over the course of the remainder of the year, the South Coast power punk trio had the kind of year most emerging bands could dream of having. But resting is not in the nature of Snayx, something proved with their breathless new single ‘Sink Or Swim’. Taken from the band’s forthcoming new EP Better Days – released March 9th – ‘Sink Or Swim’ is a venomous statement of resentment of the bottomless mire that is the culture of our country and the social norms that dictate how we’re meant to live, act, dress and exist. “We’re poked and prodded into conventional shapes and forced to fit.” says enigmatic frontman Charlie Herridge. “‘Sink or Swim’ is about rejecting social pressures and finding comfort in being different. Embracing your true identity and being able to block out the maelstrom of voices and opinions writing you off and holding you back. In a time where it feels like ‘nothing ever changes’, it’s important to reflect inwards and find comfort in your uniqueness and the simple happiness in being ‘awake and alive’.” – Dan Hillier
Gouge Away – Stuck In A Dream
It’s been over six years since Gouge Away released their last record, though not for want of trying. Relocations, pandemics and finding it difficult to get everyone in a room together all put the record on hold, but on the 15th of March, Deep Sage will see the light of day. ‘Stuck In A Dream’ is the second single and it’s a more straightforward, short sharp shock than ‘Idealized’ was. Christina Michelle’s iconic vocals hammer the song title home into your brain on a pounding, punky post hardcore backdrop. – Chris Earl
Darkest Hour – Societal Bile
Metalcore stalwarts Darkest Hour have unveiled the latest single from upcoming album Perpetual | Terminal, the grooving, furious ‘Societal Bile’, Described by the band as touching on “the bile that immerses us as we navigate this modern life,” and “an acknowledgment of the personal responsibility we all share to ourselves to reject all that attempts to consume us and fight each day to find our own space to exist in peace with a world at war.” Hulking, death metal-flecked guitars pair with thrashy aggression and a dear love of early Swedish melodeath to form, as we’ve come to expect three decades in from Darkest Hour, a battering ram of a song that’s a scorching blend of extremity and catchiness. – Will Marshall
Cyan Kicks – Dancing With Demons
Finnish four-piece Cyan Kicks are fresh off their debut UK tour supporting Smash Into Pieces and already kicking 2024 off with major news; their latest single, ‘Dancing With Demons’ is also their entry for the chance to represent Finland in this year’s Eurovision. Blending pop hooks with crunchy metallic guitar, it’s exactly as you’d expect from them with a danceable beat, singalong hook and emotional undercurrent. This time addressing facing their demons and instead of being beaten down, turning those weaknesses or doubts to their advantage, ‘Dancing With Demons’ has the Finns continuing a strong 2023 with what could be an even bigger year. – Will Marshall
Desolated – Victim (Feat. D-Bloc)
UKHC is thriving, with Desolated being a band consistently churning out solid, beefy metallic hardcore. Teaming up with Detroit hardcore unit D-Bloc, Desolated has made it abundantly clear they didn’t come to mess around with their new single ‘Victim’. This also marks the first release from the group since 2019’s A New Realm of Misery. Pummelling blast beats and monstrous vocals lead the way for the first two minutes before D-Bloc’s Camden Good welcomes the Detroit powerhouse with their signature band call out before truly letting you know what Detroit hardcore is all about. Closing out on an absolutely massive breakdown the only way the two groups know how; Desolated and D-Bloc really go the distance on this new single. – Nathaniel Maure
Gen and the Degenerates – Kids Wanna Dance
Liverpool’s most exciting up-and-coming band Gen and the Degenerates are building up to the release of their highly anticipated debut album Anti-Fun Propaganda with the release of their latest single ‘Kids Wanna Dance’. Capturing the cathartic energy of their live shows with a synth infused, dance floor ready alt-rock beat ‘Kids Wanna Dance’ blends this upbeat instrumental with sharp lyrical, nihilistic lyrical content tackling humanity’s destruction of our planet. Fans of modern post-punk bands like Panic Shack, Lambrini Girls and SPRINTS are bound to love Gen and the Degenerates and their potent mix of witty punk and upbeat alt-rock. – Tom Bruce
Lynks – CPR
