Mclusky
mclusky – the world is still here and so are we | Album Review
May 8, 2025| Ash Bebbington |RELEASE REVIEW
After a week off due to Noizzefest, we're back on it with a bumper edition. Here's the best singles of the last two weeks.
After what has felt like an eternity, the Liverpudlian Deftones worshippers Loathe are back with ‘Gifted Every Strength’ the band’s first new music in four years. Rumours had flown about new music for months and when the confirmation came through about this track, a mix of excitement and nerves spread through the scene, mainly if regarding if the band could produce something that would live up to the hype surrounding the band. Thankfully, the answer is a resounding yes. Despite being over six minutes long, the track feels balanced, taking you on a journey in the way that only Loathe can. There’s heaviness, some ambient beauty and some oddly melodic, hypnotic.moments mixed in throughout. It isn’t an immediate crowd pleaser but rather a song that rewards multiple listens and lures you into its world. If this is the only crumb we get from Loathe for a while, then it’s a pretty delicious one. – Chris Earl
Taken from their freshly announced self-titled debut – released July 18th via Brace Yourself Records – ‘Girl Band Starter Pack’ see’s Panic Shack sitting on the launch pad before they shoot to supernova status in the same way that Lambrini Girls and Amyl And The Sniffers did. A snotty and raw introduction to the unfiltered hedonistic nature that permeates all that Panic Shack do, ‘Girl Band Starter Pack’ is a rambunctious ode to simply having a good time with your ride or dies. This may not sound like necessarily a lot, but it’s impossible not to feel that excitement, energy and adventure that comes with heading into town with your mates and a coffee or something even stronger in hand. From this track alone it’s easy to see how Panic Shack are about to become one of the biggest names in UK punk – Dan Hillier
It’s hard to define Scaler without beginning to ramble or resort to hyperbole. ‘Broken Entry’ makes this no easier. Releasing following their recent signing to Black Acre, this new single one again pays credence to Scaler’s refusal to comply with genre conformity in favour of taking inspiration from their surroundings. Once again straddling that rarely crossed line between intelligent dance and heavy instrumentalism, ‘Broken Entry’ essentially sounds like the coalescence of the ever bustling scene that lies beneath the streets of Bristol and the South West. It’s the sound of sticky, windowless rooms where creativity thrives collectively, unhindered by convention or other self-imposed reconstructions. It’s music for those with either swinging jaws or laser focused attention and simply, it’s the sound of one the most exciting bands in the UK. – Dan Hillier
With both of their names still ringing in the ears of the UK’s underground scenes off the back of their debut albums, Sheffield based blackened post-hardcore quartet Hidden Mothers and London industrial pop trio Tayne join forces on their explosive new collaborative single ‘Bitter Life’. Building on Tayne’s ghostly vocals, subtle synths and punchy electronic percussion with layers of Hidden Mothers’ harsh screams and ferocious distorted riffs, ‘Bitter Life’ takes everything that makes each band a name to watch in the thriving British underground and smashes their contrasting styles together for an explosive result. While they may not have much in common sonically, both Hidden Mothers and Tayne clearly share the same love of dense textures and intricate yet memorable songwriting which makes ‘Bitter Life’ a standout in both of their discographies. – Tom Bruce
Truthfully, the only way to properly describe these two tracks via the means of written word would be to throw a laptop against a wall, do the silliest of walks over the broken keyboard and publish whatever the result. Forming Perp Walk’s new two-track EP The Freeze, ‘Kingmaker’ and ‘Blood Witness’ are two slabs of proper cold chain punk that will make one want to the most arrogant of side-to-sides or simply recreate that daft and infamous John Lennon spinkick video at the earliest convenience. UKHC might be a vastly populated scene at the current time, but here, Perp Walk are welcoming all to feel the freeze. – Dan Hillier
In a three year period from 1994 to 1997, Deadguy existed in their initial incarnation and released Fixation On A Coworker, a record that would grow to become a landmark release for the burgeoning metallic hardcore and eventually, metalcore scenes. Chaotic, bug eyed fury was the order of the day and for a long time, it seemed the band would be a relic, until they reformed for some shows in 2021. Those have lead to the release of ‘Kill Fee’, the first new music from the band in thirty years. The first track from an upcoming album titled Near-Death Travel Services. It sounds exactly like Deadguy, which is a testament to how their sound still has its own identity after just one release. The production makes it feel like it could fall apart at any second and it retains their sinister edge, with Tim Singer oozing menace. Nobody could have forseen this but leave it to Deadguy to give metallic hardcore a shot in the arm that it sorely needs in 2025. – Chris Earl
