Casey, Bruit≤, Dream State, Paramore and More: New Noizze – The 10 Must-Listen Tracks Of The Week

A stab at the streaming industry and the return of the one of the music industry's biggest stars; it's been a busy few days. Here's the top 10 singles of the week.

Casey – Great Grief

There’s no denying that Casey where one of the crucial components in post-hardcore’s ascendancy in the midst of the last decade. It’s nigh-on impossible to imagine the state of the modern scene without their input or direction. However, the Welsh band where far more than just a brilliant musical act; Casey, at their core, were a labor of love. They where a band fuelled by real agony, an eternity that transmuted things most ugly and bleak into something more beautiful and candescent. Their post-hardcore trendsetters where a band that channeled their collective misery into their sound – and whilst their disbandment in 2018 felt immature – it was understandable, almost honourable. They as an entity had channelled their grievances, found catharsis though their work and served their purpose. Lo-and-behold though, for after four years Casey are back more driven than before with their latest single ‘Great Grief.’ A continuation of the heartache and woe that drove their two full lengths, ‘Great Grief’ is a gorgeously gloomy track that bares it’s bruised and bloody textures with full conviction. There’s none of the gimmicks or tricks abundant in the post-hardcore right now – just the full embodiment of trauma itself. – Dan Hillier

Bruit≤ – Parasite (The Boycott Manifesto)

After delivering one of the most visceral, diverse and emotive post-rock records of recent years back in 2021, Bruit≤ have returned with what can only be aptly described as a piece of musical vandalism. Standing as the band’s only available track on Spotify, ‘Parasite (The Boycott Manifesto)’ is a musical trojan horse created to expose the nefarious aims and workings of the streaming industry. Driven by piledriving walls of noise and a claustrophobic atmosphere, the track is far from a generic offering of data to appease the soulless algorithm and more of a spoken word rumination on how the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and the rest are ultimately nothing more than parasites generating incomprehensible amounts of capital from the work and passion of artists. “We are regularly asked the question: ‘Why can’t we find you on the streaming platforms?’”, say the band. “Here is a universal and digital answer that will generate clicks while bringing in shareholders. Since the great crisis of the record industry, the industry has mutated—it has transformed itself to exploit artists as never before by crushing them under the monopoly of the streaming platforms. At a time when a change of algorithm can call into question your digital existence, the durability of your professional activity, or the peace of your social life, it seems more necessary than ever to remind people that an audience is not a database and that artists do not have to become influencers. It is unacceptable that people like Daniel Ek, the boss of Spotify, still exploit artists in total impunity and use this money to invest in AI for military use. It’s high time to practice music vandalism and parasite the machine.” – Dan Hillier

Dream State – Comfort in Chaos

The second single from the reinvigorated Dream State, ‘Comfort in Chaos’ also came with the announcement of a new EP landing February 2023 titled Untethered, a chance for the band to experiment and try new things while still rooting themselves in an identifiably Dream State sound. The song itself taps into that more synth-laden sound we heard from debut album Primrose Path, while new vocalist Jessie gets to showcase a gravellier, more aggressive side to her voice. Of the song’s themes, she explains that “Comfort In Chaos is about feeling the need for constant reassurance from the closest people around you and your loved ones, but by being so needy & insecure it would push those people away. It’s about not knowing how to break the cycle of helplessly looking for issues, triggered by a traumatic response.” – Will Marshall

Buggin – Attitude

Appearing on Flatspot Record’s compilation effort The Extermination Vol 4 – a body of work boasting some of the best emerging names in global hardcore due for release January 27th – the latest single from Chicago’s Buggin is one minute of purely it’s namesake. Driven by pogoing riffs and Bryanna Bennett’s bellows, ‘Attitude’ forgoes the toxic masculinity of hardcore in order to amplify an inherent sense of fun and community whilst still paying direct homage to the orginal forerunners of the genre. “For ‘Attitude’ I really wanted to tap into our biggest inspiration Bad Brains and make something positive”, states Bennett on the track. “I was really struggling with my mental health and feeling motivated to even create anything so it just made sense to pour all my bad feelings into a song that I hope others can relate to and feel inspired by.” – Dan Hillier

