With another week of mass consumption to escape the crushing banality of life - this time in chocolate form - we look back of the best singles of last week.
As we go about spending our days in crammed offices and wasting our meagre earnings on processed Pret A Manger lunches, it’s almost inconceivable to think that lockdown actually happened. Some time away to our own devices amidst another working week sounds heavenly; only if we forget the inherent horrors that come with forced isolation however. Such horror is the subject of ‘About New Writing’, the new single from art-punks Cassels. Taken from a 7” inch split with Beige Palace – out now via God Unknown and Human Worth – ‘About Not Writing’ is a feverish and deeply claustrophobic rumination on the creeping anxiety that came synonymous with the lockdowns, one expressed in an off-kilter fashion which sounds akin to a Swans and Viagra Boys enduring a shared panic attack in the dark. “As someone with low-level anxiety about going outside, I really enjoyed the first few weeks of lockdown”, states the band on the single. “However after a while I could feel myself starting to go weird. Writing became much harder when every experience and interaction was reduced to a screen. In the end all there was to write about was the act of writing itself. That, and the daily inertia. Sitting around in my pants, watching the days slip away. It was an odd time.” – Dan Hillier
Wales’ exports are aerospace systems, dairy products, and the best post-hardcore quartet in the music biz: Holding Absence. Their new single ‘A Crooked Melody’ is the most recent in a long line of consistently impressive songs. It features their usual pummeling percussion, dynamic guitar, grounding bass, heartfelt vocals, and clean production. Singing of a crooked melody, the apex of the song is a note higher than the ears expect, in a lovely twist. It’s brilliant songwriting, but it’s just another day for the Holding Absence crew. Hopefully, this single hints at the rumoured third album. Their sophomore outing is going to a tough act to follow, but if ‘A Crooked Melody’ is any indication, their third album will be a worthy successor. – Josiah Aden
One minute and fourteen seconds is the length of chaotic hardcore duo Death Goals‘ new single ‘Year of the Guillotine’ and you would think that not much could be said in such a small snapshot of time. However, Harry Bailey (guitars/vocals) and George Milner (drums/vocals) manage to obliterate this moment with a fist swinging racket. George’s snare cracks as Harry’s shrill guitar pierce any objects in their path. This is Death Goals at their most beautifully chaotic and noisy. The lyrics relay their message against queer erasure. “You can’t erase, you can’t erase our existence” is screamed vehemently as a response to the Tory government’s neglect of the LGBTQ+ community and should make any listener stop and take notice. With their new album A Garden of Dead Flowers and another tour just around the corner this is an exciting and important time for the duo to take on the not just the UK but the world. – Adam Vallely
Portland metalcore bruisers Dying Wish ignited a storm with their debut album Fragments of a Bitter Memory in its throwback to 2000s metalcore in the vein of Poison The Well or Killswitch Engage and brand new single ‘Torn From Your Silhouette’ is no different. Balancing brutality and vulnerability, it addresses “taking the risk of being vulnerable with another person, only to find they have dishonest intentions and take advantage of your willingness to love,” says vocalist Emma Boster. It’s poignant, especially in its tender, KSE-esque melodic vocals, with lyrics like “I’d rather feel everything, than nothing at all” underscoring its tenderness even when it also careens into towering breakdowns guaranteed to induce whiplash in pits. The 2000s metalcore revival is going strong, and Dying Wish are easily the best of the bunch, taking an established sound and updating it for the modern day without losing any of the original appeal. ‘Torn From Your Silhouette’ is a bruising affair, both emotionally and sonically, one that hopefully hints at much more to come from them and is sure to go down a storm when they finally hit the UK next month with Counterparts. – Will Marshall
Graywave return with an astronomical track in ‘Blur Into One’, their first track since last year’s ‘Rebirth’ EP. Band leader Jess Webberley explains that the themes are “about being so consumed with conflicting thoughts and indecision that everything feels as though it is blurring into one mass of indiscernible noise within your head.” Sonically this track relays that message astoundingly. A wall of sound that is the guitars and synths, silken vocals and booming drums, whilst small details pop out the more you are swallowed up by the atmospherics of the track. This beautifully formed piece of music is a great preview of what is to come from Graywave in the future. – Adam Vallely
With the track opening with what sounds akin to the starting signal from Mario Kart, it’s only fitting that the latest single from queer firebrands The Oozes is a rocketing and barrel-rolling whiplash of vivid modern punk. Narrating the tale of a young trans person’s experience in coming out to their parents parents, ‘Ready’ is a documentation on unconditional parental love – or better yet – the lack of it. Through it’s barreling punk sensibilities and jolting synths, the track challenges how many parents only love their offspring up until the point where they challenge their own prejudices. “Lyrically there is a desperate cry for support and acceptance and stresses the importance of supportive family in the reduction of suicide rates amongst trans youth”, state the band on the single. “It also explores the whistleblower term of ‘the trans agenda’ which, in this political climate, is being thrown about to villainise, dehumanise and alienate trans people. The chorus line ‘are you ready’ is a challenge of parenthood. The song is especially topical in a time where the TERF mentality is being widely platformed and pushed further into the mainstream and causing transphobia to be at an all-time high, socially but also in legislation being passed under a Tory government.” – Dan Hillier
