Laura Jane Grace – Dysphoria Hoodie
Warm and inviting much like your favourite item of clothing, the latest track from Laura Jane Grace is a testament to the her unmatched ability to craft deeply personal songs that still resonate a sense of universal familiarity. Lifted from her forthcoming new record, ‘Dysphoria Hoodie’ is a timeless and tender ode to that trusted hoodie we all seek when fear and dysphoria begin to cooly creep in. Much like the rest of Grace’s work, it’s raw and unfiltered, but in times of inescapable anxiety, it’s a great comfort. “This is a song about gender dysphoria and your favourite hooded sweatshirt,” Grace says. “Any trans person out there knows what a dysphoria hoodie is — it’s the hoodie you wear when feeling low and dysphoric and you don’t want the world reading your gender. Hide your body shape, hide your head, disappear as much as you can. Wrap yourself up in it like a blanket anywhere you go. Make your flesh become cotton. Instant protection from the outside world. My dysphoria hoodie happens to be an Adidas hoodie, so yes, this is in fact really just a tribute song to my favourite Adidas hoodie.” – Dan Hillier
HEALTH – Sicko (feat. Godflesh) / Children of Sorrow (feat. Willie Adler)
HEALTH make “sad music for horny people,” at least if you believe their merch. The industrial outfit have released two singles from upcoming album Rat Wars, the follow-up to 2019’s Vol4:: Slaves of Fear and both embody very different sides of them. The former, ‘Sicko’, samples ‘Like Rats’ by Godflesh and uses it to propel its disturbingly slick synths. The second, ‘Children of Sorrow’, features the ethereal vocals and machine-like drumming they’re known for, though the guitar riff is pure Lamb of God, albeit twisted into a new, HEALTH form – unsurprising when their guest is Willie Adler, the Virginia metallers’ guitarist. Both songs show the beloved band on particularly excellent form, which only makes the prospect of their new album, arriving December 7th, all the more enticing. – Will Marshall
Foxcult – Silicone Dream
Offering another glimpse of what’s yet to come, Seattle’s Foxcult make a strong case for fixing themselves a spot on everyone’s ‘ones to watch’ lists with their new single ‘Silicone Dream’, the second track taken from their hotly anticipated debut EP The Indigo Fault. Intricate and melodic post-hardcore noise from an all trans band, teasing sci-fi lore and a broader genre experience to come forms a fresh, captivating formula for a band already making waves in the heavy music scene, even despite this only being their fourth single since the band’s first release back in February of this year. Shoegazey overtones suffuse an intense fusillade of guitar, drumming and harsh vocals before giving way to a gorgeous, silvery chorus. Serving as a narrative prelude to the band’s prior single ‘Glacier’, ‘Silicone Dream’ carries a heightened sense of urgency and aggression, expanding the scope of what we can expect from the band in the future as they establish their name through their auspicious approach to musical storytelling. The Indigo Fault releases 17th November, and it’s set to kickstart the career of what could easily be one of the most interesting upcoming bands in the scene. – Elliot Grimmie
Cancer Bats – Weird Punx
Last year’s Psychic Jailbreak continued to cement Canadian punks Cancer Bats as one of modern music’s gritty hardcore punk legends with their metal tinted riffs and ever-entertaining delivery. Even after founding member Scott Middleton’s departure they have rumbled on from Aberdeen to Milton Keynes spreading joy their live shows bring. New standalone single ‘Weird Punx’ celebrates their travels and journey as musicians over the years. A picture of young Liam and Jaye as the cover image showing how much they have grown but kept the essence of what makes Cancer Bats, a damn good time. – Adam Vallely
Gozer – Celestial River
This may sound less of a gently meandering river and more of a riptide of noise, but the new track from Gozer is still host to the sense of ethereal majesty one would expect from a track with this namesake. The first cut to be taken from the group’s forthcoming EP The Path Always Leads To The End, ‘Celestial River’ sounds utterly gorgeous in the fashion in which Gozer combine corrosive sludge with ponderous post-metal, ultimately presenting itself as attack as dynamic and fluid as the most famous of waterways. The band may have established their finesse with their brilliant 2022 debut An Endless Static, but ‘Celestial River’ proves to be the estuary that that will surely lead Gozer to the ocean of spoils they undoubtedly deserve following the release of their new EP. – Dan Hillier
Dreamwell – All Towers Drawn in the Equatorial Room (Feat. Nick Holland)