Grief Symposium – Veil of Transformation

“Our intention with Grief Symposium is to explore the balance of elegance and death within dark music; to create something emotional, powerful, interesting and different; to use the weapons of death metal, doom, and gothic influences to produce something that resonates and, perhaps, intimidates.” So states the newly-announced Church Road Records signees Grief Symposium, whose debut single ‘Veil of Transformation’ brings together lashings of misery, gloom and despair and funnels it through ugly death/doom in the vein of Celtic Frost or My Dying Bride. A barrage of blastbeats and buzzing guitars greets the listener, a no-holds-barred assault of misanthropic, occasionally dissonant death metal. The influence of the “Peaceville three” is more than apparent, and that’s no bad thing. Grief Symposium certainly make good on their promise. – Will Marshall

Jesus Piece – An Offering To The Night

Sometimes, you want to listen to something DIRTY. Not in a Christina Aguilera kinda way, but in a scuzzy sort of way. And in that sense, Jesus Piece have you covered. This the first new music from the ridiculously heavy hardcore crew since 2018 and marks the beginning of their time with Century Media. “An Offering To The Night” is two minutes and thirteen seconds of disgusting, pummelling music that will make you stinkface the entire way through. The soundtrack to being chased through an abandoned warehouse by masked machete wielders. Naughty. – Chris Earl

Thumper – Summer Assault

The latest single from the Dublin maximalists Thumper, ‘Summer Assault’ is a noise and feedback driven lamination on a long-doomed relationship from an outsiders perspective. As the narrator wittily warns each of the song’s inhabitants of the calamity they are fully privy to, the song’s structure takes on more of a pop structure across it’s runtime, something precarious given the foundation rumbling noise-rock riffs. This is all viscerally expressed in the track’s respective video, one directed by visual artist and lecturer Julie Weber. “The music video for “Summer Assault” is an observation of human dualities, dichotomies and synchronicities”, states Weber on the track. “I was interested in the layered perspectives of seeing and being — is there such a thing as having a superior lifestyle? Does that mean being a social spider that attends parties, or is it being a health demon who eats beetroot for breakfast? One or the other? Neither or both?” – Dan Hillier

Paramore – The News

Everybody’s favourite GRAMMY-winning three piece Paramore are back yet again, and they’ve served their second single ‘The News’, from their forthcoming album This Is Why up on a misanthropic, post-punk platter. The frenzied tune is paired with a horror movie inspired video, and speaks to the disdain of the human race’s inability to unplug from the inescapable 24hr news cycle that’s forcibly shoved upon us. It pleads with the listener to “turn off the news” through jagged riffs, sharp, distinctive vocals, hooky lyrics, and hey, even a little bit of tasteful cowbell. It has, in Hayley’s words, “classic Paramore angst” so if you were praying for that after the previous single, rest assured, your prayers have been answered. This track has a sizeable dash of Bloc Party influence in it, making their 2023 UK tour with the band even more appropriate. Is this the sort of sound we can expect from Paramore? Irate, desperately crying for change, passionate, socially aware – Paramore’s musical themes and prowess has aged like fine wine, so drink up. – Katie Ashton

Zeal & Ardor- Firewake/Cinq

Zeal and Ardor return after their spectacular self-titled album earlier this year with a unique pair of surprise tracks. The more expected of the two, ‘Firewake’ employs a complex, jazz inspired chord progression and vocals reminiscent of their frontman Manuel Gagneux’s alt-pop project ‘Birdmask’ before flying into a blistering, screeching black metal chorus. This flowing between clean verses with call and response vocals and all out black metal choruses have always been a big part of Zeal and Ardor’s appeal as a project, it’s exciting to see that they’re pushing their own boundaries within that formula. The B side ‘Cinq’ is a much more melancholy and sombre instrumental track featuring a lone piano drenched in atmosphere with pitch bends evocative of a Japanese koto. These tracks represent a new, slightly more experimental direction for Zeal and Ardor which is definitely welcome. – Tom Bruce

Hellripper – The Nuckelavee

‘A great roar infects the air with its venomous breath’ growls James McBain’s Scottish Highlands thrashin’ speed metallers Hellripper. While the song describes The Nuckelavee – a horse like demon of the sea from Orcadian mythology – it could also be an apt description for this ferocious beast first taster from Hellripper’s forthcoming Warlocks Grim & Withered Hags. ‘The Nuckelavee’ snarls thrillingly in 80’s underground metal, brewed to perfection for the 21st century. It starts with a relentless pace that matches Kreator for off the blocks intensity. But there are deftly applied tempo changes along the way – in conjunction with a continuous supply of monstrous riffs – it spills creativity and energy in abundance for many enjoyable repeated plays. Plus, delightful mid-section fretboard wizardry to make the Maiden boys Dave Murray and Adrian Smith proud. Top notch. – Andy Little