A bit of a heavy one, last week. Here's the 15 best singles released last week.

Urne – Becoming the Ocean

Having just secured possibly the most in demand support slot of 2023, opening for the untouchable Gojira, one of Britain’s best kept secrets in metal (though hopefully not for much longer) Urne are back and all fired up. In their time away, they’ve managed to get a certain Joe Duplantier to handle production and recording duties at his Silver Cord studio in New York for their upcoming second album, A Feast On Sorrow, and its the first track ‘Becoming the Ocean’ has been released this week. On 2021 debut Serpent & Spirit, Urne showed masterful songwriting and playing chops, creating expansive, enthralling metal that was as beholden to its influences as it was exciting and modern, and this is a step up again. It sounds absolutely beautiful, with crashing drums and a galloping riff. Joe Duplantier’s production is monstrous, giving the track a colossal feel. There’s a vulnerability and rawness to the vocals, as Joe Nally screams about the ocean’s ability to create and destroy, likening it to events in his own life and bringing a beautiful catharsis to the song. If this is the first taste, then the whole album should be a meal of the highest quality. – Chris Earl

Pupil Slicer – Momentary Actuality

The new track ‘Momentary Actuality’ from UK glitchy mathcore mob Pupil Slicer smacks you straight in the face as soon as it starts. A heady mixture of black metal drumming and huge tremolo picked chords grind your ears into dust, before dropping into a hardcore eqsue breakdown replete with the janky staccato lead parts we’ve come to know and love. Eventually we are treated to the soaring vocals of Kate Davies, both haunting and powerful in equal amounts. This track is short and sweet in every way, an up-down journey through Pupil Slicer’s myriad influences and genre bending guitar work. From its opening roar of “the sound, as if coming from the earth itself,” ‘Momentary Actuality’ is a devastating, blistering thrill ride that, with previous singles ‘No Temple’ and ‘Blossom’, hints at a huge sonic evolution for the Slicer crew. – Rob Bown

Chamber – Devoured

How do you make one of the heaviest bands in hardcore sound even heavier? You add Matt Honeycutt into the mix, that’s how. The second single from their just announced sophomore album, A Love To Kill For, ‘Devoured’ is a song that the band themselves have described as “Turning the extremity up as much as possible” and it shows. A squealing, chugging assault of a track, there’s nothing even close to a breather and when those guest vocals come in, it becomes almost insanely heavy. This is definitely a track that you’ll find yourself looking back at afterwards going “What the hell was that?”, because just when you think the apex has been reached, the band somehow find a way to make things even heavier. The production has a big part to play in this, as Randy Leboeuf has the drums and guitars sounding like they’re going to explode from sheer abuse at any moment. There’s a lot of competition in this scene at the moment, but if only in sheer shit-eating grin level heaviness, Chamber look set to make their mark on 2023. – Chris Earl

Toodles & The Hectic Pity – The Enemies Of Happiness Are Not Sleeping!

Absurd and long name? Yep. Cellos? Yep. Trumpets too? Yep, the new single from Toodles & The Hectic Pity is a total emo knee-slapper. The second track to the taken from the Bristol trio’s forthcoming debut Hold Onto Happiness – released via Specialist Subject Records June 23rd – ‘The Enemies Of Happiness Are Not Sleeping!’ see’s the band continuing to fuse classic emo songwriter with rustic and stirring folk textures in a way that’s buoyant and and utterly lovable. “The working title of this song was ‘Shut Up & Kiss Me’”, cites frontman Callum McAllister on the track. “It almost hit the chopping block separate times because we all didn’t feel as though we could crack the ending, but we got there in the end! It’s in the liminal space between a venue and your own home and it’s about that kind of quiet anxious desperation of self-criticism that leads to an ‘Irish goodbye’ and self-enforced loneliness. It features cello by Ellis Morgan and trumpet from Danny Lester.” – Dan Hillier

Lake Malice – Bloodbath

Inarguably one of the hottest bands in the UK right now, Lake Malice have released another explosive metal-meets-hyperpop track in the form of ‘Bloodbath’. They’ve been on a tear with their last few singles, including the recent ‘Stop the Party’ and ‘Black Turbine’, with ‘Bloodbath’ being no exception. Those lucky enough to catch them live will have heard this rager already, and its recorded counterpart loses none of the fire and fury. Alice Guala sneers “did you enjoy calling me a whore / you don’t get the same when you keep a score” as the song rails against abusive, controlling relationships and the trauma they inflict, while guitarist Blake Cornwall delivers yet more scorching riffs. The video released alongside it once more channels their sci-fi/horror influences including The Fifth Element and Blade Runner for a cyberpunk-fuelled visual feast. It’s yet more evidence that the band are about to blow up in a big way, and soon. 2023 is the year of the Malice. – Will Marshall

