Friday the 13th October - there's no calendar date more spooky season friendly than that, is there? [yes, alright, 6/6/06 but that was almost 20 years ago now!]. Spooky Season is in full swing this week as we unveiled our massive new Ghost cover for the new issue of Metal Hammer and we got the (brilliant) brand new album from Creeper, Sanguivore.
But we're getting ahead of ourselves - first, the results of last week's vote! Newcomers and reigning metal heroes alike went head-to-head, but ultimately three bands rose above all. Avenged Sevenfold's Pussy Riot collab We Love You Moar took a clear third place, but was itself left in the dust of Lamb Of God's Evidence. Both paled in comparison to LA industrial heroes HEALTH however, whose new single Children Of Sorrow got over triple the votes of its nearest competitor.
It's all to play for again this week, with some massive names back in the running. There's new music from Bring Me The Horizon, Judas Priest and Spiritbox, uncovered gems from Ice Nine Kills and a couple of (excellent) album tasters from Beartooth and Green Lung. As ever, we need you to tell us which songs excite you most, so don't forget to cast your vote below!
Judas Priest - Panic Attack
It’s been a little under a week since Judas Priest announced their new album Invincible Shield will be with us next year and headlined the massive Power Trip festival in the US. Barely leaving the dust to settle, Panic Attack sees the Metal Gods going full-pelt with classic heavy metal; galloping riffs, squealing solos and Halford at his high-pitched best make this an absolute rager for the ages. Raise ‘em high!
Bring Me The Horizon - Darkside
Bring Me The Horizon have been conquering festivals and massive arenas for years now, so it shouldn’t be surprise that they’re still pumping out massive tunes capable of dominating metalheads in their thousands. Though the band have dabbled with stylistic experimentation over the last decade, Darkside feels like the biggest throwback to the band’s Sempiternal-era material, all massive hooks and a riff that demands snapped necks. Plus, we’re not sure if it’s intentional or not, but the refrain ‘don’t give a fuck if my heart stops beating’ feels like it’s riffing right off Papa Roach’s Last Resort - easily one of the 00s biggest metal anthems.
Spiritbox - Cellar Door
How better to celebrate the most spooky date of the most spooky month than with the heaviest, most vicious song Spiritbox have released to date? Cellar Door offers no quarter or melodious breather in it’s grinding, snarling assault, slamming into you like a great white into a seal and leaving just as much devastation in its wake. If you’re expecting another sing-along anthem, you’ll be knocked on your arse.
Beartooth - I Was Alive
Almost a decade on from their debut, Beartooth have never sounded bigger - or more vibrant. Taken from new album The Surface - out today - I Was Alive finds frontman Caleb Shomo celebrating with a chest-beating anthem of positivity that you can only imagine will tear the roof off any venue the band turn up to in future. If you’re having a bad day, stick this one on good and loud.
Ice Nine Kills - Meat & Greet
Did you really think metal’s most horror-loving band would miss the chance to drop a single on Friday the 13th of October? Almost exactly two years since the band released the massive The Silver Scream 2: Welcome To Horrorwood, the band have announced a new ‘Under Fire’ deluxe edition with brand new single Meat & Greet. By this point almost everyone is familiar with the band’s brand of horror-themed metalcore, but that doesn’t make Meat & Greet any less brilliant, cheeky lyrical references to Silence Of The Lambs slipped into a vicious, punchy metalcore banger.
Green Lung - One For Sorrow
The hottest band in British doom right now, Green Lung have been indulging their more theatrical, b-movie camp side on recent singles from their upcoming album This Heathen Land, due November 3. One For Sorrow then is a counterbalance to all of that: heart-rending doom with a clear love for the classics, this one should be right up there with the likes of Pallbearer in making doom absolutely massive in the 2020s.
Full Of Hell x Nothing - Spend The Grace
The ultra-aggro grindcore of Full Of Hell meets the emotionally devastating shoegaze of Nothing. Granted, if you saw the bands at the 2022 edition of Roadburn you probably already know they are multi-faceted artists with a surprising amount of crossover, but Spend The Grace is a brutally beautiful showcase of what these artists can do together, taken from the upcoming collab album When No Birds Sang - due December 1 - and delivering the feeling of being dropped into a lake with lead weights around your feet. Gorgeously sublime.
Kill The Lights - Scapegoat
With former members of Bullet For My Valentine and Still Remains in their ranks, it almost goes without saying that there’s a strong whiff of 00s metal to Kill The Lights’ latest single Scapegoat. But then, that’s why it’s so damn great; thrash riffs via an Iron Maiden gallop and showy sensibility, with a hook that could land Bruce the shark - boat size notwithstanding.
END - Thaw
How could you possibly make the incendiary metallic hardcore of END more explosive? By drafting in Debbie Gough of UK rising stars Heriot to add some extra sizzle of course! That’s exactly what END have done with Thaw, an industrialised teeth-gnasher with bone-crunching breakdowns and a complete disregard for sensitive eardrums. Weirdly, even the soft parts of the song get the hackles up.
Moon Tooth - Grimothy
Long Islanders Moon Tooth have always been dab hands at off-kilter riffs and song structures and new single Grimothy is no exception to that. Imagine Mastodon and Dillinger Escape Plan at their most melodic going toe-to-toe and coming up with a riff you can strut, dance and fight to, and you’re halfway to the sheer wacky brilliance of Grimothy, sizzling with unpredictable genius.
The Darkest Moment - Sorrows
It’s a good week for emotive, powerful sing-alongs as Danish post-hardcore troupe The Darkest Moment bring us their latest single Sorrows, taken from their upcoming EP Love & Loss due in January next year. If you’ve been bemoaning the lack of melody in contemporary metal, this one is an absolute must - serene and steadily building before exploding out into a massive chorus that hits like a tidal wave. Drink deep.
South Of Salem - Left For Dead
South Of Salem are only just about to embark on their first headline run of the UK, but already dates are selling out across the country. It’s not hard to see why; Left For Dead is the lead single from the band’s upcoming second album Death Of The Party - due January 19 2024 - and straddles the line between classic heavy metal bombast and contemporary vibes; imagine Judas Priest, The Misfits and Bullet For My Valentine in a blender and you’re partway to how this lot sound, and why they’re so damn interesting.
Kite Thief - Judge Judy & Executioner
UK newcomers Kite Thief already had a wild 2023 with appearances at 2000 Trees and Wildire festivals, but are only just getting started. Coming with the announcement that the band will be touring the UK in February and March next year, new single Judge Judy & Executioner is a lively mesh of thumping riffs and rave-like beats, bound together with a melodic sensibility that suggests this lot could be conquering massive crowds real soon. 2024 is only just round the corner, after all…
