From unsettling dissonant noise rock to glossy gothic synthpop; Enter the world of CAMGIRL where sex-workers, sadistic psychopaths, failed criminals, broken dreams and toxic relationships set the stage for rising underground stars Crippling Alcoholism to present their simultaneously most accessible and deranged work yet.

From as early as their inception back in 2022 with their debut When The Drugs That Made You Sick Are The Drugs That Make You Better, Crippling Alcoholism have always loved a good story and each of their songs tells its own. Usually a pretty messed up one, since the band relishes in grounding their music and artistry around the everyday man-made macabre, establishing portraits of thoroughly haunted or disturbed individuals based both off of fiction and real events.

Related : Crippling Alcoholism – CAMGIRL | Album Review

“This album follows Anabelle Victorovna (screen name “Bella Pink”) and her experience in the sex industry. Each song is a different chapter in her life from different characters’ POVs.”  

Mr. Sentimental

“As soon as we wrote this song, Jonathan (piano/synths) insisted that it be the opener. It sets the tone for the album. It starts with a simple melody on bells (pun intended), then is soon bombarded by a harsh synth bass with a clubby backbeat. Stefan (guitar) wrote this funky guitar line for the beginning that sounds like it is inviting you to the trashiest party. It’s a weird guitar line because if it wasn’t played on panic chords, it could be in a fucking RHCP song. ‘Mr Sentimental’ is supposed to teleport you to Belle’s world. You’re at a club or a rave, you’re letting loose, but something’s off. I was picturing this shitty strip club in Nashua with bright neon lights and a bar lined with deeply haunted individuals. ‘Mr. Sentimental’ is Belle’s first serious boyfriend, Benny. He’s an artsy kid with mommy issues. Belle has visions of the two of them running off to NYC and studying poetry, but this never happens. Benny has a pathological, sexual obsession with his own mother, and one night he shares this with Belle, asking her to wear his mother’s clothing during sex. Benny hopes to transfer his obsession with his own mother to Belle, but Belle is not having it. She recoils and rejects Benny’s offer. Ashamed that his secret is now known, Benny attacks Belle out of frustration, breaking her arm. This is her first encounter with violent men.” 

Saran Wrapped Cash

“As the mayhem of ‘Mr. Sentimental’ends, the depressing guitar of ‘Saran Wrapped Cash’ is supposed to bring you back to your comfort zone. This is one of those songs that is loosely based on a real story, but that’s all I’ll say about that. Belle’s father is a mid-level cocaine dealer who keeps his professional life mostly hidden from his children. Belle’s mother left when Belle was very young and subsequently died of an overdose. Her father, despite having some issues, showed his children compassion, support and stability. The first time Belle gets a glimpse of her father’s profession is when he’s digging up coke money from the backyard that he has enveloped in saran wrap and buried months ago. Unfortunately, he didn’t seal the cash very well and the backyard elements have deteriorated about thirty thousand in cash. Belle’s father tries to restore the cash by wiping the dirt away and drying each individual bill with a hair dryer, but he starts to cry as he realizes this is a fool’s errand and that he might have put his family in irreversible financial ruin. As Belle watches her father at the kitchen table, violently sobbing and trying to restore coke money with a hair dryer, her world starts to piece together in front her eyes. The verse and chorus of this song were also written to be catchy, but not as clubby as some of the other songs, more “belt-your-heart-out alone in the car” type of catchy. Stefan added a bunch of overdrive to the chorus to make it hit harder. The ending of this song is the first part that we wrote with Alyce (guitar/backing vocals/synths). She had literally joined the band that week, and we were writing this song in Jonathan’s bedroom. The ending of this song is very Alyce. It’s got these really bittersweet synth voicings, with Alyce’s monotone spoken word, which detail Belle’s childhood memory, and then booming 808s that fight with the Twin Peaks synth chords for your attention.”  