Rhode Island screamo outfit Dreamwell are mere weeks away from releasing their second album In My Saddest Dreams, I Am Beside You and have treated us to one last single ahead of time. ‘All Towers Drawn in the Equatorial Room’ is a savage, uncomfortable listen careening between post-hardcore, screamo and flecks of post rock, with a guest feature from Wounded Touch‘s Nick Holland. Of the song, KZ Staska commented: “This is one of the bleakest songs I think I’ve ever written. I wrote an early version of these lyrics stream of consciousness style at the onset of a severe depressive episode,” and it shows with harrowing lines like ‘I would bash my skull against a brick wall if you told me happiness might leak out.’ – Will Marshall
Going Off – Pay the Price / Bed of Concrete
Going Off release another right, left combo of brutal hardcore with double single ‘Paying The Price/Bed Of Concrete’. The lyrical content of both as real and direct as the style in which it is presented which feels like the filth on the bottom of your battered Converse. The former addresses the daily horrors women face at the hands of predatory men and attempting to give women the confidence that men will listen when they speak out. The latter highlights the ongoing crisis of homelessness and how not enough is currently done. The final knockout line ‘what will it take to make a fucking plan of action?’ sums up these tracks and their vital topics well. We all hope that bands like Going Off continue to make an impact and change through their music and message. – Adam Vallely
High Regard – Surrounding
Pop rock trio High Regard have released another new single in the form of ‘Surrounding’, a melodically infectious and soaring singalong. The band have wasted no time in 2023 having already released singles ‘Life Sentence’, a highly energetic banger and ‘Dead To Me’ featuring Charlie Rolfe of As Everything Unfolds. ‘Surrounding’ is a straight up anthem with pulsing rhythms and a bolshy and euphoric chorus chock full of catchy hooks and lively headbanging moments. Cutting riffs and hard hitting drums strike well in the mix but as ever the highlight lies in vocalist Georgia Casey’s vocal delivery, one that sees her confidently soar and weave together a performance on this track that is remarkable. The band’s ability to mix these elements and continue to show off a high level of proficiency and experimentation in their genre shines through here and it has paid off. High Regard will celebrate the release of their EP Subside with a string of dates alongside Holyfield at the start of November including their own EP release show in Luton on November 3rd. – Jac Holloway
Jo Quail – Macha (Feat. Maria Franz)
Taken from the award winning composer’s upcoming double album Invocation / Supplication and featuring Maria Franz of Heilung, ‘Macha’ is an awe-inspiring soundscape as stunning and intimating as the nordic peaks it visualises. The track may merely be only one part of a sweeping three piece movement, but truly, the track as a stand-alone piece towers unsupported on it’s own accord. With the vocals of Franz being just one of the countless textures within this track as opposed to a driving force, the track is a post-rock orientated panorama that harkens the scope of Heilung and their peers whilst still being the unmistakable work of Quail’s unique approach to the genre. Invocation / Supplication is released November 3rd via Norse Music, and whilst there may be some extraordinary post rock and neofolk this year, this record may prove to usurp them with elegance. – Dan Hillier
Xoth – Sporecraft Zero
More mind-bending cacophonic sci-fi black metal is never a bad thing. As if to answer the call, Xoth have revealed their new single from upcoming album Exogalactic. ‘Sporecraft Zero’ begins life with a maddening xenos guitar lead, the shrill brainbug boring its way into your mind before shredding it with heavy metal inspired riffs and screamed vocals. It’s like a Mercyful Fate track on some sort of extraterrestrial steroids, with a healthy dose of melodeath dramatics thrown into the mix for good measure. The assault doesn’t let up for four minutes of relentless fury, this new track is certainly exogalactic in nature and in the size of the punch it packs, hopefully the album keeps this up. – Rob Bown
Sleep Outside – Spider
Jumping into it’s underpinning themes of fear with the haste of any member of the Salticidae family, the latest single from emo alt-rockers Sleep Outside is a side-winding belter that mirrors the unpredictable and started nature of a mind riddled with anxiety. Taken from the band’s upcoming EP Lakes In Which To Drown In – released November 1st via Best Life Records – ‘Spider’ see’s Sleep Outside matching the intensity of racing mind whilst still retaining their anthemic nature and snaring pop-orientated hooks. In age where fear and anxiety are rampant, not only is ‘Spider’ validation that battles with ones’ own combative mind are normal, it’s also a great and reliable comfort when one requires it. – Dan Hillier
Jaguar Throne – Chrome Goddess
So called ‘supergroups’ often have a tendency to be a bit, well, half-cooked. After all, some tend to be destined to be abandoned; mere part time projects whipped up during downtime. ‘Chrome Goddess’ proves that Jaguar Throne will not meet this fate. Featuring members of Bossk, Lakes, Gold Key and Cognizance, the prog-metal group have thrown their collective all into this debut single, presenting a sense of versatility and determination not seen most side projects. Those with a love for acts such as Black Peaks, Vola and Bad Sign will find plenty to fawn over here, and with a full length already on the cards, Jaguar Throne are set to forge a name for themselves within the prog metal annuals of the UK. – Dan Hillier
