We've scoured the airwaves and combed through heaps of submissions to find eight new tunes to wrap your ears around this week. Which one's the best? That's up to you. Check out our selection below, then vote for your favourite using the poll at the foot of this page. The winner will be confirmed next Monday.
But first let’s take a look at how last week’s candidates fared. Alter Bridge secured a comfortable victory with Godspeed, followed by Welsh rockers Sonny Jim in second place and Gary Moore just behind in third.
Congratulations, then, to Alter Bridge! This is the song that swung it for them.
Ricochets - Bad Behaviour
Ricochets kick off this week’s list with their first single in 15 years. Depending on how clued-in you are to the Norwegian rock scene this may or may not be news to you, but either way we can confidently say the gap appears to have served them well. Bad Behaviour is an upbeat, slightly Afghan Whigs-y mesh of pounding keys, enveloping guitars and an urgent lead vocal. Clearly taking a step back really can help.
Tomorrow Is Lost - Wildchild
A galloping, biting addition to the new wave of rock’n’roll from Newcastle Upon Tyne, this headbanger is propelled by strident vocals, bracing modern rock melody (with a whisper of symphonic metal), and the kind of furious guitars that’d saw through your face given half the chance. Like it? Check out this and more on their debut LP Therapy, which is out on March 13.
Bluhauz - Purify My Soul
His name might sound vaguely Germanic, but the former Stone Giant singer/guitarist is a Berklee graduate currently based in Miami, and Purify My Soul is all ‘Murca (with a healthy side of British classic rock) – think dirty but decadent slabs of blues rock riffage, boot-stomping delta swagger and a cocksure voice that can’t quite decide whether it wants to be in Led Zeppelin or Aerosmith. There are worse conundrums, to be fair.
H.e.a.t - Dangerous Ground
The melodic rock Swedes have been on something of a winning streak lately, drip-feeding tasters of their follow-up to 2017’s excellent Into The Unknown. Now they come bearing something so gleefully in thrall to 1986 it could go head to head with The Final Countdown and Top Gun (for godssake they actually sing ‘heading for the danger zone’...). As with all their best tracks, though, there’s still enough snarl and sharpness to stop them sliding into tribute territory. We can't help loving it.
Mother Vulture - Tell Me
Buzzy, noisy but oomphy sounds from South West rockers Mother Vulture now. If the blues had a baby with punk – and then hung out with the Hives and Wolfmother at their most caffeinated – it would have sounded like this. Keep your eyes peeled for the full debut album in Spring.
Anchor Lane - Dead Run
There's an aromatic whiff of Pennsylvania rockers Crobot in this latest tune from Brit rockers Anchor Lane; currently riding high on their just-released debut Casino. A grungy, classy fist-raiser with gnarly verses and a palate-balancing chorus that invites singalongs. Plus when you’ve got Ricky Warwick popping by to lay down some backing vocals, you know you’re doing something right.
The Rocket Dolls - The Grip
Metallic grooviness with flashes of the Foo Fighters? Check. Spiky verse chops that call to mind Marilyn Manson's The Beautiful People? Check. Tasty gear-change in the bridge? Check. Brighton trio The Rocket Dolls flit between various heavy music camps, but they make it look easy; in a manner that should keep old-school heavy grungers and younger metal heads alike happy. Having a load of fire in your video is no bad thing either.
Collateral - Merry Go Round
To finish, check out the latest single from NWOCR rising stars Collateral – a gleaming Chevy-full of Bon Jovi brushstrokes, big guitars and L'Oréal hair flicks. All slickly executed with gusto. Will it win any prizes for lyrical ingenuity? No. Does it really matter? No. Find more on their self-titled album, out on February 21.