Ladies’ Night

“This was a weird song because Stefan and I wrote it in about 2 hours, over the phone. I was watching the movie 22 Jumpstreet and I heard an LMFAO song in the spring break scene. I immediately called up Stefan and said “Yo what if we made like an LMFAO song, but it’s completely fucked?” and he said “It’s 1am”. I had a brief outline of the kinds of sounds I was hearing, and then I had the chorus vocal melody. I gave that to Stefan, and then he wrote the rest of the song while still on the phone with me. This is a central club song on the album, with arguably the catchiest hook in the chorus. This song introduces the main antagonist, Antoine. This is a guy Belle starts seeing on and off her senior year of high-school. He’s over ten years older than her and is the one who convinces her to get into camming, under his management. The chorus of this song «You don’t need no man, do your dance» is deceivingly uplifting. Antoine is pretending to empower Belle by insisting that she can be fully independent. But of course his goal is not to help her become self-reliant, but rather fully reliant on him. This is the dark irony of this song. Juliet from Luxury Skin does falsetto vocals on this song that add a sort of 70s disco vibe to it. It’s supposed to capture Belle and Antoine meeting at some shitty rave, dancing together, snorting molly, fucking in the alley, all a good time, but there’s this sinister energy where you feel Antoine’s scheming begin.”   

Pay Pigs

“William is a financial quantitative analyst from NYC and an avid enjoyer of live cam girls. He doesn’t like pre-recorded porn because he can’t tell the women what to do and try and humiliate them in real-time. He becomes Bella’s first super fan, spending more than her other followers combined. He enjoys the fact that he has money and she doesn’t. He relishes the notion that a random financial imbalance has coerced her into giving him sexual attention. In any other circumstance, she wouldn’t give him the time of day. Rather than depress William, the notion of this reality excites him, as he feels it reflects the underlying brutality of nature itself. This is one of the uglier songs on the album, with much more metal inspired instrumentals. The main riff is a chug-chug panic chord deathcore style riff, but played on clean guitars with reverb and chorus. Instead of using distortion in the drop, we combined a bunch of overdriven bass synths to really bring out the vileness. Stefan and I added some overdriven guitar leads to try and make it more evil sounding. Jonathan added these really nice spacey organ chords in the middle of the song, which we then demolish with even more overdriven bass synths. This is a very deranged song, which is supposed to maintain the clubby energy and momentum of the previous three songs, but take the listener down a much harsher path. The ending is supposed to show William completely unravel as he confronts his own daughter and explains that watching snuff films is a spiritual experience, and it’s completely natural for people with money to use weak people for food.” 

Bedrot

“I would describe this song as “Happy Depression”. After visiting the completely deranged world of Colter in ‘Pay Pigs’, we meet Mitchell; a lovable drug dealer with some deep self-image issues. One of the earlier drafts was called ‘Manages an Applebees’ because that’s what I pictured the character doing when we first wrote it. Mitchell is a slightly overweight Applebee’s manager who goes out to the parking lot during his break to sell acid out of his minivan. He’s on and off with Belle, and she’s drawn to him because he shows her kindness, ironically similar to the kind she experienced with her father. The problem is, Belle doesn’t feel worthy of the attention Mitchell gives her and furthermore she finds his bouts of depression and self-loathing extremely unattractive. You can hear her asking herself «How many times did I try with you?» At the end, sung by Allison Rittweger.”   

MONET  

“The original draft was called ‘James Bondage’. This is a holdover from the With Love From A Padded Room drafting stage, but heavily reimagined. We took the classical style chord progression and then added some distorted bass synth and dancy drums, then a bunch of reverbed guitar leads. This character, Pierre, is a guy who runs a porn site, specializing in humiliation, with his equally deranged wife Mia. He convinces Antoine to get Bella to do scenes for his site. Pierre is genuinely batshit, smokes meth and talks about how he cuts people up with knives and how torture brings us closer to God, again just batshit. Alyce and I do the vocals for Pierre and Mia, showcasing their warped worldviews and almost psychotic self-aggrandizement. Needless to say, this is just more trouble for Bella.” 

