Rivers Of Nihil – ‘Clean’
To say that expectations where lofty for this single would be a significant understatement, but Rivers Of Nihil have completely and utterly surpassed all hopes with this jaw-dropper of a track. The first track to be taken from their freshly announced record The Work, ‘Clean’ is anything but it’s namesake. Potentially up there as one the band’s most frontal offerings to date, this is a visceral showcase of Rivers Of Nihil’s unparalleled take on modern extreme metal, with elements of Between The Buried And Me, Fallujah and The Faceless being boiled down, distilled and then poured into their overflowing cauldron of sound. With the single showing the wide array of uniquely composed textures that play an integral role of the band’s sound, whilst attempting to top Where Owls Know My Name may be herculean effort indeed for the band, this new single shows that Rivers Of Nihil may do it with relative ease.
Cassels – ‘Mr Henderson Coughs’
It feels like entire lifetime has passed since the discordant sibling duo Cassels released their last record The Perfect Ending in the tail end of 2019. But regardless, the malcontent and misanthropic brothers Beck are back with the first taste of their 2022 LP in the form of ‘Mr Henderson Coughs’. As anticipated and hoped, this is a coiled, cynical and deadpan barrage of angular and sinewy noise that perfectly continues the duo’s dynamic and unique take on contemporary punk, with the track narrating a particularly bad day in the life of the titular Mr Henderson. Brimming with tension and bound by the close chemistry of the duo, the track is a fantastic introduction to their next chapter as a band – and if anything else – makes you nervously reminiscence on the all the times you antagonised your GCSE history teacher.
Dooms Children – ‘Psyche Hospital Blues’
The second track courtesy of the solo project from Wade McNeil of Alexisonfire and Gallows fame, ‘Psyche Hospital Blues’ encapsulates the emotional heft and heavy psychedelic tone of Dooms Children. An unflinching and unashamed documentation of Wade’s time in rehab and the pain that led to to that point, the release of the ‘Psyche Hospital Blues’ also coincides with the confirmation of the debut LP from the project. A self-titled endeavour, the record comes following an incredibly turbulent time for McNeil, with half the record being written during a time of darkness and the other half being written whilst the famed Canadian musician was receiving treatment for this issues at a rehabilitation centre. Set to be an intimate and deeply personal release that explores McNeil’s love for psychedelia and his experiences in a time of personal self-destruction, the album Dooms Children is set for release October 20th via Dine Alone Records and set to usher in a new chapter of McNeil’s already illustrious career.
Snake Eyes – ‘Happy Pills’
Like it’s namesake eludes to, the new single from the South Coast grit-pop trio is a serotonin inducing dose of energy. Written out of lockdown boredom and inspired by the double-edged effects of antidepressants, ‘Happy Pills’ is a bouncing and highly strung ode to the welcoming nature of punk that see’s the group channeling their clear grunge and brit-pop influences. With dates with WACO and Gender Roles booked in for this Autumn, Snake Eyes are poised and coiled to lunge out of the pandemic and strike the heart of the UK punk scene before the year is up.
Modern Error – ‘Error Of The World’
Following from their last record Lost In The Noise in 2019, the enigmatic two piece Modern Error have returned with their latest single in the form of ‘Error Of The World’. Releasing via their new home of Rude Records, the sibling duo’s new track is a bold and proud unison of post-rock abrasiveness and composed alt-rock that takes clear and evident inspiration from the cinematic work of composers Kubrick and Aaronofski. Yet, one of the most crystalline aspects of this track and Modern Error as a whole is the fact that is eludes to the band’s commitment to exploring the musical art form as a philosophical vessel. “Conceptually I wanted to to paint the picture of feeling isolated in a world more connected than ever, of where we are always cyberly in close proximity but forgetting the feeling of reality, connection and love”, states frontman Zak on the new material. “We rely on superficial things to feed us something good so quickly that I feel we become addicted to that hit, not thinking and forgetting what living means to each of us individually. We all seem to fall a victim to this way of living, and the song is me coming to terms with this and hoping for change.”
LURK – ‘See-Thru’
Whilst the Chicago punk pact may be a new proposition for many on this side of the great Atlantic, LURK are most likely aren’t going remain a secret for long with material such as this. Taken from their forthcoming debut Around The Sun – which releases September 17th on Pure Noise – ‘See-Thru’ is a loudmouthed and unashamed establishment of their whirlwind sound. Composed of proto-punk nonconformity, slick new-wave swagger and classic hardcore aggression, the track see’s LURK crashing through all three stylistics in a manner that’s unpredictable and volatile, with the track frequently U-turning on itself in terms of tone and mood. With this in mind, Around The Sun is more or less going to be successfully in it’s mission of showcasing the inherent weirdness of punk that many acts within the genre have opted to forgo in their work.
Employed To Serve – ‘Mark Of The Grave’
The second single to be taken from Employed To Serve’s feverishly anticipated new record Conquering, ‘Mark Of The Grave’ see’s the ever-rising metal icons further shedding the negativity and pessimism of their youth in order to offer a track that beams with self-empowerment and positivity. Effervescently displaying the group’s newfound perspective on nurturing the positive aspects of humanity that are often obscured by misery in modern life, ‘Mark Of A Grave’ is a total metallic ear flayer that – much like their last single ‘Exist’ – see’s the band diving headfirst into the dopamine of metal at it’s most unrelating. If this is anything to go by, Conquering is set to be the band’s most accomplished work to date.
All tracks can be found in our essential playlist.