Job For A Cowboy, Knuckle Puck, Kid Kapichi and More: New Noizze – The 16 Must-Listen Tracks of the Week

Yes Job For A Cowboy are back. Yes we are reliving our youth. Feating them and more amazing bands, here are the best singles of the week.

Job For A Cowboy – The Agony Seeping Storm

MySpace kids rejoice, they’re back. After almost 10 years one of the most overlooked death metal bands of the modern era return with their new single ‘The Agony Seeping Storm’. It’s nothing new here (not that ‘new’ is required); Job For A Cowboy still have that tendency to border on the insanely technical whilst retaining all the writing chops they have developed over their long career. There’s vocals that a demonic entity would be pretty chuffed with and if the Mudvayne-esque bass lines are anything to go by, they haven’t even broken stride since their last release. This is bludgeoning, technically adept, yet melodic death metal, with a healthy heaping of sadness and fear to really drive home the sulphuric miasma. – Rob Bown

Knuckle Puck – The Tower

Pop-punk’s best-boys Knuckle Puck are back with roaring new single ‘The Tower’ from their newly announced upcoming fourth album, Losing What We Love. Opening with drums and riffs that feel ready to kick your door in, there’s more of the commanding sound heard in last year’s release, ‘Groundhog Day’. Joe Taylor brings strident vocals that exude an urgency matched by the tempo and energy of the instrumentals, a sound that fits perfectly for our anxiety ridden existence in the year 2023. Missing the vivacious tones of previous albums, expect to be met with something grittier and altogether more profound this time around, a thrilling reminder that pop-punk and emo aren’t dead, but more alive than ever. – Zee Asher

Dying Wish – Lost In the Fall

Portand metalcore quintet Dying Wish have unveiled the latest single taken from upcoming sophomore album Symptoms of Survival, Lost In the Fall. It marks a huge sonic step up for the band; as vicious as its opening minutes are, it’s when vocalist Emma Boster shows off her confident melodic vocals in a stunning chorus that the song embeds itself firmly in the ears. Even with the video showing the band performing in a lightning storm, there’s nothing quite as electrifying as the savagery the band dish out; of the song, Boster said, “‘Lost in the Fall’ is written about the natural untangling of a friendship or a relationship with someone over time. It’s about letting go of control and accepting your fate and failure in love. Imagine the feeling in your throat and gut when you know things are coming to an end. Surrender to that feeling and face the direction of moving on.” – Will Marshall

Mannequin Pussy – I Got Heaven

Frothing with ferocious, spiteful anger as a form of love, Philadelphia indie punks Mannequin Pussy return with their first new single in two years, ‘I Got Heaven’. A powerful, personal statement on using religion as a weapon of oppression, ‘I Got Heaven’ wavers between high energy, aggressive punk and swirling, ethereal indie with tight, clear production from Grammy winning producer John Congleton. Lyrically this track features some real gems as singer Marisa Dabice tears down the people who use Christianity as a way to persecute others, being possibly the first song to use the phrase “what if Jesus himself ate my fucking snatch?”. – Tom Bruce

Kid Kapichi – Let’s Get to Work

Following on from smashing in stages at the likes of 2000 Trees, Download, Glastonbury and pretty much every other festival under the summer sun, Kid Kapichi are now getting down to business with their latest single ‘Let’s Get To Work’. A swaggering blast of post-punk empowerment and energy, the track sees the Hasting group imploring listeners to believe in themselves and strive towards their goals. The video, shot on the grounds of the band’s beloved Hastings United FC, makes this motivational energy palatable. “My two biggest loves (and often biggest sources of stress) in life will always be music and football,” states frontman Jack Wilson. “So to be able to combine them in this latest shoot was a lot of fun. That was reinforced by the fact we were able to work so closely with Hastings United to make it a reality. We absolutely love the club and they hold many of the same values we think are important surrounding the community, which we cherish so much. Apologies to the groundsman who was re-seeding the pitch that day. I’m sure you absolutely loved having us there ruining all your hard work.” – Dan Hillier