Pretty in Pink

“Going in a poppier direction, this song is supposed to be more mellow and euphoric. This started as an acoustic draft that we eventually rewrote together. The main thing you might notice in this song is the funky ass bass line that Pete (bass) wrote. He’s originally a funk bass player so he just pulled this out of his ass on the spot and it’s one of my favourite parts of the album. It was cool to have the funky bassline juxtaposed with the more sombre guitar leads and synths. Juliet and I sing the main part, «Ain’t no goth’d out scene girl in all God’s green gonna make me feel like the way I love you». Juliet went more disco on this track, which is awesome with Pete’s funky bass line. Juliet and I really disagreed on the mixing of this song because she wanted it to be crystal clear, but I wanted a muddier, generation loss type feel to the mix. I convinced her, but we might do a clearer remix down the line cause in her defence, it does really change the song. I wanted there to be something scarred and broken about the mix. This song is from the perspective of Mitchell again (‘Bedrot’), showcasing his love for Bella. Mitchell’s songs are supposed to be really catchy to showcase his manipulative charm. Typically, the catchier the song, the more manipulative the character. The catchiness is supposed to mimic the social engineering capabilities of the character. Mitchell, although probably the kindest character in this album, resents Bella for being a camgirl and wishes to secure her for himself. He secretly watches her material, while also leaving her drunk voicemails shaming her for camming. The harsher sections show his uglier side, while the lighter sections show both his charm and genuine love of Bella.” 

 Pliers 

“Back to Pierre and Mia, the fucking porn couple from hell. This song presents a kind of fascistic take on masculinity, that only the strong deserve to thrive and conquer, and the kind of person who would hold these beliefs. This is the part of the plot where it’s revealed that in addition to porn, Pierre and Mia also run a snuff site where they torture and brutalize people on camera. This song is more dissonant, with a pretty weird chord progression. Juliet does Mia’s voice this time with a kind of burlesque, sultry approach. Danny’s drums are more relaxed and groovy. We added a bunch of insane fuzzy night synth to fill out the sonic space.” 

 Screentime 

“This is a candid exchange between Bella and one of her high paying clients. He expresses his affection towards Bella. He just wants to feel connected to her, he doesn’t even pay for sexual content. This song is all Jonathan’s romantic era piano style. He wrote this super loving piece and then added some synths to place it in the context of this album.”  

 I Have a Key to Your House 

“This song was written to be like a pop-punk song, but still very depressed and deranged. We started with the upbeat guitar riffs and then built the song from there. You can really hear Danny (drums) shine on this. He plays much more of a rock feel, but he still sprinkles in his acid jazz chops. Stefan actually uses a lot of overdrive on the guitars in the chorus to give it more of a punch. It’s one of the few times on the album that the guitars have that much grit. Most of the time we put overdrive on the bass and bass synth and then leave the guitars cleaner, so the harmonies are clearer. This song needed a little more of a punch. It also has the line «If you got an ass and a mouth, you’ll always have something to sell», which gets mixed reactions at shows. This song is from the perspective of Jordan, an armed robber in Nashua. In the plot, Jordan robs Pierre and Mia and after finding their snuff operation, shoots them on camera, giving them a taste of their own medicine.”   

CAMGIRL 

“The central song on the album with the most amount of moving parts. This started as one of Stefan’s earliest drafts. He had the most fucked drafts with midi drums that he would program on his keyboard, by hand, not using a grid. It was a nightmare to work with. But we got together and wrote this song over the course of a few weeks. It has more grindcore elements, some disco, black metal/blackgaze, 80s pop, metal. It’s got a bunch of stuff jammed packed in it, but it somehow turned out to be fairly cohesive. The song is a synopsis of Bella’s story. She feels really empowered as she starts camming with Antoine. The more tender part of the song is supposed to be her fans’ relationship with her as well as her relationship with Antoine. She feels a love and devotion towards Antoine as he provides her with a sense of empowerment and security, and her fans feel the same way about her. The lyrics are both from Bella’s perspective with regards to Antoine and her fans’ perspective with regards to her. Both perspectives capture a sense of security and love, while also highlighting the abusive, manipulative nature present in both relationships. The singer (Bella or her fan) acknowledges and accepts this asymmetry in the relationship («I’m just a user, craving your abuse, I wanna float»). In the plot, Jordan’s murder/robbery causes police to uncover the snuff and human trafficking operation that Pierre and Mia were involved with. As police link this operation to new suspects, Antoine becomes implicated. The news of this sends Bella spiralling into a deep despair, she leaves Antoine and attempts to take her own life.” 

