Single Slam: Powerwolf, The Feelgood McLouds, Moor, Torena, Pop Punk Factory, 51st Avenue, Black Orchid Empire, Raze, Deathstars, Underoath, and Grimgotts!

This week’s single slam features Powerwolf, The Feelgood McLouds, Moor, Torena, Pop Punk Factory, 51st Avenue, Black Orchid Empire, Raze, Deathstars, Underoath, and Grimgotts. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Powerwolf – No Prayer at Midnight

Following the overwhelming success of their sold-out debut concerts in North America, Powerwolf return with the impressive new studio track ‘No Prayer at Midnight’. The new single is one of six brand new studio tracks on the upcoming special album, Interludium, which will be released on Good Friday (7th April) via Napalm Records.

Powerwolf continue their recent run of form with one hell of a catchy effort. No Prayer at Midnight has plenty of that recognisable Powerwolf grandiosity but plays it cooler, really exploding into life when it hits the chest-thumping chorus. This long into their career and they’re still releasing bangers like this. It’s awesome and really gets stuck in the head.

The Feelgood McLouds – Back in Life

The Feelgood McLouds are back with ‘Back in Life’ – THE Irish folk-punk anthem of 2023!

Feel good in name, feel good in nature. The Feelgood McLouds embody the sound of Celtic-punk and deliver the sound of folkish good times with this new single. Catchy and rhythmic, it’s got a nice amount of punk snarl which is balanced nicely with the heavy use of an accordion. Check it out here.

Moor – Tears from Acrid Smoke

Hamburg doom quintet Moor have unveiled their visceral new single / video ‘Tears from Acrid Smoke’ and announced their cathartic debut album Heavy Heart, set for release on 17th May via Believe Digital.

Vocalist Ercüment Kasalar commented on ‘Tears from Acrid Smoke’:

Our first single deals with the feeling of the inner fight that you face when you burn a bridge in your life. Crossing it, getting hit by the acrid smoke of the burning pain but leaving it behind and moving on.

The moody atmosphere of this track is quite something. It’s a track that embodies misery, delivering dark doom heaviness that slowly drags the mind into deep depths. The weight of the guitars and drums, the fuzz that sticks to everything, and the roaring vocals all combine to make something mind-numbing in the besy way possible.

Torena – Slave No More

California hardcore band Torena has shared ‘Slave No More’, the second single from their upcoming EP, Evil Eyez, set for release March 14th through DAZE.

A feral and ferociously heavy blast of hardcore noise, Torena are sounding particular dangerous here. The cacophony of metal; tinged with punk, and given the hardcore treatment is nasty sounding but still offers some surprising twists and turns as it goes on. Head-banging nastiness at its finest. Check it out here.

Pop Punk Factory – Defying Gravity

Rambunctious pop-punk rascals Pop Punk Factory are ready to turn your world quite literally upside down with the release of their boisterous new single ‘Defying Gravity’ and its official video. Made world famous by the hit musical ‘Wicked’, PRF’s reimagined track joins 10 more high octane bangers on their highly anticipated new album, It’s Just A Stage We’re Going Through, set for release on 31st March.

The band add:

Defying Gravity is a song our fans have been begging us to reimagine for a long time. After we did a short clip of it on TikTok and the fans went crazy it was clear to us that we had to add it to the album. We had great fun breaking the song down and adding our PRF spin to it, and are super happy with how it came out in the end.

We worked with Sitcom Soldiers on this video again, after how awesome ‘You’ll Be Back’ came out. We found an awesome upside down house in Thurrock to film the video in so the perspective looks amazing. When we arrived there it took everyone a good while to acclimatise to the house as it wasn’t just upside down but slanted too, which made walking around extremely difficult, let alone playing!

It’s got us performing and doing all manner of silly things while hanging off the ceiling. Try not to get sea sick!

