Single Slam: Combichrist, Spoiler, Death Cult Electric, Naga Siren, Grayscale Season, Cradle of Filth, Black Stains, Acid Blood, Porta Magna, Taylor McCluskey, The Lurking Fear, Common Choir and Wildheart!

This week’s single slam features Combichrist, Spoiler, Death Cult Electric, Naga Siren, Grayscale Season, Cradle of Filth, Black Stains, Acid Blood, Porta Magna, Taylor McCluskey, The Lurking Fear, Common Choir and Wildheart. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Combichrist – Compliance

Combichrist are back and unveil their second new single ‘Compliance’, which follows their single ‘Not My Enemy’, the first new music released since their 2019 album, One Fire.

Industrial aggression, twisted and anthemic electronica… Combichrist should need no introduction and Compliance continues their dark and hypnotic ways. A track that makes you feel a bit grubby but also wants to make you move in a sleazy and sexy way. It’s not quite as anthemic as some of their other music but its still pretty damn catchy. Just expect a darker and more hollowing listen.

Spoiler – The Nihilist

Not every story has a happy ending, and life can be brutal, but sometimes just venting the anger within can be your catharsis.

The vicious blend of nu-metal, laden with influential nuances of metalcore, hardcore, beatdown & deathcore that is Spoiler have released a brand-new single called The Nihilist.

Inspired by the story of estrangement that guitarist Chris Blake has endured. As he explains:

Anyone that has found themselves having fallen out with a family member, loved one or even a friend which has resulted in an indefinite separation will be able to relate to the sadness and weight that comes with that.

We hope this song enables a release for someone else going through difficulties in their lives.

The meaning behind this track is important but it shouldn’t overlook just how much a beast it is too. Spoiler are reaching into dark places and expunging demons in their inimitable aggressive way. Although this track has a brief moment of serene clean singing, it is the Essex 5-piece delivering savage sounding deathcore for the most part. Nasty and vicious. Check it out here.

Death Cult Electric – Snakes and Their Children

Welsh noise-rock supergroup Death Cult Electric have released their latest single ‘Snakes And Their Children’ via Black Maraca Records.

Frontman Steffan Pringle says:

‘Snakes And Their Children’ is a bouncy feel good pop number celebrating the endless lineage of transparently incompetent overlords who remind us of our position in a crumbling society. Our music is about forgetting everything you’ve known before and moving forward.

Spasming groove, fuzzed up noise and an underlying poppiness that gives it some serious bounce, Snakes and Their Children is disgustingly catchy. A grand combination of dirty rock and commercial beats, the infectious quality of this track will keep you coming back time and time again. It’s weird, but aren’t all the best things? Check them out here.

Naga Siren – Carry On

Naga Siren, are a hardcore band from Oslo, Norway who have released their new single ‘Carry On’.

In the bands own words:

Carry on was written on a dark day back in 2017. The band was currently recording their first EP, when the engineer suddenly got a message from his pregnant wife… They had a miscarriage. The song is a vague description of the look in his eyes when he told the band what had happened, and the words “we have to carry on” coming out of his mouth floored all of us. The impact that had on us is the biggest reason the song was never recorded until now.

A blast of hardcore, punk and screamo… Naga Siren deliver an explosive track here. Where surprisingly catchy riffing meets barbed vocals dialled up to sound like the band are right up in your face. A more mellowing chorus adds a tighter, modern edge to a wild and uncouth track that has a ton of impact. Incredibly memorable stuff. Check it out here.

Grayscale Season – Human Resources

Grayscale Season have released their latest single ‘Human Resources’ through their Los Angeles based label: We Are Triumphant.

Vocalist Eddie Lejhagen explains:

Human Resources explores the nature of being a cog in the machine, to be believed you are made sick and that standing in line is the only course of action to survive in this world.

A track that has stompy groove layered through its ‘in your face’ aggressive stance. The serrated riffs tear through flesh, the drums are bone-breaking and the vocals spit such malice. The pointed lyrical content is a rallying call to get angry and not stand idly by. Get in the pit, Grayscale Season have the track here to get the blood pumping furiously. Check it out here.

Cradle of Filth – Necromantic Fantasies

After shaking the world to its foundation with the announcement of their 13th manifesto, Existence Is Futile, that will see the light of the day on October 22nd – Cradle Of Filth gather again to bring their next sacrifice to the devilish forces of Dark Metal: today, the band reveals the second single off their new album – Necromantic Fantasies.

Oozing symphonic gothic vibes, there’s a classic Cradle of Filth touch to this one. The ethereal backing vocals, the heavy metal riffing, a characteristic solo and of course, Dani Filth sounding as possessed as ever. Age only seems to only strengthen Cradle of Filth and this track is further proof of that.

Black Stains – Sick

Alternative metal band Black Stains from Hamburg in Germany have released a brand-new single called ‘Sick’.