Sweet Talk 

“With Bella out of his life, Antoine starts looking for his new recruit to replace her. This song shows him trying to convince new girls to join him. This is a much more evil depiction of Antoine, compared to ‘Ladies’ Night’. Still pretty poppy and catchy but this song is much more menacing. We used the Prismatic Wall on the guitars at the beginning of this song. I love that pedal. It gives this really bizarre metallic sounding effect that was perfect for the intro. We used a bunch of overdriven bass synths to drive the punchiness of this song and added a bunch of more gothic sounding synths. Aki (from Ameokama) does the voice of one of the other camgirls singing on the choruses. She also does an amazing reenactment of an interaction between camgirl and client at the end of the song. Aki did this really weird version of the chorus at the end of the song where she sings in this kind of atonal harmony. It was entirely her idea, she fucking killed this song.” 

TARAVISTA 

“After a long period of complete isolation, Bella starts dating Jacek, a 50-year-old conman and shady business owner. This song mostly just shows how depressing Jacek’s life is. His ex-wife has full custody of his children, his children hate him for being a negligent fuck up and he makes money by stealing peoples bank information and open fake mortgages. Bella sees her father in Jacek. He’s a degenerate career criminal with a genuine tenderness. In the backstory, Bella decides that she’s done with scumbags and decides that she’s going to move to NYC and be an artist after all. She drugs Jacek one night and steals two hundred thousand from him. She feels like it’s justified seeing as he stole it to begin with. This song is similar to ‘Ladies’ Night’ in that its fairly condensed standard pop format. Stefan had started with the initial piano line and chord progression, which almost sounded like a Coldplay song and then we built it from there. Juliet also joins in on the vocals, which really lets the chorus feel full. Stefan and I took turns writing some melancholic guitar lines to try and fill out the chord progression and make the whole thing feel a lot more tragic and grandiose.”     

Mary Kate & Ashley

“One of the weirder songs on the album, MK&A follows male pornstar and meth enjoyer Dante. As Bella’s closest friend, Dante agrees to join her in moving to New York. The song mostly covers one of Dante’s meth-fueled confrontations with some Nashua townies. The beginning of this song is this kind of depressed, trap-inspired synth ballad, where Dante showcases how fucked up his life is and his profound sadness. Jonathan wrote this really cinematic piano arpeggio, but it somehow works for the song. Pete has these hooky basslines throughout the song and Danny shows more of his drumming chops. Allison did a bunch of choir parts on this song, which are actually my favorite parts. It just adds this kind of Philip Glass chorale atmosphere, she’s really an amazing singer.”  

Despair

“At the end of the plot, Antoine calls Bella from prison where he reminds her that he controls all her money. Fortunately for Bella, she’s got more than enough money without Antoine and she’s moved far away from NH. She uses this opportunity to fully open up to Antoine, expressing her murderous hatred for him. She reminds him that he will certainly be killed in prison, once the other inmates find out about his history with human trafficking and snuff films. Bella is played by Meredith (from the noise-rock band Latter) and she gives a bone-chilling visceral performance. Really an incredible vocalist and the perfect way to end Bella’s story. At the end Antoine admits that he is motivated by a deep insecurity, fueled by his resentment towards his father and his harsh upbringing. This song starts out with a kind of R&B piano-driven vibe, then during Meredith’s part we added these big synths and noisier elements. We tried to make the nosier part a bit somber too, to highlight the tragedy and pain in Bella’s life. The ending is pure Twin Peaks-core. Just a slightly altered 1950s du-op chord progression, some melancholic synth leads and an Elvis style guitar line. In the end, Antoine claims that he and Bella will « always be together » highlighting that similar men and women will go through similar relationships. That it’s unavoidable and ultimately they’re all victims of their harsh circumstances.” 