Chicagoan hardcore outfit Buggin have at last announced their hotly-anticipated debut, Concrete Cowboys, along with its lead single ‘All Eyes On You’. At a hair over ninety seconds, it wastes no time in getting right to business, exploding out the gates with raw punk fury. Dedicated to “people that are annoying on the internet, whether it’s spreading horrible misinformation online or oversharing or creating fake personas for attention and clout,” it calls out anyone who wants, as the title says, all eyes on them. it’s groovy, cathartic and carries itself with a two-stepping swagger that’s undeniable. Bryanna Bennett’s vocals are excoriating, as is the guest appearance from Jordan Moten, vocalist of Flatspot Records labelmates Kharma. With ‘All Eyes On You’, Buggin continue their rapid ascent towards hardcore stardom with their mantra of being true to themselves and producing short, sharp blasts of empowering fury. – Will Marshall
The world of metal seems to be graced yet again by the always amazing ten56. Coming at us with a new single ‘Choky’ off the album Downer: Deluxe Edition, Aaron Matts and the crew go on an unrelenting triad of massive breakdown after massive breakdown. Amazing guitar and drum work coupled with the almost hip hop flow Aaron brings on the vocals has been the nu-metal structure the band is constantly bringing to most songs but it clearly works to their benefit as the band has done nothing but release banger after banger. This track included. Their nu-infused deathcore is paired well with an amazingly fine music video directed by one Fleovisual, proving that the band have found the “it” factor in terms of sound, style, and quality of their content. – Nathaniel Maure
Chicagoans VCTMS are back and this time they’ve brought along Cane Hill’s own Elijah Witt to bring you ‘Bitter//Pill’. Delivering their signature style of chaotic metalcore, this new track doesn’t stray far from VCTMS‘ usual format. Displaying an array of screeching high screams and pairing them with some beastly gutturals further compliments the sheer brutality of the instrumentals. This structure brings forth some progressive guitar playing that always works amazingly alongside Meredith Henderson’s fantastic drumming which manages to set the metalcore standard very high. Elijah Witt then comes in to grace us with his presence roughly halfway through the song bringing in some beatdown-esque vocals to the fold, making this one of VCTMS‘ heavier songs in their ever growing catalog. Closing out the track is a simple yet dirty trap beat fade out, similar to what Falsifier used to close out ‘Dog Eat Dog’ on their split EP with the band, this new track is sure to paint a perfect picture of exactly what these guys are all about. – Nathaniel Maure
Sicksense have returned with their new single ‘Fools Tomorrow’, a rough and ready anthem boasting an air of confidence and prowess that continues to show there is no ceiling given the band’s multi-talented lineup. This is our first taste of new music from Sicksense since their debut EP ‘Kings Today’ which came out last year and gave us swift introduction to a band willing to openly give a raw insight into sensitive topics and to harness their musical influences to create a sound that struck the balance of familiar yet fresh. ‘Fools Tomorrow’ feels like a natural step forward for the band with rapped verses and a melodic catchy chorus, of which we have come to expect from a Sicksense song. The highlights are shown in the bridge section of the song that showcases further vocal diversity, an ability to mix up stylings and inflections as well as the inclusion of a striking and roaring guitar solo courtesy of Bill Grey (Fozzy). Vocalists Vicky Psarakis (The Agonist) and Robby J. Fonts (Stuck Mojo) shine with their ability to combine harmonies and vocal stylings that compliment the song as well as one another. They bring the additional flare, energy and prominence that makes Sicksense stand out. The band have also announced their new EP, ‘Fools Tomorrow’, which will contain 5 songs including the title track and will be self-released on June 11th. – Jac Holloway
Filling the Beastie Boys shaped hole in everyone’s lives, Joey Valence & Brae have an unbelievable grasp on not just the sound of the legendary trio but also the aesthetic. For many younger heads, this will be their very first exposure to such an old skool hip-hop sound and who better to serve it to them than these Pennsylvania energy merchants? ‘Dance Now’ is a hugely catchy and well crafted song that samples the most iconic sax line ever penned in the form of George Michael’s ‘Careless Whisper’. This, joined together with hugely witty lyrics and exceptional flow, makes for one of 2023’s most infectious releases yet. With a production that perfectly blends jazzy and bassy elements, a possible upcoming album from the duo promises to be one of the year’s most anticipated releases. – Jordan Aldridge
Sabers, horses, and riffs galore; ‘Death at the Hands of the Krushing Red’ is the second single from curiously named, self-styled “black ‘n death ‘n roll” band Rasputin’s Dick. Boiling death metal vocals support the blackened shrieks as the guitars riff hither and thither and drums gallop. The confidence falters slightly in the middle of the song, but they recover for a tight, ripping finish. ‘Death at the Hands of the Krushing Red’ is a rager of a song. – Josiah Aden