The avatar of gay chaos made gyrating flesh is back. Taken from their upcoming and widely anticipated debut full length Abomination – released April 12th via Heavenly – ‘CPR’ is a pulsating and throbbing documentation of those harbouring saviour complexes and how they utilise others just to satisfy their own fantasies. In true Lynks fashion, it’s brilliantly unapologetic and viscerally provocative. “There’s this temptation to shrink yourself and make yourself seem all helpless and vulnerable with those guys, so they get to feel like some Big Strong Man protecting you. ‘CPR’ felt like the perfect metaphor for that weird dynamic,” states Lynks on the track. “I first had the idea for CPR while doing a first-aid course at my old job. I was mid-chest compression on my dummy, and suddenly the chorus just came into my head over the rhythm of my hands on the doll. I quickly ran to the toilet to do a voice note, then got back to saving imaginary lives.” – Dan Hillier
A Burial At Sea – Tor Head
A personal paean to the rugged Northern Irish coastland of the same name, the new single from post-rock collective A Burial At Sea is a tempestuous soundscape that visualises both the raging storms and the unchallenged beauty of the land they call home. As the track ebbs from palm-muted riffs and polyrhythmic percussion to panoramic spaciousness and eclectic Celtic rhythms, it’s nigh-on impossible not to envision the ancient lands of Northern Ireland; it’s longstanding sea-battered cliffs and it’s enduring still beauty that embody the meaning of natural beauty. However, it’s also a track that reflects on the band’s struggles as individuals, with the mountainous soundscape of the track drawing parallels between how the band’s native coastline of Northern is still standing proud in the face of eons worth of winds and how the band have navigated their own personal gales, weathering the storm as a collective. – Dan Hiller
Twink Obliterator – Imposter is Writing Vent Songs
You like noise? Cybergrind trailblazer Twink Obliterator, one half of the duo I’m Letting Unseen Forces Take The Wheel, is bringing the noise on their new single ‘Imposter is Writing Vent Songs’. Smashing together relentlessly brutal extreme noise with chaotic samples and a tongue in cheek, self-deprecating and pop culture referencing sense of humour it’s no wonder that Twink Obliterator has found a small but extremely dedicated online fanbase. New single ‘Imposter is Writing Vent Songs’ creates an impenetrable wall of cacophonous, grindcore inspired insanity unpredictably interrupted by grainy, vintage horror film samples. This single certainly isn’t for everyone but, to the right kind of terminally online weirdo, there’s plenty to dig into. – Tom Bruce
Bipolar Architecture – Metaphysicize
Progressive, blackened post-metallers Bipolar Architecture have unveiled the title track from their new album Metaphysicize and it’s a brooding, melancholic and oddly triumphant piece. Rasping howls from vocalist Sarp Keski are underscored and embellished by half-time breakdowns, lush post-rock motifs and a constant sense of a band pushing outwards sonically against the constraints of genre. Of the inspiration behind, and the music video for the song, Keski explains, “three characters take destiny in their hands as their mobile phones become compasses, helping them find inner balance in a world intent on pulling our attention away from ourselves.” – Will Marshall
South Arcade – Nepo Baby
South Arcade have come into 2024 swinging with their new single ‘Nepo Baby’, a song with a clear narrative in response to comments they have received assuming they are an ‘industry plant’. The lyrics explore nepotism and narcissism whilst also playfully firing back at these comments. ‘Nepo Baby’ is a continuation of South Arcade excellently capturing a sense of nostalgia in their music. It feels simultaneously modern and reminiscent of the early 2000s pop rock era. An infectious chorus is complimented by a vibrant soundscape full of raucous lyrical hooks and words to hang on to. You can catch South Arcade on tour in March on their headline arc.angel tour. The band will also be on tour throughout February supporting As Everything Unfolds. – Jac Holloway
meth. – Shame