You know what it is, here's the best singles of the week.

Urne – Be Not Dismayed

British sludge band Urne returns with a new single and mesmerizing video for ‘Be Not Dismayed’,  the opening track from their eagerly anticipated third album, Setting Fire to the Sky, scheduled to be released on 30th January 2026, via Spinefarm Records. What strikes you immediately about this song is the band’s bold choice of a new direction, venturing deeper into the realms of progressive and tech metal. This compelling evolution can be attributed to their collaboration with none other than Justin Hill from Sikth. Bassist and vocalist Joe Nally reflects on the inspiration behind ‘Be Not Dismayed’, stating that he penned the lyrics after “spending a few summers playing some of the best metal festivals around and seeing the buzz that fans would have by being there”, echoing very much his feelings as a music lover and avid concert goer himself. ‘Be Not Dismayed’ resonates as a powerful anthem made for tiny basement venues and big arenas, as you will be able to see it for yourselves as they will be part of Orange Goblin’s farewell tour in December. – Nessie Spencer

HEALTH – Ordinary Loss

Everyone’s favourite ‘cum metal’ band are back. The first taste of the band’s upcoming record Conflict DLC – released December 11^th via Loma Vista – ‘Ordinary Loss’ is pretty much an authentic mirroring of just how insufferably bleak the future we were once promised actually is. Mechanically penduluming between thumping industrialist and chugging beats, ‘Ordinary Loss’ is a fatally dark and diesel stained ode to humanity’s inherent need for destruction and the grief it leaves in it’s wake, especially the track’s whispered sweet nothings about the fact we are all destined to be nowt but dust in the future. Equally miserable and seductive, it’s HEALTH at their best. – Dan Hillier

Covet – Denouement (Feat. Lite)

Releasing earlier than originally announced, California based math rock icons Covet return with their first new material in two years on their new single ‘Denouement’. In collaboration with Japan’s Lite, the trio led by guitarist Yvette Young take their virtuosic instrumental style in a more laid back direction with bedroom pop production and lo-fi vocal samples, making their technical mastery feel effortless. Throwing in subtle electronics and subtle rhythmic changes to keep things fresh ‘Denouement’ shows off Covet at both their most experimental and accessible with a sound that’s bound to keep the math rock crowd transfixed without scaring off those new to the genre’s more outlandish tendencies. – Tom Bruce

Mallavora – Smile

Taking aim at ableist rhetoric and behaviour still perforating contemporary society; the Bristolian alternative metal rising stars and Noizzefest Alumni Mallavora, funnels their righteous anger for a cause that’s close to home with their latest furious single ‘Smile’. Taking inspiration from the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the Disability Discrimination Act, as well as lead singer Jessica Douek’s lived experience of Fibromyalgia and accessibility activism within the heavy music community. ‘Smile’ takes no prisoners as they fight for the needed change within a truly disabling world, that for a long time has resisted minorities calls for communal betterment that will benefit all citizens. Not only is this latest single unrelenting in its advocacy, its sound is also emotionally charged and ceaselessly vehement. It is a needed emphatic rallying cry for all who seek progressive development for true disability justice, support and inclusion. – Bennie Osborne

Speed – Peace

Born out of a tumultuous time for the band as they lose a number of people close to them, Aussie hardcore bruisers Speed’s upcoming EP All My Angels‘ first single ‘Peace’ is their tribute to those friends. Bursting out the gates immediately with their classic, frantic hardcore, the song barrels along with Jem Siow’s raucous bark and Speed’s irrepressible energy before a seismic groove takes over partway through. Of the song, Siow says, “Amidst this devastation I was overcome with a deep sense of clarity and peace.  Because, despite the abyss of questions of why and how, my clearest sense of calm lay in the certainty that the time we shared and invested in one another was underpinned by unfiltered honesty and unconditional love.” – Will Marshall

