Single Slam: Rammstein, With Heavy Hearts, Rituals, Kombi Killers, Genus Ordinis Dei, Deathbringer, Incisions, The Zenith Passage, Crashdïet, Ithaca, Ninebanks, Terror, Gunash, Demonical, Upon A Burning Body and Clutch!

This week’s single slam features Rammstein, With Heavy Hearts, Rituals, Kombi Killers, Genus Ordinis Dei, Deathbringer, Incisions, The Zenith Passage, Crashdïet, Ithaca, Ninebanks, Terror, Gunash, Demonical, Upon A Burning Body and Clutch! You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Rammstein – Zick Zack

Not quite the April Fools we all thought it was, Rammstein’s rumoured investment in the Zick Zack beauty clinic has turned out to be a brand-new single called, Zick Zack.

The lyrics for Zick Zack, and the video, deal with what is nowadays often a compulsive tendency on the part of the individual towards self-optimisation, sometimes through radical alteration of the visual appearance by use of the scalpel.

Delightfully old-school and a sure-fire radio hit, in their inimitable creative way, Rammstein are on a bit of a high at the moment. With the much-anticipated new album due out at the end of April, Zick Zack is a vintage reminder of the band’s ability to have some fun, poking at societal norms. The content and concept of Zick Zack is not exactly subtle but they’re not exactly a band known for subtly. What we get here is a catchy metal and synth-heavy track that cuts like a surgeon’s scalpel. It needs a couple of listens to real take hold but when it does, it’s very hard to not sing along too.

With Heavy Hearts – Hollow

Melodic death metal from Örebro, Sweden, With Heavy Hearts have released their new single, Hollow.

Straight off the bat, Hollow is a banger. A track that delivers on the promise of hard-hitting and powerful melo-dearth and then some. A brilliant sound, every instrument shines on this release and together, compel the head to bang, the feet to move and the hands to rise up. That best thing about it? The chorus is complete fire and might be one of the most memorable things this band have ever created. Check it out here.

Rituals – Pandemonium

Hard rock/metal band Rituals have released ‘Pandemonium’, the second single taken from Ritual’s upcoming EP ‘Enigma’. ‘Pandemonium’ is a song that takes up an anti-theist world view. It confronts theological positions that encourage ailing followers to forgo medical advancements in favour of blind faith and prayer.

An anthemic blast of hard rock, funky groove and metal intensity, Rituals have dropped a bit of a banger here. One that gets the blood pumping, the pulse thumping and the head banging. Not only that, it happens to feature the iconic vocals of Anneke van Giersbergen. You don’t get better guests than her and she adds some welcome melodic touches with her vocals. Check it out here.

Kombi Killers – Sick World

Brisbane’s old-school punk rockers, Kombi Killers, return with new single, ‘Sick World’, available through Riot Records. Sick World highlights the current crisis that has held the world hostage since 2020.

A punk rock track filled with angry vitriol and frustration aimed at ‘you know what’. Kombi Killers’ not being subtle in the slightest, Sick World might be on the nose but that just makes the frustration all the more authentic. An old-school blast of punky noise, the snarl is one thing but the foot-tapping and pit-inducing energy is what really stands out. Check it out here.

Genus Ordinis Dei – The Entropic Queen

The Entropic Queen is the latest single from Italian symphonic death metal masters, Genus Ordinis Dei. The single is the latest since the release of their ground-breaking critically acclaimed full-length album and metal music video series Glare of Deliverance.

The Entropic Queen was recorded during the after-effects of the band’s infection with the Covid-19 virus. The song tells a story about the pandemic but from the perspective of the virus. It is represented as an entropic queen who (invaded by the continuous expansion of man) reacts and responds to the attack with her army of spike-carrying soldiers. The whole song is a great allegory that narrates the attack on the cell by the virus as if it were the assault of a castle.

It does feel like few bands could craft a narrative such as the one set out above and deliver it with such aplomb. Yet, Genus Ordinis Dei are one of those few. The band deliver a bombastic blast of melodic death metal with strong symphonic grandeur that condenses an epic tale into a song less than 5-minutes long. Uniquely told, head-banging heaviness and a ton of flourishes that just make it stand out all the more. You will be able to watch the video here on April 11th.

Deathbringer – Inevitability (IT’s Whip)

Progressive death metal pioneers Deathbringer have announced signing to new label Unique Leader Records. In celebration of the new partnership, the band have also unveiled their latest single ‘Inevitability (IT’s Whip)’, taken from their upcoming album IT, due on the 15th of July.