Experimental noise rock collective meth. are a challenging prospect, not just musically but thematically. The title track taken from the incoming ‘Shame’ grapples with internalised Catholic guilt, then-undiagnosed bipolar disorder and unchecked struggles with addiction. It’s a deeply unsettling listen, drawing on post-metal structures, menacing electronics and vocals that morph from distorted spoken word to haunted, visceral screams. Across its six and a half minutes, vocalist Seb Alvarez grapples with its themes in a direct, vulnerable way; gone is the fictional veneer, and in its place is an honest account of trauma and toxic behaviours. meth. make challenging, oft eerie music that still has a deeply human, reflective core and ‘Shame’ is testament to that. – Will Marshall
The Chisel – Those Days
You either adore The Chisel or you’re simply not aware of them – a fact made most clear with their triumphant new rager ‘Those Days’. Wonderfully baring witness to The Chisel’s brilliant unison of the piss-and-vinegar scented rage associated with the halcyon days of Oi! punk and the modern stylings associated with the modern and contemporary hardcore scene, ‘Those Days’ is a bonafide sing-along anthem engineered for a world where head-walking, mic-grabs, and pile-ons dictate life. Hardcore and punk may be an increasingly saturated scene, but as the biting delivery and gimmick-free nature of The Chisel and this track attests to, there’s still plenty of organic life to be found within the world of modern punk. – Dan Hillier
Life In Chaos – Havok
Windsor, Canada’s own Life In Chaos have absolutely delivered on their newest single ‘Havok’, the first release since the release of their EP Gross Negligence in November 2022. Tearing it up with their own signature brand of crossover thrash, the single displays the raw talent the group’s guitars possess by absolutely melting faces start to finish. Vocalist Mike Holmes manages to impress with quite the range as well; mixing 80s thrash with the boom and aggression of hardcore. Let’s not forget how amazingly massive Dave Turner sounds behind the kit. Always consistent and possibly some of the hardest drumming this side of Canada. Life In Chaos are proving why they should on every Canadian hardcore playlist with ‘Havok’. – Nathaniel Maure
Fit For A King – Keeping Secrets
Texas metalcore stalwarts Fit For A King recently stated that they’ll be focusing on more standalone singles than a new full length record. A move met with confusion by some, but one that they’ve said will allow them to explore all facets of their sound. With new single ‘Keeping Secrets’, the stars of the show as ever are the two Ryans. Ryan Kirby and Ryan ‘Tuck’ O’Leary combine like prime Atreyu for a phenomenal scream/clean assault. With elements of the band’s past and current sound weaving around each other, whilst also being about, as Ryan Kirby states, “The song’s theme of questioning if people can truly love you, if you don’t open up and let them know the real you, is something my adopted daughter has struggled with greatly, and is the inspiration for the song”. – Chris Earl
What Will Be – Always
Manchester based alt rockers What Will Be have released their new single ‘Always’, an introspective song outlining the frustrations that come with having to continuously explain and repeat yourself, resulting in the cyclical feeling that involves exhaustion and tireless explanation only to find it has gone nowhere. Its powerful message comes with powerful hooks that convey both the anguish and empathy of this brilliantly. Instrumentally the song is well composed, balanced and very dynamic. Catchy bustling riffs, atmospheric dissonance and the right amount of punch and pomp with the drum section allow for the moments of calm to compliment when the full band kicks in. Its an excellent start to the new year for What Will Be. – Jac Holloway
Dwarrowdelf – Deliverance
The second track to be taken from Dwarrowdelf’s debut opus The Fallen Leaves – released February 2nd via Northern Silence Productions – ‘Deliverance’ is a fantastical reverie of melodic black metal rich with substance and ambition. Part of a larger conceptual tale inspired by the works of Tolkien and the universe of Eldern Ring, ‘Deliverance’ brilliantly animates the sheer scale of the record and project as a whole, with the track’s delicate symphonic components brilliantly contrasting with the pummelling black and extreme metal elements that serve as the track’s foundation. For those who with an interest in acts such as Soar, Noctule and Dawn Ray’d, this is a must listen. – Dan Hillier
Issues – Since I Lost You