Alpha Male Tea Party – Probably Just Hungry

The third single to be taken from their upcoming new record Reptilian Brain and dropping after their fantastic set at last month’s ArcTanGent Festival, ‘Probably Just Hungry’ see’s Alpha Male Tea Party channeling the tiring anxiety that’s become synonymous with modern living. Featuring the band’s usual hefty dexterity and once again vocally driven, the brilliance of this track lies within it’s contrast between hulking riffs and it’s delightful vocal harmonies, a factor that draws upon thoughts of the likes of Press To Meco, Blank Atlas and Unpeople. “’Probably Just Hungry is a lament about how the grind of the everyday constantly gets in the way of doing things you love”, states vocalist Tom Peters. “We all know that feeling of frustration that we’re somehow not fulfilling our potential because we have to divert our energy to make ends meet – this song is about that feeling but also about how we complacently shrug it off as being tired or hungry because it’s easier to do that/impossible to take a risk in your life and make the necessary changes that prioritise your happiness. And it’s a total bop.” – Dan Hillier

God Alone – Pink Himalayan

If there’s one thing to expect from God Alone it’s nothing but total and utter genre bending bedlam. Which in turn, is something that makes new single ‘Pink Himalayan’ just so brilliant; taken from their upcoming record The Beep Test, ‘Pink Himalayan’ is by far the most accessible thing ever offered up by the Irish noiseniks. Sounding more akin to a fusion of Talking Heads and black midi than anything resembling the madcap math-noise we’ve all come to expect from this band, this single is still a rowdy and inherently danceable slab of left-field noise, but one that forgoes the band’s signature sense of impulsive unpredictability in favour of massive grooves. Goodness knows what direction the Cork lads are going be taking after this with their next single. – Dan Hillier

Hell Hotel – promises.

Rising from Brighton’s thriving alternative music scene, duo Hell Hotel have been making waves since their debut last year with their sound which throws together modern post-hardcore production with radio-ready alt-rock swagger and early noughties emo angst. On their latest single ‘promises.’ the duo draw inspiration from modern contemporaries such as Dream State while also leaning on their Y2K alternative heroes like Paramore, with Demi Broadhead’s confident vocals taking the lead over a bedrock of distorted guitar chugs, tasteful, screamed backing vocals and stomping percussion. While countless acts pull from the same pool of influences, Hell Hotel use tracks like ‘promises.’ to stand tall with their blend of vintage aggression and clean, cutting edge production. – Tom Bruce

Seven Blood – Strangers

Written about “that moment you catch yourself realising, ‘Wow, I’ve totally lost who I am because I was so focused on saving someone else.’ It’s about that draining cycle of giving and giving in a toxic relationship until your own needs just don’t exist anymore,” as vocalist Azaria Nasiri explains, Seven Blood’s latest single is about walking away from a bad relationship and becoming your own person again. It’s a towering alt metal anthem that’s built on softer, 808 drums in its verses and hard-hitting melodies that recall better times in its choruses. Their debut album Life Is Just A Phase drops 21 November independently, and might be one to watch for fans of Future Palace, As Everything Unfolds or Conquer Divide. – Will Marshall

Despised Icon – Death Of An Artist

Remember Despised Icon? Early adopters and part-pioneers of what was once the burgeoning deathcore scene, they’ve at last unveiled their first album since 2019’s Purgatory in the form of Shadow Work, out 31 October on Nuclear Blast. The Quebecois quintet’s latest single, ‘Death Of An Artist’ is a frantic, blistering assault of blasts and duelling vocals as has been their hallmark for 20+ years now. It’s a no-nonsense callback to when deathcore bands didn’t overstuff their songs with MIDI orchestras, layered vocals impossible to reproduce by one person and instead focuses on what the genre did so well. Searing guitar leads, furious screams and gutturals, and being catchy as well as obscenely heavy. Welcome back, legends. – Will Marshall