New Ghost – The Wolf of Allendale

Gorgeous, dynamic and panoramic, the latest single from New Ghost is an eight minute pop-prog opus that’s rich with whimsy and splendour. However, ‘The Wolf Of Allendale’ isn’t just a testament to this criminally underappreciated band’s ability to coalescence a berth of emotions into a single movement, but a monument to New Ghost’s ardent commitment to their craft. The group’s first release following their 2022 Rectify EP, the creation of the ‘The Wolf Of Allendale’ was hindered by sudden studio closures, corrupt files and crashed hard drives and unrecoverable recordings. But in true New Ghost fashion, there was perseverance, and after a year or so, ‘The Wolf Of Allendale’ is now loose to herald the brilliance of this wonderful act. – Dan Hillier

Body Void – Cop Show

Another eight-plus minute masterpiece, but the latest track from Body Void’s forthcoming album Atrocity Machine isn’t quite as cosy and warm as its predecessor on this list. Inspired by how systematic police violence has become the subject of news attention and viewed as a form of sick entertainment not unlike that seen in Robocop, ‘Cop Show’ is eight and a half minutes of anxiety-inducing, claustrophobic doom exploring how one day your murder at the hands of a police officer may be someone else’s choice of prime time viewing. “Cop Show lyrically might be the most specific on the album”, states Willow Ryan. “It focuses on the way in which police violence, in place of abolition or even just reform, we’ve turned killings and assaults into a spectacle to be consumed and entertained by. Paul Verhoven’s brand of dystopian absurdity was a big influence on Atrocity Machine as a whole, but especially on this song with Robocop.” – Dan Hillier

Problem Patterns – Lesbo 3000 / Poverty Tourist

Belfast’s shoutiest DIY feminist queer punks Problem Patterns are about as loud and unsubtle as it gets, showing that sometimes we can just solve our issues with noise. On their new double A-side ‘Lesbo 3000 / Poverty Tourist’, the Northern Irish quartet reclaim their queer identities from men who fetishise them and shout down people who claim to be working class for clout but run back to their rich parents when facing the harsh realities of working class life. ‘Lesbo 3000’ has a laser tight focus on queer identities in a world that refuses to cater to anyone but straight men, reclaiming the word “dyke” as a badge of honour rather than a harmful slur. With riotous gang vocals and a standout guitar riff Lesbo 3000 is a classic, straightforward punk track that gets its simple point across. ‘Poverty Tourist’ takes a more nuanced approach, trading vocal lines between the band’s members with a steadier pace. Problem Patterns venomously call out middle class people scouring charity shops for clothes to flip for a profit or putting on accents to tell made up working class stories in their copy/paste post-punk bands. – Tom Bruce

Wyrmhaven – Sacred Grove

With lead guitars soaring like a wyrm’s winged kin, Wyrmhaven come charging through the lines, slashing, burning and bludgeoning with double kick and staccato guitar work. The vocals are pulled straight from one of the circles of hell and evoke the late Trevor Strnad. It’s an absolute riot of a track, over before you realise it’s even begun, such is the breakneck speed of all the instruments involved. Sure to be a pit starter, it’s easy to bang your head, it’s easy to bounce around to, and although vocalist Steve Naemark seems “ready to die,” we might not be as eager, mainly because if you’re dead, you can’t enjoy the riotous ‘Sacred Grove’ any more. – Rob Bown

Pleiades – Amos Clift

Taken from the band’s forthcoming debut LP Affinity Within, ‘Amos Clift’ is a fantastic slice of metallic post-hardcore in the vein of Palm Reader, Landscapes and Earth Moves that highlights the storytelling within both the album and Pleiades‘ music as a whole. Narrating the tale of the titular Amos Clift – a lighthouse keeper forced into starvation amidst the gang warfare of 19th century San Francisco – the track shines a light on the darkness of humanity, its inherent flaws and the true evils that we as a species are capable of when pushed to our limits. Affinity Within is set to be some of the best post-hardcore orientated storytelling since the work of Defeater should this track be an indication of things to come. – Dan Hillier

Darlah – Landslide (Feat. Charlie Rolfe)