If you loved the vibey elements of Turnstile’s Glow On, we’ve got good news for you. If you preferred the more hardcore-leaning Time & Space, we’ve got similarly great news for you. ‘Seein’ Stars’ picks up where ‘Never Enough’ left off as reverb-drenched guitars and synths swell under its laconic vocal hook that features a surprise backing singer in Hayley Williams. ‘Birds’ is a natural follow-on from that, after a short ambient intro, ratchets up the summery melodic hardcore with glee. It’s very reminiscent of Glow On’s ‘Don’t Play’, and it’s a raucous feel-good banger that’ll get hips shaking and bodies flying off stages when they take to Outbreak Festival this year. – Will Marshall
The latest single to be taken from their upcoming debut LP Wield Your Hope Like A Weapon – released May 16th via Specialist Subject – ‘Vicious Cycles’ sounds like a full bodied and concise encapsulation of Soot Sprite’s organically layered sound. A tale of addressing the damage done long after the end of previous relationships, this single wonderfully animates each aspect of Soot Sprite’s fantastic shoegazing indie-emo sound without sounding too heavy handed in its approach. It’s a brilliant track, one that both showcases the inherent vulnerability and organic chemistry of this fantastic band. – Dan Hillier
You can probably get a good idea of what this sounds like judging from both the name of the band and track. That still probably doesn’t compare to how horrid and bleak this is though. The second single from Believe In Nothing, ‘Complete Devastation’ is essentially the soundtrack for the closing credits following the worst possible ending for humanity. Driven by the nihilism of Godflesh, flowing with the sludge of Chat Pile and channeling all the misery that’s festered amongst humanity in recent years, this single mirrors the hateful state of the world and our inevitable end as a species that will come because of it. It ain’t pretty, but ‘Complete Devastation’s’ release feels acutely timed. – Dan Hillier
Against Me! frontwoman and 2000’s punk rock trailblazer Laura Jane Grace is back with a less than two minute tirade of catchy folk punk with gang vocals and chaotic lyrical content, all set to four chords and a simplistic drum beat that really allows the lyrics to shine. ‘Active Trauma’ is certainly a nihilistic slice of the reality of living with PTSD and the quite often unhealthy coping mechanisms that victims often use to cope with their trauma. If you’re looking for sheer nihilism mixed with uplifting melodies and awesome punk energy, then Laura’s your girl. – Ez Luscombe
Get ready to pull your best stinkfaces, because Beyond Extinction, Britain’s filthiest deathcore group are back to make you screw up your face and bang your head in equal measure. ‘Winter Sun’ is the latest blast of grinding riffs, blasting drums and profoundly wretched vocals from the band and once again, it makes you feel like you need a shower afterwards. This track is another tease to, what surely must be the band’s eagerly awaited debut album and it shows a wealth of growth since the last EP. There’s a subtle atmosphere of dread in the background, which contrasts wonderfully with the fetid guitars and Jasper vomiting up words from seemingly an oblivion gate in his stomach. Yet, for all of that, it has bounce and at least half a foot in the realms of the meatier, fist swinging deathcore of bands like Whitechapel and hefty groove of Fit For An Autopsy. – Chris Earl
No more than two weeks ago, Dayseeker deleted their entire Instagram feed, leading people to think that a new era was about to begin. After teasing their fans with some cryptic visuals, ‘Pale Moonlight’ was indeed out to be the first single of their upcoming release. The band composed through Rory Rodriguez’s voice and its instrumental and succeeded into mixing softness and heaviness to create a bewitching song. Dancing between clean vocals and screams, they have offered some dark material in an enigmatic way. In the music video, the lyrics came to life to embrace the Devil and mysterious side of the song. Starting like a soft lullaby, it then built itself into the darkness as a hypnotic dance within yourself, a constant battle with inner demons. However, ‘Dancing with the devil in the pale moonlight’ actually came with a price: the eternal youth that could lead to death. – Emma Forni
The final single from the upcoming fourth album Even In Arcadia, ‘Damocles’ sees Sleep Token pen – dare we say it – something far more straightforward than their now typical cross-genre blend. A soft piano-led ballad initially, it blossoms into a lament on the price of fame and losing their own identities, asking what happens when the curtain falls on their career. It’s underscored by the typically crunchy guitars and Vessel’s soulful voice, and following ‘Caramel’s diatribe against people crossing boundaries, it’s starting to feel like they’re wondering how much longer they want to continue. If Even In Arcadia is a swan song, you can bet it’ll be as eclectic and dissected for hidden meaning as ever. – Will Marshall
Lifted from their upcoming record Raspberry Moon – released June 20th via Third Man Records – ‘Candle’ brilliantly shines a light on just why Hotline TNT are becoming such an explosive name in the shoegaze scene on both sides of the Atlantic. Offering a more poppier and anthemic take on a genre often labelled as somewhat dreary and drab, here, Hotline TNT’s sound fresh and invigorating in a way that almost reminisces the emergence of acts such as Title Fight and Narrow Head. If one is beginning to bore of the colour-by-numbers shoegaze beginning to extinguish the once burning light of the new shoegaze revival, then ‘Candle’ is a must listen. – Dan Hillier