On the brand-new track, guitarist and songwriter Artyom Serdyuk states:

You are about to see a completely new face to Deathbringer. Our new album, with a very laconic title IT, is a concept record. It’s about an entity that does not have a name or any specific form, an entity that existed long before the formation of the Universe that we know, possibly being the creator of the macrocosm and many other worlds, or perhaps even being the forefather and architect of the Universe that we know. An entity that is both a creator and a destroyer, one that devours the worlds and gives birth to something completely different, something that is beyond our understanding. The album focuses on the moment in time when our Universe is being devoured by IT. Each song describes this moment from the point of view of completely different characters. Musically it’s a very personal and dark album, reflecting the dark times I’ve been through. It was a challenging record to work on, there’s so much going on in it; a piece of complex, experimental, technical and vast material. We’re looking forward to presenting this album and really hope it will appeal to the tastes of connoisseurs of extreme progressive and technical death metal.

A slab of death metal brutality that features some incredible peaks and valleys, Deathbringer bring forth a stunning showcase of progressive savagery on this new single. The speed, the coarse textures, the progressive detail and dark chanting are all elements that jump out on the initial listen. Then, across more and more, even deeper detail is uncovered making this one hell of a fascinating track. If this is a sign of things to come on the new album, Deathbringer might be about to shake the progressive death genre up.

Incisions – Gasoline

Manchester hardcore punks Incisions return stronger than ever with their new single ‘Gasoline’ released on April 5th via TNSrecords.

Be prepared to have your mind blown as Incisions deliver a short and intense blast of infectious hardcore punk-infused noise with Gasoline. A track that comes in at 1:39, yet packs so much punch that you’ll want to jump into the nearest Incisions pit. It’s ferocious but, goodness, does it have some killer guitar sounds. Check it out here.

The Zenith Passage – Synaptic Depravation

Progressive death metal unit The Zenith Passage have released their latest single, ‘Synaptic Depravation’, streaming now via Unique Leader. The band have also announced former The Faceless vocalist Derek “Demon Carcass” Rydquist and former The Faceless & Cynic bassist Brandon Giffin, joining the outfit.

Always a guaranteed brain-altering listen, The Zenith Passage certainly prove that the changes in line-up aren’t affecting their ability to deliver intense progressive death metal. A track that features an array of mind-meltingly guitar sharpness, complex rhythms, savage drum patterns and sickeningly guttural vocals. It’s blend of complex cleanliness, harsh brutality and moments of melodic flair leaves one hell of an impact. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, it’s The Zenith Passage.

Crashdïet – Together Whatever

Crashdïet have released a new single and video called ‘Together Whatever’, out now on Crusader Records. With the new album ‘Automaton’ released on the 29th of April 2022.

A bit of a glam rock/sleaze throwback, Together Whatever is a rock club floor filler if ever you heard one. Which is pretty great to hear as often the best of this stuff comes from bands who made their name in the 80s. Here, we have a modern band delivering an infectious and memorable dirty rock number that just makes you want to get up, get sexy and groove out. Check it out here.

Ithaca – In the Way

Acclaimed UK metallic hardcore troupe Ithaca have released their new single ‘In The Way’, the opening track on their their long-awaited second album, They Fear Us, due 29th July via Hassle Records.

Singer Djamila Boden Azzouz states of ‘In The Way’:

This is a revenge fantasy. Pleasure, blood, violent vengeance.

There are moments that sound innocent and lure you into a false sense of security – contrasted with big riffs, aggressive breaks, whispers and sexual lyrics that reflect the true nature of the song.

What a beast of a track this is. Ithaca delivering a bruising bout of metalcore that features some really dark and heavy tones. While also delivering powerful melodic and clean moments. It’s a familiar combination but bloody hell, so Ithaca do it better than most. There’s almost no time to catch your breath and for a little over 3-minutes the group just beat you into submission.

Ninebanks – Little Silver

From Sunderland in the UK, Ninebanks are a throwback pop-punk band who have recently release their new single, Little Silver.

Yeah, this is a throwback to the heady days of pop-punk in the early 2000s. The nostalgia is strong and it will kind of make you wistful. Especially when you hear the lyrics. Though, that’s not to suggest Ninebanks are just delivering a ‘heard it all before’ track. It’s got bounce, it’s got energy, it’s got feel-good vibes and most importantly, it’s very catchy. Check it out here.

