KEN Mode – Unresponsive
KEN Mode have long held a reputation for being one of the most unsettling acts within heavy music. However, ‘Unresponsive’ is harrowing even among a discography bounded by misery. The third track to be taken from their upcoming record NULL – released September 23rd via Artoffact Records – ‘Unresponsive’ is a tormented, broken and wholly defeated soliloquy from a mind most shattered. As frontman Jesse Matthewson possessively chants “Forgotten, erased, unresponsive, replaced, abandoned” against mechanical droning and flourishes of discordant cellos, it’s impossible not the absorbed by the lightless misery that propels this industrial mire of a mantra. ‘Unresponsive’ truly feels dangerously unhinged, and as Matthewson explains, the song came from the one of the darkest periods of the pandemic. “At this phase of the pandemic I had begun having dreams about my partner leaving me and my family dying, probably five nights a week, for several months”, states Matthewson on the track. “I sat there, writing the lyrics to this one while listening to a rolling storm come in, that never seemed to actually reach a crescendo. It all felt too apt for the way everything had been feeling for the last year at that point.” – Dan Hillier
Thotcrime – Critical Codependence (Feat. diana starshine)
After carving out their own oeuvre within digital space and getting the attention of Prosthetic Records, the international and infamous cybergrind collective Thotcrime are back with another drilling single in the form of ‘Critical Codependence’. The second slice to be taken from their upcoming debut full length D1G1T4L_DR1FT, the single see’s the band collaborating with the Ohio pop artist diana starshine to offer something a bit more complicit and pop orientated than their typically annihilating work. Regardless, ‘Critical Codependence’ still retains all the sass ,nonconformity and full frontal confrontation that originally made Thotcrime not only helplessly alluring the leading name in cybergrind. – Dan Hillier
Foreign Hands – Chlorine Tears
Celebrating their signing with SharpTone Records, 00s metalcore revivalists Foreign Hands released standalone single ‘Chlorine Tears’, also marking their first collaboration with producer extraordinaire Will Putney. Their softly-spoken fused with apoplectic screams approach sounds more cohesive and bigger than ever thanks to Putney’s production and the band’s own writing has truly been pushed to a new level, thanks in part to the band knowing they were due to record and needing to get the song finished. Featuring feverish guitars, battering drums and the emotional lyricism that made Bleed The Dream such a lauded EP, ‘Chlorine Tears’ is the sound of a band exploring and refining their sound further and keeps them firmly near the top of modern metalcore’s most exciting new bands. – Will Marshall
Phoxjaw – thesaddestsongever
What do you get when mixing Britpop, metal, flourishes of indie and a thoroughly British sense of whimsy? Well, Bristolian quartet Phoxjaw are all that and more. Following on from their 2020 debut Royal Swan, the band have announced its followup notvernicecream and released their latest single, ‘thesaddestsongever’. Where Royal Swan was all extroversion, ‘thesaddestsongever’ is far more introspective, drawing on the softer edges of their sound for a more morose and nihilistic examination of their own inner worlds. Its accompanying music video is no less arresting, juxtaposing the morose nature of the song and its musings with lush, colourful visuals. It’s a promise that Phoxjaw are no less mercurial than before and have only broadened their already expansive sonic palette. – Will Marshall
Devin Townsend – Moonpeople
Eclectic prog metaller Devin Townsend has released the first taste of his long-awaited new album Lightwork. Titled ‘Moonpeople’, it sees Devin trying to piece together the last few years; its trials, tribulations and more, while seeking a way forward after it all. Sonically it couldn’t be the work of anyone else; swelling synths, his own idiosyncratic croon; it’s all there. Described as a more “song-oriented” approach, it’s just as subversive as he’s always been while exploring spacey, art-rock worlds. If you’re familiar with him already, Lightwork looks set to be familiar territory but with those always-guaranteed left turns and plenty to sink teeth into. – Will Marshall
Blank Atlas – Better Off Dead
Bristol based Alt Rock trio Blank Atlas have released their first single in two years this week called ‘Better Off Dead’ and its chock-full of raucous riffs, beautifully melded harmonies and a surprisingly heavy bridge section that throws out the script and never really stays in one place. It’s bolshy, bustling and vibrant with a slow build in the verse that leaves you ready to hear the chorus that is bouncy and soaring. Lyrically the song tackles battling the lowest points and longing for some form of escapism to pull oneself out. It’s unsurprising that the band are demonstrating such proficiency and a refined and exciting sound given their 10 years together as a band. “Better Off Dead is a result of 10 years of playing together in a band, this band has gone through so many evolutions over the years and we’re so excited for people to hear what this band has been up to for the last 2 years” says drummer Tom Thould. The single is an exciting demonstration of what the band are able to cook up and shows they aren’t afraid to push the boundaries and blur genre-lines. – Jac Holloway
