Vana – In Your Name
Vana‘s latest single ‘In Your Name’ leans into tension without rushing to resolve it, mirroring the track’s focus on toxic attachments and emotional conflicts. The track starts almost patiently, with clean vocals and restrained instrumentation carrying that uneasy push-and-pull. However, the second half opens into something heavier without fully letting go of that control. Structurally, it echoes the slow, atmospheric climbs of Sleep Token, while the production sits comfortably alongside the polished, modern metalcore feel of bands like Bad Omens and Bring Me the Horizon. What stands out most is the writing; it’s sharper, more focused, and more refined than we’ve seen in the past from Vana, a sure sign that she’s settling into her sound as opposed to still trying to find it. – Vee Richardson
MONO – Winter Daphne
Like perennial blooms, post-rock heavyweights MONO have returned. Following the devastating loss of close friend and longtime collaborator Steve Albini, ‘Winter Daphne’ is the lead single from their forthcoming studio album, Snowdrop. The band explain: “The language of flowers for the Winter Daphne is ‘the final surge of life’, ‘glory’ and ‘eternity’. Our hope is that this album serves as a source of light and hope for those who have lost someone dear.” Marching morosely along, a reverb-soaked wall of sound is accompanied by hammering drums and hefty guitars. Characteristically simple themes build to an early crescendo before lapsing into heartachingly beautiful guitars. Renowned for cultivating beautiful atmospheres and sprawling dynamics, ‘Winter Daphne’ breathes new life into a sound MONO have honed for over two decades. Like its namesake, ‘Winter Daphne’ arrives like a tonic, a reminder to take in the beauty, even in the darkest moments. – Niall Creane
American Football – No Feeling feat. Brendan Yates
The second single to be taken from American Football’s fourth LP, ‘No Feeling’ sees the midwest emo pioneers collaborating with Turnstile’s Brendan Yates to offer something truly wonderful. Bound by frosted synths, melodic riffs and a blanketing air of ethereal inevitability, whilst the core structure of ‘No Feeling’ is a wonderful exercise in tender bleakness, the crowning jewel of this song is the duet between Mike Kinsella and Yates. It’s genuinely surprising to hear Yates on a song as spacious as this, and should this and previous single ‘Bad Moon’ be anything to go by, LP4 could well be American Football’s best work in decades. – Dan Hillier
One Leg One Eye – Many Are My Names Besides
Having already toured in support of post-rock trailblazers Godspeed You! Black Emperor and released a critically acclaimed debut album back in 2022, One Leg One Eye, the moniker of Lankum’s Ian Lynch should need no introduction to those in the know. Managing to combine the aesthetics and sensibilities of black metal and drone with Irish folk traditions for an experience that’s just as immersive as it is abrasive, the project’s latest single ‘Many Are My Names Besides’ feels less like a swift kick to the chest and more like slowly being drowned in some strange ritual through the track’s seven minutes of bizarre chanting and steady drones. While his more well known work in Lankum could hardly be compared to The Spice Girls, One Leg One Eye takes Lynch’s harsh, experimental folk sound to darker, far less accessible places. – Rowan Bruce
Dead Pony – Freak Like Me
Glaswegians Dead Pony are gearing up for the release of their brand new EP, Eat My Dust!, their first new music since the excellent Ignore This introduced them to the world. It’s preceded by two singles including latest release ‘Freak Like Me’, which vocalist Anna Shields describes as “a love letter to the outsiders in society – the ones who never quite fit the mould and stopped trying to. It’s about owning every bizarre, messy, sexy, beautiful part of who you are, and finding your people in that chaos.” Tying into their 2000s rock and nu metal influences, it updates that MTV-era sound for 2026, not just a fresh lick of paint, for a high-energy banger about celebrating who you are unashamedly. It’s also got a great music video that harkens back to that era too, and it’s sure to be a live favourite as soon as the band hit the road again this summer. – Will Marshall
Mutant-Thoughts – Safe Word
Constantly oscillating between maximalist, Latin inspired alt-pop and complex space-prog, Bristol duo Mutant-Thoughts should be a well known name to the south-west’s thriving alternative scene. On ‘Safe Word’, the third single released in anticipation of their first album in almost a decade Makeshift DNA, Mutant-Thoughts return to their roots with a funky, synth driven progressive rock hit which smashes together intricate South American inspired rhythms with 80s style analogue synth melodies backing frontman Han Luis Cera’s mesmerising vocals. If you’re nostalgic for the synthesiser heavy soundtracks of vintage sci-fi films but yearn for danceable yet complex beats then Mutant-Thoughts should definitely be on your radar. – Rowan Bruce
Evanescence – Who Will Follow You