The instantaneous hit of guitars and drums at the start might have you thin the track is going on way but almost immediately, Black Stains change it up and we get something with moody energy and punchy rhythm. A surprisingly catchy number with a a chorus that will get a room pull of metalheads bouncing up and down. Check it out here.

Acid Blood – Tombstone World

Swedish punk band Acid Blood have a brand-new video out for the song ‘Tombstone World’. The track was taken from the debut album ‘Acid Blood’ and it is the 8th video released from the album.

The brilliant raw punk energy of Tombstone World is one of the most infectious tracks Acid Blood have so it’s great to see it get some love with a video. The sharpness of the instrumentation is one thing but the vocals are particularly scathing sounding here. A little bit scummy, very grubby and a very energising.

Porta Magna – Cult of the Flesh

Hailing from Angola, blackened old school death metal unit Porta Magna have unleashed their fierce new single Cult of the Flesh via South Africa’s Mongrel Records.

A grim listen. Porta Magna go down into the depths to deal with the devil himself. Their reward being a filthy blackened death metal sound that has an old-school vibe without sounding dated. You can tell this is a modern band doing this, all while they systematically try to twist your head off. Check it out here.

Taylor McCluskey – Bulletproof (Live)

Alternative rock artist Taylor McCluskey has been on a roll over the last year, churning out anthemic rock singles each month to his rabidly growing fanbase. Now, he’s back to satiate his audience with the earnest rock single “Bulletproof” (Live).

Commenting on the single, Taylor McCluskey states:

‘Bulletproof’ (Live) was needed to be played “live” with my bandmates here in Montreal at Studio Madame Wood. The lockdown was hard for us. However, we are all supercharged when we lock into a new and or past track. We give it everything we have and start the “levitating process” that the gift of music gives you. I can’t wait to tour these new 20 songs we have in the pipeline. The energy I receive from my bandmates is incredible. I am so happy we have an extremely talented photographer and videographer, Teresa St-Marie. It allows us to connect with the audience with a live stream experience and on social media.

Impervious to assault, damage, or failure; guaranteed.

What a lovely song this is. The mellow rhythm is pensive, the sweet vocals of McCluskey hits the right spot and lyrically, it’s very uplifting. With just the right amount of energy to avoid being a ballad, the rock stylings of this one seems perfect made for radio play but that’s not a bad thing. Reach for the stars even though ‘live’ aspect really grounds it in reality. Check it out here.

The Lurking Fear – Cosmic Macabre

The Lurking Fear, the old-school Death Metal group from Sweden featuring members of At The Gates, Disfear, God Macabre, Skitsystem, Tormented and The Haunted in their illustrious line-up, finally return with their anxiously awaited sophomore album, “Death, Madness, Horror, Decay”, to be released worldwide on November 19th, 2021 via Century Media Records.

The first single, ‘Cosmic Macabre’ for The Lurking Fear’s upcoming album has been released today.

Vocalist Tomas Lindberg Redant commented about the track as follows:

Cosmic Macabre was one of the first tracks to be finalized for the new album. It is an old school Swedish death metal scorcher, but has some more quirky stuff thrown in for good measure. The lyrics deal with what lurks beyond the limits of the human comprehension. We felt it was a good first representation of the album as it contains a lot of the different elements of the record in one song. Let the primal darkness tear you apart!

As nonsense as it comes, this blast of old-school death metal pulls no punches and makes no apologies for backward thinking it is. It is old-school death in every way possible and for a couple of minutes, The Lurking Fear beat you over the head with serrated riffs, crunchy percussion and desperately strained vocals.

Common Choir – Deformed//Devoid

Common Choir is a metalcore band from Minneapolis, Minnesota focused on creating intense, energetic music that all listeners can connect with. Deformed//Devoid is their latest single.

A blistering burst of modern metalcore that has a frantic and frenzied pace making it more wild than energetic. Even the clean singing and more melodic guitars that crop up in the chorus have a hectic quality about them. Though it’s all about losing your shit and head-banging yourself into a stupor for the most part. Check it out here.

Wildheart – ‘Show Me What It’s Like to Be Worthless

South-East Queensland-based hardcore act Wildheart have revealed that their debut album, Global Crisis will be released on the 5th of November 2021. At the same time as announcing that, they dropped a new single called ‘Show Me What It’s Like to Be Worthless’.

The band says that:

The new single is one of the more melodic songs we have written and is probably one of the darkest taken from the upcoming album. There has been an insane amount of uncertainty over the past few years with everything that has happened both locally and internationally – and we wanted to tap into something lyrically dark, but moving, with this song.

There’s a heartfelt and meaningful nature to this track that has an exposed quality to it. The hardcore never overshadows that and you can feel the darkness that surrounds it. That alone makes it a powerful listen but then you throw in the classy and energetic hardcore groove and you have a banger of a track. Check it out here.