AFI – Holy Visions

Proving again that they are no strangers to experimentation, AFI release their second single ‘Holy Visions’ taken from long-awaited new album Silver Bleeds the Black Sun released next month. This track is significantly more fast-paced than previous single ‘Behind The Clock’ and is more akin to frontman Davey Havok and guitarist Jade Puget’s side project Blaqk Audio due to the more moodier gothic rock and post-punk feel to the track. The shimmering guitars and prominent bass provide an interesting soundscape to Havok’s lower register and the reverb and operatic style of backing vocals also provide Sing The Sorrow-style drama and is further proof that AFI can pull off multiple genres over the course of their thirty-plus years as a group. – Ez Luscombe

Coheed and Cambria – Key Entity Extraction VII: Yuko The Trivial

Emo metallers and progressive post-hardcore greats Coheed and Cambria return with another three minute banger that ironically has one of the longest titles out of their thirty-year discography. Never afraid to step out of the box and challenge what other other artists in the genre are doing, the New York quartet provide the listener with three minutes of catchy, power-pop and pop-punk with killer hooks aplenty, Claudio Sanchez’s clever yet heartfelt lyricism and intricate riffs, and a chorus that will get stuck in your head for days, it’s always interesting to see what musical direction Coheed and Cambria will head next. – Ez Luscombe

Fit For An Autopsy – It Comes For You

Arguably the kings of modern deathcore right now, Fit For An Autopsy have wasted no time releasing new music since their stunning The Nothing That Is last year. A standalone track, ‘It Comes For You’ is one of the most intense, staggeringly heavy tracks the band have made in years. A hundred miles an hour from the off, the lethal combination of guitarist Will Putney’s production, scathing drums and some of the best musicianship in the game has the band sounding bigger than ever. A track about remaining intolerant of the seemingly inevitable encroach of authoritarian rule, an air of rebellion runs throughout this call to arms, it ends on a squealing, thunderous breakdown that will have you making one of your stinkiest faces of the year so far. – Chris Earl

Terzij De Horde – The All-Consuming Work of the Soul’s Foreclosing

Terzij de Horde is just weeks away from releasing their brand-new album, Our Breath Is Not Ours Alone through Church Road Records. To build excitement, they have released a new single titled ‘The All-Consuming Work of the Soul’s Foreclosing’. This track showcases black metal at its finest, with elements of hardcore and lyrics that express reflection, catharsis, and unfiltered rage toward a society that feels increasingly inadequate. Vocalist Joost Vervoort explains that the song tackles “this gigantic outpouring of effort to close off the soul and instrumentalize life.” Both visceral and hopeful, this new gem from the Utrecht-based quintet brings everything we can expect from the current black metal scene: fast riffs, engaging lyrics, impeccable breakdowns, and thunderous blast beats. – Nessie Spencer

Limp Bizkit – Making Love to Morgan Wallen

Once shunned by critics for perhaps taking themselves too seriously, Limp Bizkit have successfully rebranded themselves as a nostalgia act and in the process have continued to gain a loyal following across multiple generations. ‘Making Love to Morgan Wallen’ is another good example of the band not taking themselves too seriously and with Fred Durst’s tongue-in-cheek lyrical wordplay, the classic ‘hey ladies, hey fellas’ refrain, combined with DJ Lethal’s nostalgic and rhythmic turntable work; ‘’Making Love to Morgan Wallen’ is another stellar example of a legacy act still pumping out danceable yet humorous bangers. – Ez Luscombe

