Gore. – Lead Me To the Slaughter
Texan metalcore quartet Gore. made waves with their early singles ‘Babylon’ and ‘Pray’ even before they’d released their debut EP. Now with two EPs, a few jaunts to the UK, EU and round America under their belts, they’re teasing the arrival of what is surely another release with latest single ‘Lead Me to the Slaughter’. Opening with pulsing synths, Haley Roughton’s haunting vocal glides above them before the band prove once more that they’re *really* good at writing an earworm chorus. The chunky guitars are present and correct too, with the overall song being much moodier in some ways while the riffs bend and contort. Lyrically, it takes aim at the present cult-like mentality of influencer and celebrity worship, as the band explain, “idolatry is rampant beyond human repair with social media — we now look at people like they’re gods. We idolize money, fame, and beauty more now than we ever have as a society. These idols will lead us to nothing but guilt, shame, and suffering.” – Will Marshall
Loathe – Fangs
Loathe’s latest single covers a whole variety of bases, from fuzzed out big riffs, to starry Deftones-esque soundscapes, quiet indie interludes and whacked out synth lines proving that there isn’t really anything they won’t have a crack at (as if we didn’t already know that). While less heavy than previous single ‘Revenant’ it still hits hard as it flips between the tried and tested quiet loud structure. Between the three tracks released off the upcoming A Stranger to You, Loathe have once again set out their stall of challenging presumptions about metalcore, this one is for sure going to slap, and it might even have people converting over from other genres due to its wide ranging variety. – Rob Bown
Fuming Mouth – Cheat Death
Angry and ferocious as ever Milford, Massachusetts’ Fuming Mouth are coming to ruin the neighbourhood with their heavy as balls, straight to the point death metal-meets-hardcore. Taking cues from the likes of Gatecreeper and Power Trip, ‘Cheat Death’ is a 2:30 of stamping, mosh-inducing metal, punctuated by riffs that make you want to put your fist through a wall, and disgusting pinch harmonics to rival Black Label Society. The Ringing Bell, their fourh album is bound to go off, hopefully backed up by some touring so more get to see their killer live set. Hail the mosh – Fuming Mouth sure do. – Rob Bown
Russian Circles – Nine
You know it’s a good day when the instrumental post metal behemoths Russian Circles are releasing new tunes. Even more so when you hear the absolutely crushing bass tone in the first few seconds backed up by trem picking that would get Metallica hot under the collar. This is a delightfully metal routed affair, stomping from one heavy breakdown worthy riff to another. There’s still plenty in there for longtime fans, with the orchestral textures scattered throughout creating anxiety inducing juxtaposition and the rhythm section pounding out the soundtrack of the cyclops clattering Jason’s crew aboard the Argo. It leaves the umami sort of taste in the mouth, wanting more and more of it, and on the 28th August all your prayers shall be answered (in full we hope). – Rob Bown
Bureau De Change – The Gammon’s Lament
With post punk well and truly making a mainstream comeback with bands like Idles, Yard Act and Fontaines D.C. playing arenas around the country, it’s great to see a band like Bureau De Change, who remember the genre’s abrasive, angry roots. Two EPs in, Bureau De Change release ‘The Gammon’s Lament’, the first single from their upcoming debut album, full of stomping beats and clashing, discordant guitar stabs backing frontwoman Flora Kimberley’s roaring vocals with vivid lyrics turning “gammon” from a lighthearted insult to a grotesquely literal lump of meat. While plenty of other so-called post punk bands are just playing slightly off-beat indie and using the name for a sense of underground cred, Bureau De Change aren’t afraid of getting their hands dirty, taking the genre back to its furious, jagged punk roots. – Rowan Bruce
Chelsea Wolfe – Death Is Not the End