IOTA – Sometimes
Taken from their upcoming extended play due later this year, the latest track from IOTA comes from a very real and traumatic place. Written after vocalist Jodie Robinson witnessed a freak accident that almost imparted someone with their life, ‘Sometimes’ see’s the Bristolian quintet repurposing their dusty, dirty and distorted take on home-cooked grunge to narrate something that resonates a profound sense of emotion. “This song was written about a loved one after a freak accident that I witnessed”, states Robinson of the track. “It really put everything into perspective and threw me into a realm of gratitude with a whole new found respect for having that person in my life. It’s a love letter to this person and a reminder to appreciate what you have before it’s too late.” – Dan Hillier
The Callous Daoboys – The Elephant Man In The Room
Atlanta’s resident mathcore maniacs The Callous Daoboys have released the final single from their upcoming new album Celebrity Therapist. Entitled ‘The Elephant Man In The Room’ it’s far more than just a great name. Featuring mathy freakouts, blissful violin, spoken word segments and off-kilter jazz moments, by all rights it should be an incongruent mess – but it’s not. Tying those disparate elements together is the band’s sheer charisma and phenomenal songwriting, melding all the chaos together to a cohesive whole. According to vocalist Carson Pace, “this one is just straight over the plate rock music. The kind you find in your dad’s tape deck. Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, that kinda deal. Hope this song makes it into Stranger Things so our parents will think we’re a real band.” – Will Marshall
Dohny Jep – Wine And Dine
Marring the seductive pop incinerates of The 1975 with the impact of modern Bring Me The Horizon and conscious swagger of Superlove, the latest track from the absurdly named Dohny Jep is a synth led ode to the intoxicating power of new love. Following the four EP’s released last year and the group’s self-titled full length of just this year, ‘Wine And Dine’ see’s the Canterbury alt-rockers only applying even more force to the gas pedal in their adventure to win hearts and minds up and down the country. Given the band’s unyielding drive and their penchant for effortlessly writing pop based charmers such as this, it’s no surprise to see Dohny Jep quickly becoming such a dearly beloved band among circles across the county. – Dan Hillier
Dayseeker – Without Me
Southern Californian’s Dayseeker have released their new single/video for ‘Without Me’, the second single released off their newly announced album Dark Sun. The album will also feature the bands previously released song ‘Neon Grave’. “Without Me’ is about an old relationship that died and how it begged to ask the question: ‘How do you feel the same without me as a part of their life?,” shares vocalist Rory Rodriguez. Fans of the band will know that Dayseeker strike a balance between soaring melody, melancholic tones and are able to layer pop sensibilities over a striking and alternative sound. It’s a genre that’s easy to blend in with the crowd but Dayseeker have their metaphorical heads quite far above the rest. ‘Without Me’ intrinsically combines bustling synths, pounding drums euphoric guitars and see’s Rodriguez effortlessly flex his incredible vocal range, it’s a through and through banger. The album is said to explore the personal struggles and life of Rodriguez over the last two years including the passing of his Father and how this impacted him. Dark Sun will be out 4th November via Spinefarm.
Parkway Drive – Darker Still
Parkway Drive have dropped the title track from their upcoming album this week and fans will have never heard the band quite like this before. If you have followed Parkway during the last three album cycles you’ll have seen the natural shift from Metalcore titans to polished arena-conquering Metal frontrunners since 2016’s Ire. The band have progressively incorporated a mix of Winston McCall’s iconic harsh vocals with his newer vocal stylings and experimentation having played around with spoken word, added depth, darkness and a menacing croon. Additionally the band have played with roaring solo’s, guitar harmonies and a have leaned into more straightforward song structure’s that tap less into technicality and more into a unifying stomp. ‘Darker Still’ feels like the culmination of these newer elements, seeing the band lean entirely into their new sound and crating an almost seven minute opus with an acoustic intro, choirs, strings and a solo of epic proportions. Darker Still arrives 9th September via Epitaph Records