Direlands – Iron God

Direlands have released their brand new single ‘Iron God’, a song oozing with southern groove, blistering drums, rampaging riffs and grimacing vocals. Hailing from Houston, Texas, Direlands take the tropes of groove metal, doom and sludge and meld them together to create a truly distinctive and explosive sound. Formed by guitarist Troy Binegar and vocalist Jarett Dureell, and joined by bassist Austin Clark and drummer Tom Heyman, the quartet lean into a riff-driven heavy metal sound that has all the makings of nostalgic groove metal. The vocal range from Jarett Dureel is impressive from gritty growls to melodious bellows and boasts dexterity in how these styles are utilised throughout the song. Gang style vocals, a sleazy solo, changing time signatures and sections of rampaging and mauling riffs/drums. ‘Iron God’ has it all. The band will be releasing their new album ‘Altars’, sometime in the near future and describe it as the soundtrack to the end of days—and the fight to rise beyond it. – Jac Holloway

Future Palace – Cyclone

Captivating audiences with their latest musical accompaniment to the internal battles with the unhealed version of themselves; the Berlin native alt metal trio Future Palace, seek a divine intervention for their latest psychological warscape-esque single ‘Cyclone’. Acting as Future Palace’s most recent take on mental health, growing while healing and ridding themselves of toxic influences in the search for inner and outer peace; ‘Cyclone’ is the sonic embodiment of the work and dedication it takes to process existential trauma and keep up the distance between your current self and the part of you you’re in need of leaving behind. With the band currently working their way across North America for the final leg of their Distortion tour with Hawk and Half Me, hope for another UK spot on their gruelling tour regiment has begun to grow with this rumble of a new era only just beginning to take form. – Bennie Osborne

Cody Frost – SOMETIMESICAN’TFEELATHING

Dominating the heavy electro-rock sphere with a steady stream of inner monologues, poised to capture the generation of catharsis chasers; the Burnley native alternative Singer-Songwriter Cody Frost, details the complexity’s of dark optimism with their seething mask crutch single ‘SOMETIMESICAN’TFEELATHING’. Echoing fast paced Alice Glass, Enter Shikari with touches of The Prodigy, this latest single flourishes in its sonic discordance, as the lyrics flutter between substance reliance, insatiable empowerment and potent emptiness. Acting as the third single since the release of their second extended play ANATOMY, this latest eras worth of audible vignettes seek the unburdening of emotional turbulence, while perfectly balancing the pop and heavy soundscapes to satisfy any slam dancers who enthusiastically throw themselves into the pit. Speaking of the pit, fans would be wise to properly prepare for the possible pandemonium Frost has in store for their upcoming show at the Courtyard Theatre in London on October 18th. Tickets on sale this Tuesday at 10am. – Bennie Osborne

Amira Elfeky – Hold Onto Me

Delivering their first sonic powder keg since the release of their first extended play – Surrender, back in March; the City of Angels based American-Egyptian Gothic NuMetal confessionist Amira Elfeky, delves into the haunting toxicity of addictive romanticism for their latest single ‘Hold Onto Me’. Never one to claim genre loyalty, Elfeky’s latest addition to their discography marks a clear investment in experimental stylings, combining heavier metal and alternative rock influences with the likes of drum and bass touches elevating her poeticised lyrical devastations. Having been announced as joining the rosters of Bring Me The Horizon’s USA Ascension Program (Part 01) as well as Thornhill’s Bodies Australian Headline Tour early next year, all our hope is currently being funnelled into a potential stop off in the British isles sometime within the next year. – Bennie Osborne

The Devil Wears Prada – So Low

The Devil Wears Prada are stalwarts of the American metalcore scene, their early albums and Zombie EP setting a blueprint many iterated on. Now, they’ve continued to shapeshift over the years and ‘So Low’, taken from upcoming album Flowers, delves into anthemic rock choruses from guitarist/co-vocalist Jeremy DePoyster and acerbic screams from vocalist Mike Hranica. It sits as a calmer antidote to some of the heavier singles so far, hinting at a nicely diverse upcoming album. About the song, Hranica explains, “To me, ‘So Low’ is almost fighting the mundane, when everything feels flat or meaningless. You just want to set it all on fire and blow it up to get a reaction. It’s about chasing that rush, even if it leaves you feeling worse in the end. The song comes from that place of frustration, when you’re desperate to feel alive no matter the cost.” – Will Marshall