Just when you thought summer was over, it returns with a sweaty, clammy vengeance. Still, the autumnal release schedule is well underway as we hit the last stretch of releases before the inevitable yearly round-ups (so much closer than you'd think!) and that means more brilliant new music to feast your ears upon.
But first: the results of last week's vote! There was a wide spread of styles and subgenres on offer last week and the return of deathcore heroes Job For A Cowboy netted them a comfortable third place position, while alt-metal troupe Cellar Twins took second place. But it was fist-flinging anthem The Shameful by Amongst Liars that took top spot, proving yet again that it's anyone's game when it comes to the fan vote.
This week we've got a strong line-up of emergent talent as the likes of Wargasm, Vended and Green Lung show why they're so hotly tipped, while Volbeat's Michael Poulsen is at it again with another delightful blast of old-school death metal with Asinhell. As ever, we need you to tell us which song excites you most, so don't forget to cast your vote below!
Wargasm - Bang Ya Head (ft. Fred Durst)
Having supported Limp Bizkit on both sides of the Atlantic, Wargasm have drafted in Fred Durst on raging new single Bang Ya Head. Propulsive electro-laced rave metal, Durst fits in perfectly with Wargasm’s nu metal-inspired sound, and the song is an absolute rager, making use of massive riffs that go off like landmines, showing just why Wargasm have been so hyped the past few years.
Vended - Am I The Only One
With just a few weeks to go before they support Bullet For My Valentine on a massive US tour, Vended’s new single Am I The Only One is a fine addition to the arsenal of anthems the band have been gathering since the release of 2021’s What Is It//Kill It EP. Still no word on when we’ll be getting a full album from the group, but judging from the sheer ferocity of this new track - and it’s impressive capacity for roar-along hooks - the wait will be worth it when Vended finally do announce a debut album.
Green Lung - Maxine (Witch Queen)
“Why was I so drawn to this world of esoteric mystery?” Esoteric certainly, but there’s no mystery why fans love Green Lung so much, the band’s slick, fun take on doomy stoner rock offering a fresh perspective on the genre. Maxine (Witch Queen) feels delightfully playful, its retro keyboards chucking up shades of 70s rock by way of Ghost - and if there’s any justice, Green Lung should experience the same success as everyone’s favourite Satanic Swedes.
Asinhell - Desert Of Doom
Volbeat’s Michael Poulsen trying his hard at Entombed style rampaging death metal has no business being this bloody brilliant. Taken from the band’s upcoming debut Impii Hora - due September 29 - Desert Of Doom is teeth-gnashing Scandi-style death metal with riffs for days, paying tribute to the bands that Poulsen so clearly loves while still capturing the magic of 90s death metal.
Gama Bomb - Speed Funeral
Over 20 years since they formed, Gama Bomb can hardly be considered the new wave of thrash these days. But even with the decades piling up, their brand of super-fun, oft goofy, full speed or nothin’ remains potent and true, and with Speed Funeral the band announce their eighth studio album Bats will be with us on November 10. As for the song itself, it’s every bit as wild and wacky as anything Gama Bomb have ever put out, the video concerning the funeral of beloved mascot Snowy The Gamabominable Snowman, Hawaiian shirts and a metric tonne of booze. What more could you need?
ONI - Aura (ft. Howard Jones)
Having made the shift from prog to metalcore in more recent years, ONI are going all-out on the early 2000s branch of the genre with new single Aura. Teaming up with Light The Torch vocalist Howard Jones, the single evokes the same kind of propulsive, soulful roar-along energy of End Of Heartache, albeit delivered with ONI’s own unique sense of melody and riffing.
Hyena Kill - Piece Of Hell
Some days only an almighty fucking racket will do, and thankfully Hyena Kill have that in spades on new single Piece Of Hell. Brain-rattling blasts give way to a massive chorus and wild guitar solos as the song builds out, the alt metal heavy hitters signposting very exciting things to come when their next album arrives.
Mother Vulture - Go Big Or Go Home
Mother Vulture’s latest single certainly lives up to its name, Go Big Or Go Home riding on swinging juggernaut riffs and swivel-eyed mania as the band evoke the buzz of a sweaty basement practically dripping in rock’n’roll. Set for a massive UK tour at the end of the month and through October, we’d say this is the best possible advert you could have for Mother Vulture’s shit-kicking brand of blues-punk noise.
Going Off - Crossroads
If you like your hardcore dripping in menace and murderous intent, you’ll want to check out the filthy low-end of Going Off’s new single Crossroads. Getting progressively slower and heavier, the tracks seems to collapse in on itself before the end, all churned guts and snarled vocals in a in-and-out one-minute package. UK tours with Tokky Horror and Employed To Serve through October are well worth checking out if you’re itching for sweaty, brutal intensity.
Icantdie - Teaser
Tight, groovy riffs meet explosive, fist-flying hardcore on Icantdie’s new single Teaser, coming on like a head-on collision between Korn and Dillinger Escape Plan. If that’s not enough to excite you - and it really should be - Teaser also has hefty riffs that drop like ten-tonne weights, utterly crushing to behold. With an EP - Errors - due November 17 - we reckon this is a band well worth keeping eyes on.