As at peace with gentle acoustic melodies as with crushing, distorted post-metal, California’s dark priestess Chelsea Wolfe has made her impact on the world of experimental music over and over again, whether collaborating with Converge or soundtracking critically acclaimed horror movies. Her latest single ‘Death Is Not the End’ starts out sounding fairly tame and restrained, highlighting only Wolfe’s voice and acoustic guitar before tenderly adding in lush layers of synths and keys before exploding into a dramatic, cinematic post-rock metal finale. Chelsea Wolfe’s ability to bring intimacy to her heaviest moments and weight to her more subtle passages will never cease to be impressive. With upcoming shows across Europe, including a headline set at the UK’s home of eclectic music Arctangent Festival, now is a great time to immerse yourself in the transcendent world of Chelsea Wolfe. – Rowan Bruce
Dreamwell – Plath Vs. Kafka Vs. Romance
In terms of song titles, ‘Plath Vs Kafka Vs Romance’ is already one of the most out there ones of recent times, but that’s just par for the course for Dreamwell. The post screamo/hardcore crew have dropped their first new music in two years and the first without the incredibly talented Aki McCullough on guitar. Whilst losing her was a big loss, it’s clear that the band have recovered spectacularly, as ‘Plath Vs Kafka Vs Romance’ is a stunning return. More straightforward (by their standards) than most of their work, it’s a stomping, winding rager of a song that features some odd earworms and some hefty riffing. The first offering from Hymns For The Denial Of God which is due out in August, it’s about time Dreamwell were back to get a little weird with it and show people what screamo can do. – Chris Earl
TheBoyShadow – The Pool of Many
Likely doomed (at least for the moment) to swim in the same oceans as his former band Loathe, TheBoyShadow continue to drop tracks that move further and further away from thar sound. ‘The Pool Of So Many’ takes influences from nu-wave of all things, blending floaty electronic beats with chunky blasts of brutality for a catchy little number that flits between fitting in at your local metal night and darker, more blacklit territories. It almost feels celebratory at times, highlighting the work and possible relief that went into getting these highly personal songs finished over the last few years. With no sign of any collection of songs on the horizon, if the standard of songs being dropped is this high, TheBoyShadow have a chance to break into the wider consciousness quicker than expected. – Chris Earl
Bring Me The Horizon – Dehumanized
Hands up, who had Bring Me The Horizon not only re-recording Count Your Blessings for its 20th anniversary on their bingo card? Now keep them up if you also had them penning a bonus track for it that rips harder than anything they’ve done since. ‘Dehumanized’ is a ferocious, face-ripping assault of blasts, double kick drums, hulking groove and Oli Sykes’ most vile vocal performance in some time. It’s accompanied by a blood-soaked, gory music video that Oli later said was influenced by the book Tender Is the Flesh, which as a few of us can attest to, is one fucked up book. Cap it all off with a moment in the video where someone gets shot in the head onscreen as Oli shrieks “kill each other” and you’ve got something that not only wants to shock, but is easily their heaviest work in years and puts much of modern deathcore to shame while they’re at it. – Will Marshall
Ice Nine Kills – Play Dead (Dead By Daylight collaboration)
Horrorcore trailblazers Ice Nine Kills show no signs of slowing down as they release their latest single ‘Play Dead’ during a stacked festival schedule. Veiled vocals of Spencer Charnas creates chilling excitement. Anticipation builds with the beat of ominous drums. A harrowing whisper “you’ll be dead by daylight” hangs eerily in the air before you plummet into an assault of curdling roars. Layers of screaming versus, rising melodic choruses and choppy, start-stop rhythm hits you like blood spatter, inducing the adrenaline spike that both horror and heavy music fans crave. Tried and tested, the anthemic chorus with hook laden lyrics has you gleefully singing the macabre tale while encouragingly observing a murder scene. Expansion into the horror video game world in this collation with Dead By Daylight sparks intrigue. Will their theatrical performance of ‘Play Dead’ on the 2027 March In Silence Tour follow suit, or will this be a showcase of what else horrorcore has to offer? – Mignonette Ellis