Vnder A Crvmbling Moon – The Chasm
‘The Chasm’ was originally intended for release on Vnder the Crvmbling Moon‘s debut offering Chapter I: Oblivion but Taylor thought it made the alum too long. It is a meaty 10 minutes in length and much more doom inspired than some of the work on the album, so it got its own release as a bonus track. The doom influence is writ large across the whole track, from the plodding, sizzling chord introduction, to the slurping, phasing bass work and Gregorian inspired chants backed up by whispers in the darkness sat just below the instrumentation. There’s even time for a black metal inspired break with blast beats and yet more sludge to bite into. Vnder a Crvmbling Moon just can’t miss at the moment, and apparently album number 2 is already in the works. – Rob Bown
Remonitions – Clout Chaser (feat. Travis Worland)
The southern region of California has been putting out nothing but absolutely crushing metal for decades now. From bands like Sunami and Spite all the way back to bands such as Slayer and Metallica. The list can goes on. Joining the ranks is Reminitions who has just put out possibly the hottest collaboration piece of their career so far. ‘Clout Chaser’ is everything fans expected and more, guaranteed to pull in a plethora of new fans, proving Reminitions wasn’t messing around with this 3.5 minute beating. Piquing interest even more is the addition of Travis Worland of Enterprise Earth. Filled to the brim with beatdown inspiration Traitors and Spite fans will salivate over, to call it malicious would be a gross understatement of this hate-filled slab of noise. – Nathaniel Maure
Filth – Chin Check
With production, engineering, mix, and mastering all done by talented producer/sound engineer Greg Hinck over at Chop Harder Studios; Shelby, NC’s own Filth didn’t come to play this time around. Recruiting the best in the business to bring this track to life, to say videographer Toddi Babu makes their presence known is an understatement. Complimenting the track beautifully with an amazing new music video; Chin Check is not only a “-core” fans audio treat but visual as well. When it comes to the music itself, Filth brings forth a track that spews ignorance while instrumentally delivers a song that any deathcore, metalcore, or beatdown fan can get along to. Vocalist Dustin Jamal Mitchell lets the people know they mean more than business the way they spit their final verse out before closing on a heavy finish. The “#guttergang” has never sounded better than they do on ‘Chin Check’. – Nathaniel Maure
Loveletter – Slow Death
South Wales newcomers Loveletter have released their debut single ‘Slow Death’, a punishing and ferocious track full to the brim of downtuned guitars, earth-shattering breakdowns and blistering vocals. The band is made up of members of bands that the local Welsh scene may know well, including Glass Heart, When We Were Wolves, Captors and Set To Break. The song’s nasty snarl comes with a bleak outlook on life lyrically, outlining the way that people will be consumed by societal expectations and norms and that feelings of being overwhelmed and consumed by your own mental health are locked away in your own mind. The line “Life is more than just a slow death” summarises this narrative and the feeling of hopelessness bleeds through thematically and musically. The closing line of the song “I feel like I want to die” precedes an outro breakdown that will take your head clean off if you aren’t paying attention. With a handful of shows under their belts and this being our first taste of Loveletter on record its safe to say the future is heavy. Loveletter will be supporting Vexed this Thursday on their headline in Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff. – Jac Holloway
Darlah – Trials
Darlah have released their 4th single ‘Trials’ off their upcoming EP Human Nature. The band have been prolific in the run up to the EP release since their debut single ‘Sequel’ was dropped in May of this year. Previous single ‘Landslide’ featured Charlie Rolfe of As Everything Unfolds and was an instant hit. To date, Darlah have impressively showcased their ability to write refreshing yet familiar music, a fresh take on metalcore and post hardcore that pays homage to the inspiration that paved its way. Darlah have already shown they can write heavy downtuned riffs, hit with soaring melody and lean into a heavier sound sonically but ‘Trials’ shows off a brilliant mix of all the above. It features fun bouncy verse sections, a snarling and riffy bridge and a singalong chorus to boot. ‘Trials’ very much feels like a highlights reel of what we have heard thus far for a band that are wasting no time letting the world know they are here to make a statement. – Jac Holloway