The end of 2023 unexpectedly saw Issues raise their heads out of an assumed indefinite hiatus although this was sadly just to announce the remaining band members are giving the band the well-earned and much desired farewell the band truly deserves. Final single ‘Since I Lost You’ features all of the main tropes we’ve come to love with Issues and their smooth blend of R&B, soul, funk and metal. With choppy and funk driven rhythm sections and dance-worthy melodies the band have managed to subtly amalgamate the varying eras of Issues and create the perfect bittersweet ode to the band. Skyler Acord takes on main vocal duties with a considerably lower register to that of his predecessor providing less of the “boy band” style vocal hooks and instead providing a clean, smooth delivery. With the band’s final shows, they are also streaming them on Veeps for those in the rest of the world. It cannot be denied the influence Issues has had on their corner of the music scene, they will truly be missed. – Jac Holloway
Bring Me The Horizon – Kool Aid
Dropping just before their UK tour and coming in the aftermath of the departure of Jordan Fish, ‘Kool Aid’ is the latest single from the long awaited, much delayed POST HUMAN: NeX GEn record. You know the drill with Bring Me The Horizon these days, everything they release is primed for big stages replete with massive choruses, scream along verses and glitchy electronics that beg for a retina burning light show accompaniment. Perhaps the perfect new track to drop pre tour, it will keep fans sated until the next, but tensions still remain around the uncertainty of their next full length’s release date. One thing’s for sure however, that at this stage of their career and artistic journey, the band have the potential to make everything they touch an arena sized banger. – Chris Earl
Gates To Hell – Resurrected
Fresh off the massive news that they’ve signed with legendary label Nuclear Blast, Gates To Hell are on a roll right now. Not only opening for Machine Head in the States, but the Kentucky crew have released an absolute scorcher of a new track, titled ‘Resurrected’. It’s more of the hardcore influenced death metal that scratches the itch in the most primal part of your brain. There’s scathing riffs, fight or flight inducing panic chords and most importantly, a load of bloody heavy chug. Over and done in a smidge over two minutes, it’s all you want from the band, but whets the appetite for their next full length. – Chris Earl
Aseitas – Libertine Captor
Over the last few years Aseitas have carved themselves a nice little niche of technical brutality in the death metal world. Their new single ‘Libertine Captor’ encapsulates this with it’s dipping and diving dissonance and weaving frumpy bass lines, and intergalactically devastating lead guitar work. For all the deathcore aficionados the single is rounded off with a thick staccato breakdown section, the vocals truly terrifying over the top, whilst the drums blast away indiscriminately. There’s some truly original stuff on this lead single for the new album, which bodes well for the full length due this spring. Hopefully we get a tour over here, judging by the deliciously technical guitar work here they should be a blast to watch live. – Rob Bown
Corpse Pile – Reality
A band who name themselves Corpse Pile have got to have something going on in terms of downright dirty deathcore and these folks really don’t disappoint. The pinging snare that supplies the ever-present groove in the track, really ties everything together, with the heavy as balls guitars and gross gurgles over the top. Corpse Pile have been releasing a steady stream of singles (including a storming cover of Mortician’s ‘Zombie Apocalypse’) for a few years now after their initial demo dropped in 2020, so it’s about time the world is graced with a full length. Seeing as they’ve also been picked up by aficionados of all things gross, Maggot Stomp, it’s probably time to start expecting good things from these dirty bastards. – Rob Bown
Bodega – Tarkovski
With their shimmering new single ‘Tarkovski’, Brooklyn art punks Bodega make their long awaited return. Balancing earworm lead guitar lines and sing-along gang vocals with insightful and witty lyrics, ‘Tarkovski’ returns to the band’s roots, dropping some of the more extravagant, experimental sonic elements used on their last album, 2022’s Broken Equipment, while still keeping their trademark off-kilter weirdness intact. Alongside ‘Tarkovski’, Bodega announced that their next album, titled Our Brand Could Be Yr Life, will be released this April, if the first single is anything to go by this album could be a spectacular return to form for one of the most interesting bands out there. – Tom Bruce
