Well, here we are: the end of summer. Sort of. But we’re not sad - how could we be, when we’re about to hit an insanely stacked autumn season of tours and releases?
First up, the winner of last week’s vote - Irist have made a stellar comeback after the momentum behind their brilliant debut Order Of The Mind was derailed by the pandemic, and their song Heal beating out sizable vote-counts from Clutch and Arch Enemy. Special shout out to hardcore bruisers UnityTX though - their track Burnout also made an admirable run for a podium position.
This week we’ve got another stack of heavy hitters for your listening pleasure - Parkway Drive, Machine Head, Enslaved… that’s a bill that could get anyone salivating. We’ve searched far and wide to bring you everything from Swiss progressive extreme metal to Nairobi hardcore punk, bringing together newcomers and seasoned heroes alike. As ever, don’t forget to cast your vote!
Parkway Drive - Darker Still
Over their past couple of albums, Parkway Drive perfected the art of fist pumping ultra-massive metal anthems, but with Darker Still the band take a headlong dive into Black Album ballad territory. Underpinned by strings, the title track is an epic in every sense of the word, clocking in at just under seven minutes and building to a breakout moment of guitar hero grandstanding.
Machine Head - No Gods, No Masters
Taken from Machine Head’s just-relesed tenth studio album Of Kingdom and Crown, No Gods, No Masters sees Robb Flynn and his not-so-merry band of metal-slinging miscreants on epic, anthemic form. With grinding grooves and massive vocal hooks, No Gods, No Masters is a fist-pumping reminder that Machine Head didn’t become so beloved in our world without reason, crafting a tune which begs to be heard in massive venues.
Devin Townsend - Moonpeople
It’s a fool’s game trying to predict exactly what shape a new Devin Townsend single will take, heavy Devy having done everything from apocalyptic extreme metal walls of noise to gentle ambient melodies. Moonpeople isn’t as bombastic as you might expect for the first single from Devin’s upcoming album, but the song explores Devy’s melodic sensibilities with some chugging riffs that suggest the heft isn’t too far away.
Enslaved - Kingdom
Few bands are able to consistently expand their sound and challenge their audiences like Enslaved, so it should come as no surprise that Kingdom is a wonderful mindfuck that takes their prog/black metal fusion to bold new realms. Explosive black metal passages are intercut with widdling guitar god solos and shrill synth straight out of a Yes album, only for the song to burst into some of the most epic black metal you’re likely to hear this year. No word on a new album yet, but if it’s like this you can colour us very excited.
The Pretty Reckless – Got So High (Remix)
The Pretty Reckless launch their new odds-and-sods album Pther Worlds with this blissful remix of a this ballad of hedonistic regret that originally appeared on 2021’s Death By Rock’N’Roll. Wrapping Taylor Momsen’s disconnected vocals in billowing, trip-hop-adjacent electronics without every losing sight of its rock roots, it’s the perfect comedown after a night when you can’t quite remember what you did.
Botch - One Twenty Two
Returning 20 years after their demise, Botch’s One Twenty Two is the metalcore/mathcore pioneers’ first single since 1999. At just two minutes 16 seconds, it’s a fist-pumping demonstration of classic metalcore sensibilities along the lines of fellow genre influencers Cave In, raging and anthemic in equal measure.
Dead Cross - Heart Reformer
Sloppy, snotty and aggro as hell, Heart Reformer pins Dead Cross’s love for hardcore punk firmly to its sleeve. Granted, the song also has weird alt freakout moments (this is a Mike Patton project after all), but otherwise Heart Reformer is exactly what you’d hope for when it comes to Mike Patton and Dave Lombardo fucking about on a punk framework. Probably best to avoid the video if the idea of going to the dentist scares the hell out of you, mind.
Kassogtha - Eclipse
Back with more cosmic minded riffs and gravity defying melodies, Kassogtha’s Eclipse showcases more of the ambitious prog extremity we heard on previous single Venom. Taken from the band’s upcoming record rEVOLVE (no release date set as yet), Eclipse is an exciting Gojira-style statement of artistic ambition from a fascinating newcomer.
Crystal Axis - Black AF
Hailing from Nairobi, Crystal Axis’ fury at racism, colonialism and police oppression is palpable on the incendiary Black AF. Dedicated to telling African stories from an African perspective, the track is built around an addictive yet venomous hook that calls back to punk’s political roots and the sheer fury of early hardcore.
Orbit Culture - Vultures Of North
After storming the stage at both the inaugural Pulse Of The Maggots event and Bloodstock, Orbit Culture have marked themselves out as a band with enormous potential. Taken from the band’s upcoming record Descent (expected in 2023), Vultures Of North doubles down on the heaviness while still delivering an arena-sized anthem, perfect for getting crowds roaring along.