End Us – Inhuman Nature

Canada has been pumping out amazing bands lately like a machine, and that isn’t stopping with newest Ontario metalcore act End Us. Coming out of nowhere with their second single ‘Inhuman Nature’, the three piece have came to chew gum and take names. Ripping through the track with absolute ferocity, a sound similar to that of Currents and Brand Of Sacrifice, it spares no time devastating eardrums with stomach-churning breakdowns and from the belly gutturals. But it also has some stellar lead guitar parts and amazing rhythm sections to give the listener something interesting to follow rather than just pumping out breakdown after breakdown. End Us are proving they’ll be a force to reckon with, and this new track is a great example of that. So listeners should be sure to keep their ears peeled because this track is sure to be just the tip of the iceberg in the End Us camp moving forward. – Nathaniel Maure

Traitors – Bitter

The southern fried heavy hitter that is Traitors has returned with new single ‘Bitter’. Straight out of the Florida swamps, this isn’t a far departure from the quartet’s last release, yet it still feels fresh, exciting, and new. Displaying a faster tempo and leaning more into a sound similar to Bodysnatcher or Spite, there’s definitely a noticeable change in style comparing to past albums. Leaving behind a bit of that slam, downtempo style of before, this track comes in swinging and leaves no witnesses. Instrumentally this new single is a powerhouse, sounding absolutely massive even before Tyler Shelton graces us with his signature roar. If the new album is to be anything like this single, it could prove to be one of the best deathcore records of the year. The Florida four piece has proven they are only getting better with age and this new single is the perfect example. – Nathaniel Maure

Teenage Wrist – Diorama

Teenage Wrist are back with their second single of the year. In stark contrast to ‘Sunshine’, the band’s previous single, ‘Diorama’ is is a grungey, haunting song with the band’s signature blend of shoegaze and alternative rock albeit stripped back. ‘Diorama’ questions the idea of existence, the whys of life and how we are impacted by technology and injustice all whilst continuing on our own journeys. It’s unsurprising, then, that the track is soaked in melancholy and psychedelia with distant, stirring and evocative vocals all whilst holding an anthemic quality. The band released their highly regarded album Earth Is A Black Hole in 2021 to much acclaim and these singles are the first taste of new music from Teenage Wrist since. It is clear that the band are out to evoke some serious emotions but what is exciting is the diversity in what has been released to date. – Jac Holloway

Glass Heart – Colourblind

Glass Heart have released their new single ‘Colourblind’, a song that strikes the perfect balance between the elements that make Glass Heart tick. 2022 saw the band release their sophomore EP ‘Weathered’ and with it came a string of tours with the likes of As December Falls, Our Hollow Our Home and TheCityIsOurs as well as a victorious and successful homecoming show that felt every bit important for fans as it did for the band themselves. ‘Colourblind’ embraces euphoric synths, blistering hooks and infectious melody. Glass Heart have clearly been able to flex their creative proficiency and have therefore crafted one of their most cohesive and exciting songs to date. The song tackles the concept of being blind to toxicity and therefore being more exposed and vulnerable to acts of narcissism. Tapping further into the juxtaposition and play off between screaming and clean soaring melodies alongside breakdowns and instrumental inflections that elevate the track, ‘Colourblind’ is a contender to be the on repeat throughout the summer. – Jac Holloway

Thy Art Is Murder – Join Me In Armageddon

The down-under deathcore destroyers Thy Art Is Murder are back and ready to make pretty much every other band in the scene seem a bit lacking. ‘Join Me In Armageddon’ is the first single from their upcoming September release Godlike, and it sounds massive. There’s more than a spoonful of influence from Fit From An Autopsy (No surprise with FFAA guitarist and audio mastermind Will Putney on mixing duties) here, being almost like a deathcore Gojira with their massive vocals and guitar work. As per, CJ sounds phenomenal, his diction and ferocity helping him stand out from the cookie-cutter pig squealers of the world, none of them even close to his level of swagger. On the lyrical front, you can expect more of the same world event referential tracks like their last release, Human Target, with the band themselves describing the record as “a soundtrack to a divisive post-modern dystopia”. If this dark, no hope approach is reflected in the sound as well as the content, then we could be in for a belter of an album from the Aussie lads. – Chris Earl