Always guaranteeing a fun time, even if you’re not to familiar with the song they are covering, Punk Rock Factory deliver exactly what fans expect with this single. Catchy, foot-tapping, and head-bobbing pop-punk energy with a chorus that you just want to sing along to. Which makes sense, seeing as it’s come from the Wicked musical. If you love what this band does, you’re going to be totally on board with this new offering. Check it out here.

51st Avenue – Remnant

Sydney-based pop rockers 51st Avenue join forces with Julian Latouche of Inertia on heart-wrenching new single, Remnant.

Says vocalist Alynnis Zizza:

This song explores how the excessive use of drugs and alcohol can drastically change a person. The core of the person only remains through your memories – everything about them has changed and it’s hard to see this happen to them.

If this is your first experience of 51st Avenue, the initial heavy riff might make you wonder just what is ‘pop-rock’ about this band… and then the vocals come in. It’s here, the true style of 51st Avenue is revealed and it sounds immense. The vocals are impressive, the melody is touching, and when that riff comes back, it’s *chef kisses*.

Black Orchid Empire – Glory to The King

UK trio Black Orchid Empire have unveiled their new single ‘Glory to The King’, taken from their new album Tempus Veritas, set for release on 14th April via Season of Mist.

Black Orchid Empire always delight and this epically tinged and punchy new track doesn’t disappoint. The heartfelt vocals, sweet sounding melody, off-kilter rhythmic touches, and explosive bursts of intensity make it more than memorable. Check it out here.

Raze – Better Off Alone

UK alt-metallers Raze blaze a trail with their fiery new single ‘Better Off Alone’, marking their first release in five years. ‘Better Off Alone’ is taken from the band’s upcoming debut album ‘Pyrography’.

An absolute belter of a track, Raze unleash something damn-fine here. A track that blends crunchy riffs, grungy rhythms, and chaotic heaviness. The two vocal styles and how they work together over different layers of alternative heaviness is what really stands out. A head-banger that you just want to listen to time and time again, especially when we get one hell of a kick-ass shift in the latter part of the track.

Deathstars – Midnight Party

Swedish industrial cult act Deathstars recently announced their return with new album Everything Destroys You, which is set to be released on May 5th via Nuclear Blast Records. The band have now revealed their second album single ‘Midnight Party’.

Frontman Whiplasher Bernadotte comments on the song:

I wanted to write a kind of worst slash filthy slash dark yet catchy party song and lyrics; something that was bad in a good way – bringing moral downfall up- to – speed al dente… It’s about those times when you end up binge partying and don´t go to sleep for days, it’s just constantly midnight with the additional clear and present downward spiral and debauchery that eventually makes you go insane. The party that never stops until you collapse. Very different from David Lee Roth-poolpartyrock, to say the least.

The Deathstars revival continues with goth-infused/industrial aplomb as the group reveals a fun blend of danceable groove and punchy industrial beats. With this track, Deathstars are turning back the clock and reminding fans just why they fell in love with them in the first place. It’s extremely catchy, if not a bit repetitive. Check it out here.

Underoath – Let Go

Underoath have released their new single, ‘Let Go’, their first for new home MNRK Heavy.

In discussing the song, the band said:

This is actually the first song we completed after recording (last year’s) Voyeurist. It took a few different forms but we got it to a place where we knew this is what it should be. It’s about letting go of whatever trauma or demons that might be holding you back. As hard as it is to make those decisions sometimes, I feel like we can never grow without stepping out of those toxic environments.

A blast of uncouth and frenetic energy, Underoath don’t make many changes to their metalcore formula with this new track but that’s no bad thing. The raw heaviness combined with modern effects is both memorable and exciting. The cleaner chorus fitting well alongside the blistering verses. Check it out here.

Grimgotts – Until Dawn

UK power metal band Grimgotts continue their hot 2023 with another brand-new single, Until Dawn!

It’s time for something a little different, but still completely and utterly Grimgotts. Until Dawn is extremely folky and wouldn’t sound out of place in an off-beat tavern. The accordion melody is extremely prominent, but is backed up with a thumping rhythm, and epic sounding vocals. Especially as Grimgotts make much more use of layers and group singing. Stupidly catchy, as always!