UK based trio Darlah have released their new single ‘Landslide’, a track as full of ferociousness and angst as it is wholly captivating and exciting. The band meld metalcore and post-hardcore in a fresh way and have wasted no time with this single coming in hot off the back of its predecessor Differ, a swirling storm of chunky riffs, melodic vocals and punishing drums. The band have clearly set out to weaponise their anger and harness their lyrical chops to channel it into an intense, energetic sound. Darlah are embracing nostalgia in their music and Landslide exemplifies this whilst forging a heavy and stirring impact, creating a perfect duality. The song’s climatic bridge section features none other than Charlie Rolfe of As Everything Unfolds on guest vocal duties to add an extra layer of intensity and it does exactly that with her ability to merge melody and snarl which compliment the song in every way. The synergy and play off between Rolfe and Darlah‘s Danni Hicks is remarkable and shows promising vision and poise. Setting the tone as an anthem for those worried about the world in today’s climate, Darlah are here to be the voice of change and unison in these hard times, and what better way to seek reassurance than to bang your head to this. – Jac Holloway

Wolf Fang Fist – Hope//Less

Bringing listeners one of Ontario’s best examples of old school hardcore influence utilized just right is Baytown hardcore’s own Wolf Fang Fist. The second single off the groups newest promo Trial By Fire, ‘Hope//Less’ is a minute and sixteen seconds of purely ignorant hardcore with hints of powerviolence tossed in to keep that heart racing. A style similar to Hamilton’s Die Alone that Canadian hardcore goers are all sure to recognize and enjoy. Wolf Fang Fist have been making moves the last few months to help put Barrie back on the map when it comes to Canadian hardcore and ‘Hope//Less’ will definitely contribute to that love and attention moving forward. – Nathaniel Maure

Just Right – Welcome To Hell

Canadian hardcore unit Just Right, from Chatham Ontario, have blessed the Ontario hardcore scene with a new single and music video. ‘Welcome To Hell’ is the first crushing single off the groups upcoming EP ‘Vol. 2’, which is set to release September 15th. Displaying a sound all their own, vocalist Ryan Haysum barks their way through the 3 minute track with a sound unlike anyone else in the province. Complimenting the vocals however is drummer Tanner Klein and guitarist Nicholas Grand. The two seem to pair beautifully on any track; Welcome To Hell being the perfect example of that. – Nathaniel Maure

Modern Technology – Dead Air

If the forthcoming collapse of British society be articulated via musical means it would probably sound like this. The nihilistic first track from Modern Technology’s upcoming debut Conditions of Worth, ‘Dead Air’ is a grinding noise-rock bellow from deep within the noise of the final stage of capitalism that mirrors the violent despair of Oxbow and the fatalist density of Big|Brave. There’s no respite or warmth to be had here, just acidic distortion and exasperated fury courtesy of two common men who have realised that the next generation of humankind may be the last to wander this doomed and poisoned planet. Perfect listening for the weekend, and a brilliant track that truly represents the bleak future awaiting us. – Dan Hillier

Cauldron – Rejection Pact

A throwback to the halcyon days when metalcore was actually violent enough to send an 18th century child into psychosis, the latest track from Birmingham’s Cauldron is a bolt of frantic energy that’s as vulnerable as it is remorseless. Taken from the band’s upcoming debut album Suicide In the City, ‘Rejection Pact’ serves as an arresting introduction to the concept underpinning the record, telling the tale of a group therapy session taking place in the concrete metropolis of Seattle. However, despite the fictional tale, ‘Rejection Pact’ and the body of work it’s taken from is very much a product of real mental strife and the horrors that accompany it, with Suicide In The City being inspired by the mental health issues that once haunted frontman Frazer Cassling. It’s violent, but with its intimacy, not nearly as harrowing as the story it tells. “The album’s concept was conceived during the worst period of my life,” states Cassling. “The story is laced with things I needed to write to myself. During this time I was diagnosed with OCD, and this really changed the shape of where the album was going. The lyrics are ultra-personal, whilst being really story-focused.” – Dan Hillier

Vex – Firing Line

Australia has been hailed as the promised land of all things ‘core for some time now. Continuing that trend is five piece hardcore outfit Vex. Blending the styles of Kublai Khan, Sunami, and Trapped Under Ice; Vex have managed to create a sound all their own while staying true to the sound that influenced them. The group’s newest single ‘Firing Line’ instantly embraces these influences while also moulding the sound into something all their own. Not only is the track hard as nails instrumentally but also in the vocal delivery; barking words at listeners in a classic hip hop flow. Vex are cementing their place in Australian hardcore with ‘Firing Line’ and there is no doubt why that is after listening to this blistering new track. – Nathaniel Maure

All these tracks and more can be found on our essential playlist, follow it here.