Terror – Boundless Contempt

Hardcore legends, Terror, recently announced their upcoming eighth full-length, Pain into Power, due out May 6th via End Hits Records. Ahead of that release, the band have shared another taste with their new song, Boundless Contempt.

You know what you’re going to get with Terror and that consistency is ever present on this blistering new single. A 2-minute blast of hardcore fury that will leave the body quivering with metallic pleasure. Terror at their most intense? It’s certainly up there as the band are sounding pretty damn furious here and you probably won’t want to be in the vicinity of the pit that is going to come from this beast. Unless you’re a glutton for punishment, that is.

Gunash – Revenge

Italian alt-rock band, Gunash have released a brand-new single called ‘Revenge’. Out now on Golden Robot Records, with a new album ‘All You Can Hit’ out on the 29th April 2022.

Hitting hard with those riffs and drums, Gunash show what they are made off within the first 30-seconds of this rocking blast of noisy energy. The vocals come in, the guitars settle and more melody is introduced giving this the more alternative vibe that comes with the description. The quality of this catchy effort confirmed by a memorable chorus. Check it out here.

Demonical – We Conquer the Throne

Swedish death metal tyrants Demonical are premiering a music video for a new song titled “We Conquer the Throne” in anticipation of their seventh studio album “Mass Destroyer”, set for release on May 6th on Agonia Records.

A straight-forward and nasty blast of death metal ferocity, Demonical don’t overcomplicate things here. Instead going for all out hyperactive aggression, aiming to give some serious whiplash in a short amount of time. Meaty riffs, pounding percussion and scathing, guttural vocals makes this one to check out. Check it out here.

Upon A Burning Body – A New Responsibility

Upon A Burning Body return with their much-anticipated new full-length, Fury, out 6th May via Seek & Strike. The album’s opener, ‘A New Responsibility’, is the lead single and is out now.

Ruben Alvarez (guitar) states:

After listening to the complete album we knew we had created something that represents what the band stands for on and off stage. Fury is a whole new monster. We’ve always been a band that experiments and Fury is definitely the stamp we needed on our own signature sound. We brought in elements from our first three albums and mixed them with our last two. If you like the heavy rifts from Red, White and Green or the groove of Southern Hostility, then you are going to be stoked on this!

The biggest change on this album is Danny and my younger brother, Thomas Alvarez. Now having three biological brothers writing and performing together, what more can you ask for? Thomas has already brought so much to the table; helping us as a song-writer since Southern Hostility and now adding another vocal element. He has brought a ton of fresh ideas and writing has never been easier.

Upon A Burning Body have been through a lot of changes throughout the years and we have come full circle back to our roots. We are ready to keep pushing forward on our albums and live performances. Fury is definitely a huge step for us to show the world that we are here to stay and American Heavy Metal is alive and stronger than ever!

It’s good to have these guys back, filled with renewed vigour and confidence to keep on delivering pounding extreme deathcore that harks back to the band’s early days. Yet, continues the evolution with subtle touches that remind of the more modern sound the band has been going for. Regardless of which era you feel it belongs in, all can agree that it’s a stompy blast of heavy aggression that only Upon A Burning Body could deliver. Check it out here.

Clutch – Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)

US groove rock masters Clutch have released a brand new single and video, titled ‘Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)’. The track is available digitally now.

Frontman and lyric wordsmith Neil Fallon expounds:

Early in 2021, I learned the Boss Metal Zone pedal schematic was being presented as “proof” that the Covid-19 vaccine had an electronic component to communicate with 5G cellular networks. It was, of course, nonsense. It sounded like a Philip K. Dick premise. I didn’t want to write a song specific to Covid-19 vaccines, so I went with the Philip K. Dick angle (again). “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” came to mind (replicants, in particular, representing what is real and not real, or is there a difference at all?). The video makes no secret that this is an homage to Philip K. Dick and a future where we have distortion coursing through our veins.

What we have here is Clutch being Clutch and that there is enough to make this a sure-fire hit. The band’s brand of energetic groove and rock have been delighting listeners for years and on the face of this single, that certainly isn’t going to change. The consistency we’ve come to expect is ever-present, the fast-paced energy and super-danceable qualities are here, the amusing and tongue in cheek lyrical content, the elements of fun… think Clutch and that’s what you have here.