Is it just us, or did winter suddenly appear out of nowhere? Never mind, we've got a heap of brilliant new metal songs to warm your bodies (and souls) this week, as we get a smattering of late-addition spooky offerings from Avenged Sevenfold and Motionless In White, as well as all-new tracks from Ville Valo, Suicide Silence and August Burns Red.
But first, the results of last week's vote! Newcomers Conquer Divide enjoyed an admirable showing in the polls, only narrowly losing out to Scandi-metal madmen Avatar. But it was guitar goddess Nita Strauss who took the crown, her team-up with Arch Enemy's Alissa White-Gluz proving an irresistable slice of melodeath via 80s guitar god skills.
As ever, this week we've scoured the heights and depths of the rock, metal and punk world to find you the very best music around. We've got some primo nu metal rage from Vended, a triumphant new single from Indonesian newcomers Voice Of Baceprot and even A-listers Avenged Sevenfold got in on the action with a cover of Misfits classic Last Caress. It's a diverse spread, and as ever you'll find our vote below so don't forget to pick your favourite!
VV - The Foreverlost
Ville Valo is truly back to his best with VV, his post-HIM project returning him to the realms of gothic romance and shadowy pop sensibilities. With debut album Neon Noir just a couple of months away, The Foreverlost is all about scratching the itch of 80s goth-pop brilliance, a Flashdance for baby bats and those who want to get swept up in danceablet melodies but also want to indulge in the seducive darkness of Sisters Of Mercy and The Mission.
Avenged Sevenfold - Last Caress
T’is the season for spooky covers, Avenged Sevenfold storming back just in time for Halloween with a cover of Misfits’ classic Last Caress. The O.C. heavyweights play things surprisingly straight, going for a faithful and chunky sounding rendition of the classic tune that balances the heft brought to it by Metallica’s cover rendition and the melodious underside of the Misfits original.
Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes - Parasite
Anyone else getting the feeling that a new Frank Carter And The Rattlesnakes album is due soon? Coming just two weeks after The Drugs, Parasite is another taste of fresh material from the punk hero, a jaunty and deceptively venomous slice of bouncy indie-punk with massive sing-alongs built into its very DNA. Exactly the kind of tune you want when you're headlining massive venues like Brixton Academy and events like the Download Pilot.
Vended - Overall
Someone has clearly been stocking up on the nu metal buffet when it comes to Overall, Vended’s new single mixing everything from Korn and Slipknot (duh) to Sepultura and Mudvayne in a sub-four-minute rager. For all those touchpoints, Vended keep a sense of individual identity that makes Overall feel fresh and exciting rather than a tired rehash. If Power Trip can do it for thrash, why shouldn’t Vended do the same for nu metal?
August Burns Red - Ancestry (feat. Jesse Leach)
Now approaching their 20th anniversary as a band, August Burns Red are still finding fresh ways to strike metalcore gold. Drafting in Killswitch Engage vocalist Jesse Leach, August Burns Red go for broke with a full-throttle metalcore anthem on Ancestry, the first single from the band’s upcoming 10th record. Leach and ABR vocalist Jake Luhrs are perfectly matched as they trade-off of snarls and impassioned cleans, Ancestry tapping into the emotional intensity that made early 00s metalcore so vital in the first place.
Suicide Silence - Capable Of Violence (N.F.W)
Suicide Silence are all-too aware of the criticisms levelled at their band, their experimental 2017 self-titled record getting a (some would say entirely unfair) panning. After righting the ship back to gruesome deathcore on 2020’s Become The Hunter, the band are coming out swinging with their latest slate of singles, Capable Of Violence (N.F.W.) even opening with a supercut of criticisms of the one-time deathcore heroes. But does it stack up? Hell fucking yes it does, a crushing, seething beast that connects their deathcore foundation to more anthemic territories, complete with a gore-filled music video. Now that’s what we call a clapback.
Motionless In White - Werewolf
Yeah, we can’t hear that synth without hearing Gorillaz’ Stylo either. It doesn’t detract from the uber-sleek excellence of Motionless In White’s latest single Werewolf, mind, which naturally the band held onto until Halloween for maximum spooky points. Leaning on the poppier sides of Motionless In White’s sound, Werewolf is all about insidious hooks and danceable beats, bringing in massive Thriller vibes with its video.
Voice Of Baceprot - PMS
Short for 'perempuan merdeka seutuhnya' (which translates as “independent free woman”), PMS is a taste of new studio material from Indonesian Voice Of Baceprot. Triumphant and joyous, the single is a celebration of women who are breaking boundaries and partially based on the band’s own experiences in moving beyond life in rural Indonesia. With nimble-fingered basslines and bounding riffs, PMS is a rallying cry from an exciting new force in the metal world.
Waterlines - The Halo Around The Horns
Formerly known as Sertraline, The Halo Around The Horns marks the start of a new era, Sertraline rebranding into Waterlines. Tackling the ears with the same technical wizardry and brutal proficiency they had in their former guise, The Halo Around The Horns is an ambitious and anthemic opening shot from the British prog metal group.
Otherwise - A New Way To Hate
If you’re in the mood for a hard-hitting, massive sounding metal anthem, Otherwise have you covered. New single A New Way To Hate balances infectious pop hooks and massive riffing in a super-slick three minute (and change) banger. With new album Gawdzillionaire set for a March 10 release next year, we can only hope we’ll get more tunes like this in due course.