Summoning listeners back to the brooding turn-of-the-millennium with their signature dark-rock sound, Evanescence tease their forthcoming album with the release of its lead single, ‘Who Will Follow You’. Crashing in with symphonic choruses and the strong haunting tone of Amy Lee, their unwavering power and quality make it hard to believe that more than 30 years exist between their first self-released track and this one. Drama and vulnerability span their catalogue of work and this track suggests that the new album will be no exception. Chunky riffs, driving drums and emotive, weighted cries of “you drain the life out of me ’til I don’t know myself’, it’s the classic Evanescence formula that reaches into the depths of your soul. Complete with the infamous melodic piano, ‘Who Will Follow You’ hits all the markers of what fans love about Evanescence. Sanctuary will be released 5th June ahead of their North American and European tours. – Mignonette Ellis
Spitting Glass – 1HP
Standing at a short 2 minutes and 49 seconds, Spitting Glass‘ eagerly awaited first sonic offering wastes no time in grabbing you by the scruff of the neck and beating your arse, until you’re well and truly at ‘1HP’. Beginning with colossal chugs reinforced with painful blows courtesy Danny Yates’ immense strength behind the drum kit, the band lay out a groove so nasty it’s sure to upturn the mouth corners of even the most reserved metalhead. Guitarists Chris Keepin and Dave Ball stick to the rhythm Danny carves into the track like glue, adding occasional flairs like pinch harmonics to show their personality, demonstrating creativity and passion in a subgenre that can often end up sounding a little generic. Sandwiched between the fat drums and swollen guitars is a powerful bassline that bassist Reuben Bescoby manages to muscle in. If you think this project didn’t quite have enough Osiah members involved, don’t worry. Andy Mallaby, other guitarist alongside Chris Keepin, lends his expert mixing skills to ensure a crisp, punchy mix. Vocalist Joe Bad shines on this track, firing on all cylinders with some amazing screams and thought provoking lyrics. The best of which is undoubtedly “Every breath is a threat that’s left a hole in my chest” – guaranteed to send the pit into what looks like a medieval battle re-enactment society meetup. Spitting Glass finally show us what they’re made of, after months of teasing. Just when the metal scene thought they were Just Kidding, the band says Hello. – Jude Bennett
At The Gates – The Dissonant Void
There’s a certain air of reverence surrounding the upcoming release of The Ghost of a Future Dead, and as a single, ‘The Dissonant Void’ is no different. With roots stretching back over 30 years, At The Gates lean into what they do best on this track, keeping it tight, with melodic precision, sharpened riffs, and a sense of control that never tips into chaos. It’s a track that feels deliberately restrained, rooted more in impact than being the loudest song on the album, and it’s all the better for it. Tomas Lindberg’s vocals are as cutting and locked-in as ever, a reminder of the sadly-departed voice that’s been central to the band’s identity for decades. There’s no grand statement being made here; just a band operating with quiet confidence, knowing how to hit exactly where it counts. – Vee Richardson
Catalysis – Serpentine
Dundee’s Catalysis have hardly stopped to take a break since their formation in 2017. ‘Serpentine’ pretty much sums up the band’s ceaseless approach nicely. The title track of their upcoming EP which releases 17th April, ‘Serpentine’ is a sharp, focused and suitably breathless assault of prog and thrash-infused metal that takes aim at the self-serving charlatans rampant in UK politics. It’s a fantastic track, and with this under their belts, Catalysis are truly on their way to becoming Scotland’s answer to Sylosis. – Dan Hillier
Warning – Stations
Yes, the world is a depressing place, but what if it was even more depressing? To those wishing for a positive answer to such a hypothetical question, good news, Warning are back with new music. Taken from their freshly announced new record Rituals of Shame – released 14th June via Relapse – ‘Stations’ feels like a direct and flawless continuation of the heart-wrenching gloom and doom that characterised their ceremonial 2006 record Watching From a Distance. They may have been out of action for two decades, but with this track it’s clear Warning are still one of the finest and emotional potent names in UK doom. – Dan Hillier
Buy Jupiter – Embrace of the Serpent God
Buy Jupiter unveil second single ‘Embrace of the Serpent God’ ahead of the release of their new album out next month. Lamb Of God and Chimaira influenced groove metal meets pummeling prog metal/djent technicality with a sprinkle of frantic dissonant mathcore shrieks to spice things up. Both singles so far have offered a solid variety of heavy music styles and sonic textures over the course of their runtime and it’s safe to assume the rest of the Lyon based outfit’s upcoming album EARTH is set to further expand upon this. Keep an eye out for this hidden gem of progressive heavy music from the French underground. – Avrian O’Brien
Junius – Initiatrix
Coldwave inspired vocals, thundering Mastodon-like rock n’roll sludginess and Deftones-esque ethereal atmosphere all combined in one seamless, cohesive package? Why, it’s none other than Boston’s Junius with their lead single ‘Initiatrix’, announcing their return album, Sotera, after almost a full decade away. The only downside to this new musical offering is its short three minute length which sees the replay icon getting battered with clicks before we’ve had time to properly settle in with the track’s entrancing appeal. Fortunately though, it won’t be much longer of a wait to hear more from where that came from given that Sotera is due for release on 26th June via Prosthetic Records. – Avrian O’Brien