Make Them Suffer – Ghost of Me

It’s felt like an absolute age since Make Them Suffer announced their return and new keyboardist/vocalist Alex Reade with ‘Doomswitch’, a contender for one of the best standalone metalcore singles of 2022. The wheels seem to be in motion again however, as they’ve just dropped brand new track ‘Ghost Of Me’ and promised there is a new record on the way. It’s a mix of the kind of balls to the wall metalcore mixed with those atmospheric keys and duelling vocals that you’ve came to know and love, but this track gives Alex Reade and lead vocalist Sean Harmanis a chance to show off their range and chemistry. For only their second track together, it’s top drawer, and the slower parts of the track weave with the riffs and crushing breakdowns expertly. One of the biggest issues Make Them Suffer have had to content with in their years as a band is often enforced lineup upheaval, and arguably it’s stopped them making it to the next level. They’ve always had the songs and the style, now fingers crossed they can find the luck and continuity to get as big live as they sound on record. – Chris Earl

Werewolves – Under the Ground

A band so knuckle dragging that they’ve got friction burns on their hands, Werewolves are back to lower your IQ through sheer visceral headbanging and aural bludgeoning. In just shy of two minutes and thirty seconds, brand new track ‘Under The Ground’ is a maniacal mix of death/black metal and grindcore, thrown in a blender with a self aware sense of humour. Also, their last album was released about 10 months ago, so massive kudos to them for their output speed. Sounding more ramshackle than their last release, the first single from My Enemies Look And Sound Like Me continues their quest to become probably the funnest extreme metal band around. With a band motto of “As the BPM goes up, the IQ goes down”, you’re in for a treat of ridiculous riffs, deprecating lyrics and delightfully silly soundbites. This track inparticular has a lovely “You’re a fucking pathetic c*nt” ending, taken straight from everybody’s favourite superhero TV show, ‘The Boys’. Lovely, stupid stuff that makes you want to get bang your head and swing a stick around the light section of B&Q. – Chris Earl

Sicksense – Feed Them To the Wolves

Nu-metal fans rejoice; the oft-maligned genre is enjoying renewed attention not just from fans but its boisterous, groove-laden take is being picked up by bands globally. Sicksense released their debut EP Kings Today last year, introducing the world to their own particular bouncing dual-vocal approach, and new single ‘Feed Them To the Wolves’ is the second single from follow-up EP Fools Tomorrow. A multifaceted track, the rapping from vocalist Rob the Ripper (Robby J Fonts) brings a searing flow alongside his unhinged roars, while co-vocalist Killer V (Vicky Psarakis) delivers her own vicious screams and soaring choruses. The midpoint diverts from the “typical” nu-metal formula with its foray into progressive metal with meandering bass and drum fills before building back into a towering chorus. Despite the serious subject matter, there’s a sense of a band having an absolute blast playing music they love; what more could you want? – Will Marshall

Conquer Divide – welcome2paradise

Metalcore upstarts Conquer Divide‘s latest single ‘welcome2paradise’ also came with welcome news of the band’s long-awaited second album Slow Burn due in September. It’s certainly been a slow burn since 2015’s self-titled debut, though there’s been a number of collaborations since, such as Electric Callboy‘s ‘FCKBOI’ from last year. This time, they’ve clearly stretched themselves further than before, playing with time signature changes, even dabbling in production a little with the sounds of drilling occasionally underscoring the churning guitars and vocals that alternate between vicious roars and towering cleans. It’s also a song with a strong message, the band shining a light on the plight of the Great Lakes and the sadly regular environmental disasters, such as oil spills and pipeline drilling, affecting the world’s largest freshwater supply. By the sounds of ‘welcome2paradise’ and previous singles, Slow Burn will have been worth the eight-year wait. – Will Marshall

Boundaries – Armageddon

It’s often a shame that when a band records an album, it can often take years for B-sides to see the light of day, especially with the way bands release singles these days. However, this is not the case for Boundaries, who are letting their fans hear the songs that didn’t make the cut on late 2022 album Burying Brightness. ‘Armageddon’ is the second of these singles, and sees the Connecticut metalcore crew making more of the pit inducing riffs and teeth rattling breakdowns they’re known for, but this time there’s a few more melodic (Not clean) vocal parts and a seeming maturing of the bands sound. The group have gained a lot of traction in the last few months and have nabbed some pretty sweet support slots on tours, and if they’re taking tunes this size out with them, they’ll be headlining in no time at all. Definitely a band spearheading the heavier end of the modern metalcore movement that are worth your time, and the Randy Leboeuf production helps it sound absolutely ferocious and vital. – Chris Earl

Representing a thriving experimental scene, False Hope For The Savage bring together atmospheric ambience and explosive, cathartic riffs for a sound that’s equal parts ferocious and delicate.

Welsh post-rock quintet False Hope For The Savage are a rare specimen for the genre; complex without coming across as pretentious, experimental while staying accessible, a unique combination of atmospheric and heavy. False Hope For The Savage create intricate sonic textures with a trio of guitarists; Edd Clemas, Alex Davis and John Harman backed by bassist Oliver Myles and drummer Ray Thomas.

