The six best new songs you'll hear all week

Placebo
Placebo

Heatwaves are annoying. Alright sunshine, we get it. You’re excited there’s a few more weeks of summer left. It’s just needy.

So, as that bead of sweat slowly makes its way down your spine and approaches your intergluteal cleft, check out these six new slabs of music to take your mind off it all. Thanks, music.

SUM 41 – War

You probably just thought that Sum 41 were a pop-punk band who were down to just have fun. Well, maybe they were, but their release takes on a far more serious bent, tackling frontman Deryck Whibley’s problems with alcohol addiction. And possibly the fact that his ex Avril Lavigne went on to marry Chad Kroeger after their break-up.

PLACEBO – Jesus’ Son

It’s been 20 years since Placebo released their self-titled debut album, and the band are releasing a retrospective of their career in celebration. As well as all the hits, it contains this new song, the video for which features traditional Sardinian pagan carnival figures wearing bovine masks that are thoroughly terrifying.

HERCULES MORSE – Asleep At The Wheel

How many metal references can you spot in this clever and entertaining video by recent New Band Of The Week stars Hercules Morse? Our favourite is probably ‘Kornflakes’, but don’t let the hunt for puns distract you from this song’s awesome riffs and hummable melodies.

KORN – Insane

Speaking of Korn, here’s a new track taken from the nu-metal pioneers’ forthcoming album, The Serenity Of Suffering. It’s typically raucous and dark that explodes in a frenzy of disturbing noise, and is paired with a appropriately creepy and disturbing video.

MESHUGGAH – Born In Dissonance

What did people do before the lyric video? Because here’s a new track from extreme Swedish metallers Meshuggah. It’s a powerful, slow-moving juggernaut of a track – taken from forthcoming album The Violent Sleep Of Reason – but without the words to go with it, we’d have no idea what vocalist Jens Kidman was on about. Terrifying, end of the world stuff, as it happens. Perfect for this lovely summer weather we’re having, then.

OF MICE & MEN – Real

These California metalcore types have a fan club called Ampersand. This video features members of Of Mice & Men’s fan club holding up their answer to the question ‘What makes you feel real?’ Without giving too much away, their answers turn this track into an uplifting and inspiring anthem. A perfect way to cancel out the doom and gloom of Meshuggah’s new track. Thanks lads!