Bristol’s Split Chain have already toured the US and embarked on their own run of headlines even without a debut album. ‘Subside’ marks the third single taken from said debut motionblur slated for a July release via Epitaph Records, and it’s the hazy, heavy dose of nostalgia they’ve become known for. A mixture of 00s shoegaze, grunge and nu metal, it still feels modernised through the band’s lyrics and attitude toward the era they’re echoing. Rather than stagnating in 00s sounds, it’s a fresher sounding take that gives it a new lease on life for the 2020s. ‘Subside’ especially brings its Deftones and Loathe influence to the fore without sounding like a carbon copy. It’s a fine line they tread, but one they’re exceptionally good at even so early in their career. – Will Marshall
Remember Chthonic? Taiwan’s answer to Cradle of Filth spent a few years on the sideline while vocalist Freddy Lim fought on a very different battlefield – national politics – with sporadic live shows. Now though, we have the first sign of new music since 2018’s Battlefields of Asura. Seven years hasn’t dulled their blades, and they’re as visceral as ever with thunderous extreme metal interwoven with traditional Taiwanese folk instruments. This time though, there’s even more to them as more melodic passages make themselves known alongside a greater love of symphonic grandeur. Here’s hoping it’s not ‘Endless Eons’ til we hear more from these undersung greats. – Will Marshall
An eclectic blend of eurobeat, traditional power metal elements, and Yannis Papadopoulo’s extensive range that at times rivals the great Rob Halford, ‘Enter the Belhelit’ joins the collaboration between Diablo IV and Berserk and sounds just as epic doing so. The solos are as melodic and catchy as ever, the synths are a lovely throwback to the 80s, and the traditional folk elements during the intro adds more dimension that Beast In Black fans might not be used to. Definitely worth checking out if you’re into Diablo, Berserk, classic fantasy novels, and a ton of other unrelated things. – Ez Luscombe
Young Manchester metalcore crew Silence Reigns are looking to continue the momentum that they achieved in 2024 with their breakout EP. Their brand new track, ‘-SWYWS-‘ which stands for Say What You Wanna Say is another slab of revivalcore, clearly influenced by bands like Polaris and early Parkway Drive. The standout performance here is from vocalist and guitarist Matt, who demonstrates a great versatility to his screams (even throwing a cheeky blegh in for good measure) while still contributing to some chunky riffs. There’s a lot of promise in these young Mancunians, who clearly have a desire to become greater than the sum of their influences and if they keep putting out tracks like this, it won’t be long till their name starts spreading. – Chris Earl
After announcing their long awaited sophomore full length, Californian bruisers Mugshot have dropped a double single (complete with a double video, which is a rare treat these days) to herald the release of All The Devils Are Here. With a sound that blends together sounds like Kublai Khan TX and Starve to name but two, you already know what you’re in for here. Opening with a fierce two step part, ‘Die In Fear’ is 90 seconds of incendiary hardcore, driven by a sinister chug and finishing on an almost deathcore note. It leads straight into ‘Afore A Waking Nightmare’, which is only 8 seconds longer and keeps the momentum going. Some great guitar work keeps the interest before things slow all the way down for one of the most violent parts that the band have written to date. A brilliant way to get people excited for your new record and definitely an album for the moshers. – Chris Earl
Chaotic metalcore is in rude health lately, and Johnny Booth’s brand new single continues that run proudly. 2023’s Moments Elsewhere was an exciting slice of chaos and melody, of which ‘Get Well Soon’ continues the former proudly. A whirlwind of stabbing guitars, off-kilter breakdowns and ferocious vocals, it’s a stellar example of modern bands revitalising and returning metalcore to its roots without losing sight of their own designs for the genre. – Will Marshall
Hell Hotel are back with their new song ‘sweetness.’, a sucker-punch of a single boasting incredible production and melody. ‘sweetness.’ oozes emo nostalgia, from the music video’s aesthetic to its sonic composition. Sharp unrelenting guitars and pounding drums lay its foundation but the magic lies in Demi Jay and Tom Maxfield’s vocal trade offs which occur regularly throughout the track. Between Maxfield’s commanding screams and Jay’s raspy tone, they manage to create a sense of urgency. Verse structures feel like they are vocally sparring and when the chorus and bridge sections start, they come together to creat gritty juxtaposition and harmony. The dichotomy of these elements hark back to vocal techniques used by the likes of Underoath and Hell Hotel deliver this effectively. In short, its a banger with huge melody in the chorus and feels like the band are already confident and experienced in their craft, pretty impressive for a band only 5 songs in to their career. – Jac Holloway