Surrounded by one of the UK’s most vibrant experimental music scenes, False Hope have found their place in the community playing alongside post-rock icons such as Bicurious, Nordic Giants, And So I Watch You From Afar and The Physics House Band. We caught up with the band before one their biggest headline shows to date at Le Pub in Newport, with support acts Aaronson and Who Are The Monsters? showcasing some of the best up-and-coming talent from the Welsh post-rock community.

If you were to describe the band to someone who’d never heard you before how would you sum yourselves up?

John: “It’s hard to compress it down like that, the idea behind it really is the mix of like, delicate and fierce with a lot of very simple parts intertwined. A lot of modern post-rock music is very technical, like, clinical and virtuosic. Ours is like, lots of simple patterns working together. I’d say we’re greater than the sum of our parts.”

Edd: “It’s supposed to be more like 90’s post-rock, more emotive and less music by algorithm, if we were going to sum it up in three words we’d probably say effecting, atmospheric and fierce.”

Post-rock can be a bit of an intimidating genre for newcomers, how did you get into it and what about the genre first attracted you?

Edd: “We all had different journeys that led to our particular style of post-rock, for me personally it was through heavier bands like ISIS and I just fell down the rabbit hole of post-rock when I found bands like Sigur Rós and Mogwai. When we formed False Hope For The Savage that kind of thing really stuck with me more than the heavier stuff.

John: “For me it was kind of weird, I used to be a proper nerd and bought a lot of video game soundtracks. For me post-rock was the perfect marriage of storytelling through music and this atmospheric, cinematic feel with the alternative music I liked at the time. I was really into bands like Hundred Reasons, that British alt-rock/post-hardcore scene so post-rock was heavy like the bands I was into but also telling a story without lyrics.”

Alex: “I got turned onto Mogwai, MONO and Godspeed You! Black Emperor while I was in uni and branched out to other instrumental bands from there. For me the most important thing in music is the atmosphere it conveys rather than the songwriting or lyrics, the idea that you can make people feel something with just sound appealed to me.”

You just released the first single ‘Cinders’ from your debut album, what was the inspiration for the track?

Alex: “The main musical theme that runs through the song was borrowed from an old unfinished track from about a decade ago and the rest was built up over the course of one two hour rehearsal which is really rare for us, we basically jammed it through once and then fine tuned it. In terms of where it sits in the album I think it represents what we try and do in a reasonably concise four and a half minutes.”

John: “Yeah I think it has all the elements that make us unique as a band, that “better than the sum of our parts” thing is definitely there with these simple guitar melodies intertwining with each other but then you have this combustion of the big rhythms and heavy moments as well. It’s a really good introduction to the band. The tone very much inspired the title too, this idea of looking into a fire and the reflective mood you have thinking about your life and decisions. I actually pitched the name ‘Cinders’ because of the bonfires from Dark Souls, it made me think of the music from the game and it fit really well in the end.

You’re getting ready to release your debut album, what can you say about it at this point and how is it different from the EPs you’ve already got out?

Alex: “There’s far more variety than on the EPs, it’s a lot cleaner in terms of production too.”

Edd: “I think we used to rely on a particular template for a lot of our songwriting, I wrote a lot of the first EP and Alex wrote a lot of the second one, the album is much more of a collaborative effort, there’s lots of influences from all of our backgrounds. Before we kind of stuck with one vibe and one theme, now we’re floating between happier, more uplifting songs and heavier, darker moments.”

Alex: “I’d also say that, compared to the EPs it flows better as a collection of songs.”

With the band you’ve already played alongside some great bands, who would be your dream act to play alongside?

Edd: “I think we’ve all got slightly different answers for this, we’ve been lucky enough to support And So I Watch You From Afar which is one of my personal favourite bands, at the inception of the band they were one of the ones I looked up to. Right now, we’ve got an upcoming slot at ArcTanGent Festival and a lot of those bands tick that box for me.

Alex: “I’d say a band like Radiohead, someone who isn’t a post-rock band but is fairly experimental. I’m sure it would be a big stage too which would be fun!”

John: “For me it’s a hard one because, although I adore post-rock, I don’t really want to play with any of the big bands from the genre, you almost start to feel like a copy and compare yourself too much. I’d be much more interested in doing collaborative work in something like live theatre or cinema or providing the soundtrack to a video game.”

And finally, what can we expect from False Hope in the future?

John: “We’re expecting to play a lot more gigs in the future as well as some great festivals. We’ve had our EPs out for a long time now but we’re gearing up to release something that’s more representative of who we are. With the album out soon we’ll have much more to show people and hopefully more of a platform to get people to come and check us out live.”