End of July already?! There’s still a few major festivals to go – not least Louder Than Life and Aftershock in the US, while Bloodstock will take place in the UK next week – but it feels like the end of summer is fast approaching. But all that means is an even busier calendar as the Autumn touring cycles kick in, which of course also means a fresh heap of albums to listen to.
Before we get into new music though, the results of last week’s vote! Rising metalcore stars Imminence took third place in the polls, narrowly beating out Kim Dracula and Hatebreed. In second place was Gjallarhorn, the new tune from Amon Amarth, but the overall crown was taken by newcomer Micah Martin, who swept the board with the wild Burn Them All.
It’s all to play for this week as we have metalcore heavyweights like President, Electric Callboy and Miss May I, plus the return of Black Sabbath architect Tony Iommi. Check out our round-up for the best new metal songs below and don’t forget to vote for your favourite in the poll. You can listen to all our previous winners in the playlist below.
Tony Iommi – World Alone
There’s always a cause for celebration when one of heavy metal’s original architects returns with new music. 21 years since his last solo release, Tony Iommi has revealed a new line-up and sound with new single World Alone, taken from the album From The Dark, due October 23. While there’s no mistaking Iommi’s thick guitar tones, the track is surprisingly closer to his Heaven And Hell era than the more traditional Sabbath fare, sharing more DNA with successors like Sabaton or Powerwolf (albeit without the gleeful cheese) than the doom overtones you might expect. Triumphant as you like.
Left To Suffer – Unwelcome Guest
Tight, claustrophobic and oh so satisfying, Left To Suffer’s new single Unwelcome Guest comes with the news the deathcore mob will be releasing an album of the same title on October 9th. Starting out groovy before skittering across to something more feral, the Georgia band do a great job of balancing underground intensity with the genre’s more crisp recent production.
Sigh – Unputenpu (ft. Mikael Akerfeldt)
Even as they close in on 40 years and 14 studio albums, Sigh don’t sound like they’re out of ideas yet. On Unputenpu they switch out wild eyed extreme metal for a decidedly Japanese folk sound. All that said, they’re not exactly going gentle with it – the undulating rhythm is cut with quick flutes and rasped snarls that leave no mystery as to where their bread is buttered, while Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt adds a sublime lead guitar solo. New album Goh-Ka is due September 4.
Wargasm – Get Down
Of the nu metal revival’s brightest stars, Wargasm have done best to drive the sound forward. While there’s still a sense of retro love to new single Get Down – particularly in the EDM elements which get stronger towards the song’s back end – the way Wargasm fuse scenes and sounds remains distinct and vibrant, and if Get Down is a taste of where they might be going next, we’re very excited.
Iridium – Endgame
British metalcore has seriously stepped up over the past decade-and-a-half, the likes of Architects and Bring Me The Horizon breaking into arenas. There’s a clear sense of similar ambition to newcomers Iridium, the London-based band capturing that same sense of cinematic scope on new single Endgame. Freshly signed to Napalm Records, we reckon it’s well worth keeping an eye out for their debut.
Electric Callboy – The Way You Are
The UK has by no means held a monopoly on arena-sized metalcore heavyweights, though. There’s a week to go until current Hammer cover stars Electric Callboy release their new album Tanzneid, and on The Way You Are they dig deep into their inner boy band… for about 70 seconds. Inevitably it’s going to piss off scores of purists, but the switch-up to all-out extremity is an absolute delight, proof that even when they’re not doing a song that’s out-and-out “fun” they’ve got a killer sense of humour.
Sheri Moon Zombie – I Love My Robot
She’s long been the star of her husband’s movies and assorted music videos, but now Sheri Moon Zombie has announced plans to release her own musical project. Debut single I Love My Robot has some of the campy, carnival feel of Rob’s output, but with more of a go-go beat and energy with the simplicity of a group like MC5. Well worth keeping eyes out for, we reckon.
Silvertomb – No Way To Live
Former Type O Negative men Kenny Silver and Johnny Kelly have clearly been busy. Although they launched new band Sun Don’t Shine earlier this year – featuring Crowbar vocalist Kirk Windstein – the pair have also completed a second album for their doom metal project Silvertomb, seven years after the release of their debut. The Interpretation Of Nightmares is due November 13 and lead single No Way To Live evokes some of the anthemic doom of Silver and Kelly’s former band with some added doses of 60s Beatlemania.
Miss May I – Hand Me A Halo
Bucking the trend for softer, more pop-oriented sounds, Miss May I come out gnashing on Hand Me A Halo. New album No Place For Me is out October 2 and the track shows you don’t need to go full boyband to deliver a killer chorus, switching between the more ferocious verses and a big, belt-it-out-so-they-can-hear-you-at-the-back chorus.
Clegane – Sun Decay
Sunshine isn’t always cause for celebration (as the UK’s recent slide into drought conditions proves). French doom metallers Clegane are here to deliver some hard-hitting gloom on Sun Decay however, bounding and crashing with reckless delight. Taken from new album Ocean Of Black Thoughts, due October 2, we suspect this might be as sunny as they get.
President – Dark Heaven
It’s hard to believe it’s only a little over a year since President first played a show. The masked UK group have since gone on to sell out just about every headline gig they’ve put on, and debut album Blood Of Your Empire is out September 4. Dark Heaven sees the band return to the religion-in-crisis themes of In The Name of The Father, producing the kind of powerful, emotive anthem that betrays ambitions to play massive venues going forward. Arenas? We wouldn’t be surprised.
Kid Bookie – H.A.T.E.
Trap metal remains largely underground so far as subgenres go… for the moment. Kid Bookie is stepping up as one of the style’s stars, H.A.T.E. delivering oppressive, bassy tones and snarled, Slipknot-like vocals in a trippy, hackle-raising tune. Taken from new album Cheaper Than Therapy II, out October 9, there’s something undeniably magnetic and charismatic about the vocalist.
(LouderSound)
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