Single Slam: DeathCollector, Astralborne, Horrrendous, Antirope, JD Power Trio, Body Horror, Strange Company, Godeth, Recall the Remains, Shallow Honey, Defying Decay, Archives, and Vexed!

This week’s single slam features DeathCollector, Astralborne, Horrrendous, Antirope, JD Power Trio, Body Horror, Strange Company, Godeth, Recall the Remains, Shallow Honey, Defying Decay, Archives, and Vexed. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

DeathCollector – DeathCollector

British/Irish death metal group DeathCollector have released their blistering new single ‘DeathCollector’, from their forthcoming debut album, Death’s Toll, to be released 23rd June via Prosthetic Records.

There’s a lot of anticipation for the upcoming DeathCollector album and each new track shows exactly why. This new one being a garish example of how exciting their innate heavy structure is. As well as their willingness to twist the familiar death metal heavy sound into something fresh and interesting. It’s a monstrous head-banger.

Astralborne – Nocturneous

Astralborne have shared their new single and music video, Nocturneous. It is the second track to be taken from the Midwest melodic death metal trio’s forthcoming sophomore album, Across the Aeons, and features a guest guitar solo by Steve Redmond (Foretoken). Across the Aeons is due out via Prosthetic Records on July 28^th, 2023.

A massive sounding track that hits all the expected points for a melo-death track while stilling sounding crisp. Frantic, groovy, melodic, and meaty. It’s a tornado of guitars and drums, with the vocals acting as the weight to keep you in place. Check it out here.

Horrrendous – Ontological Mysterium

Progressive death metal entity Horrrendous have unveiled details of their new album Ontological Mysterium and are treating us with the release of the first single and title track. The new album will be released worldwide on the 18th August 2023 via Season of Mist.

Horrrendous comment:

The album is our loveletter to the bombastic spirit of heavy metal music from the 80s and early 90s. Ontological Mysterium is an allegorical tale of creation, the formation of organic life, and the inadvertently and ironically destructive fate of unbound growth and uncontrollable reproduction. It represents the wild voracity of youth and inevitable transition into the gradual decay of aging in its various forms, fulfilling the unbroken circle of a biological existence.

Evolving bit by bit, but as consistent as ever, Horrrendous are back and with something extremely challenging in their arsenal. The new track is a progressive beast that is layered with emphatic heaviness. Heaviness that doesn’t just draw from the death metal world, but also the thrash and speed, resulting in a head-banger that needs many listens to fully unpick because of the progressive detail.

Antirope – Dead Sun

Doomy alternative metal band Antirope have premiered a new music video and single entitled ‘Dead Sun’. This is the second music video & single taken from their upcoming LP album Amnesia which will be released on June 30, 2023 via Eclipse Records.

A short but extremely hooky track, Antirope go back to the 90s with this grunge-tinged, melodically powered doom hit. One that has cool sounding distortion, smooth vocals, a strong chorus, and an unexpected, but pleasing guitar solo. Strong stuff from this band as they move towards the release of their new album. Check it out here.

JD Power Trio – Ivory Tower

Munich’s JD Power Trio is handing out musical slaps in the face while dressed in fancy suits. Time for the gentlemen of grunge! Following their recent excursion into the world of Americana with the “Charam” EP, as well as an array of obscure unplugged covers that racked up over 20,000 views on YouTube, JD and his Power Trio are now returning to the dark and loud side of guitar music. Their new EP ‘Ivory Tower’ is out today, and this is the title track.

From never having heard of this band, to loving everything they put out. If you were on the fence before, JD Power Trio will push you over to their side with this energising and eccentric grunge-rock hit. A track with a cleverly disconcerting structure, and one that hits a massive high with the chorus. It’s as fascinating as it is catchy.

Body Horror – Bedwetter

Having initially built a reputation as a fierce live act within the guitar-driven post-punk scene, and sharing the stage with the likes of Opus Kink and Faris Badwan (The Horrors), Body Horror have gradually moved further into the world of electronic music – the band wearing their Techno and Industrial influences on their sleeve. Feeling like a dirty hybrid between The Prodigy and The Birthday Party, their new single ‘Bedwetter’ takes a peak into a naughty, seedy world; the BDSM-drenched themes and afterparty energy both intensely chaotic and anthemic. It will be released on May 31st, 2023.

The title ‘Bedwetter’ evokes crude imagery, frontman Gethyn Thomas commenting:

It’s a bit of a tongue-in-cheek tune about sleeping with the bedwetter. Sleeping with the enemy, allowing yourself to get intimate with embarrassing truths.

If you hate the idea of a strong combination of electronica, rock, and punk, you best steer clear of this track. On your own though, as the rest of us are going to be over here dancing like possessed freaks of nature. It’s the state of mind that Body Horror put you in with this wacked out, brash, infectious, and enigmatic effort. It’s marmite as f**k but you won’t forget it anytime soon. Check it out here upon release.

Godeth – Scald

Leeds based metal band Godeth have released their new single ‘Scald’, making it their first release since 2021’s EP ‘Life to the Flame’, and the first with new vocalist Miles Case-Watson. It sees the band continue to evolve on the darker, heavier direction they went on with previous releases ‘Life to the Flame’ and ‘NIMBY’.

The outright winner for the meatiest sounding track of the week, Godeth are back and they have a mean sounding track to assault the ears with. Called Scald, it finds the band upping the heaviness with a dark and methodical tempo, punctuated by bursts of intense drumming, ear-bleeding guitar squeals, and emphatic vocals. From beginning to end, it compels you to head-bang, and head-bang you will.

Strange Company – Overrated

Welsh three-piece rock outfit, Strange Company are thrilled to share their brand new single ‘Overrated’. Born out of the anxiety and isolation of a worldwide lockdown, their music speaks to the doom, disaster, and eventual hope felt the world over.

This is pretty cool. It has some nice rock bounce and familiar pop-infused catchiness. A little influenced by the world of pop-punk, but changing in an instant into something much heavier and more robust. The highlight is the lead-in to the chorus, which itself is pretty damn memorable. Check it out here.

Recall the Remains – Lifetaker

Blending metalcore & deathcore to give a unique take on modern metal, it’s Recall the Remains! Back with a brand-new single called ‘Lifetaker’.

This recent run of new singles has shown just how far this band has come, yet this might very well be the highest point so far. This track, a darker and meaner sounding effort, has a brilliant blend of meaty metal groove and melody. Yet it also showcases some deeper heaviness and technical touches. A whirlwind experience that goes for intensity over outright carnage. Though the breakdown will result in some busted noses. Check it out here.

Shallow Honey – Lightweight

Dirty Pop four-piece Shallow Honey are set to make a blaze with their new single ‘Lightweight’. The band’s fifth single takes a deep breath into how ingrained and normalized body dissatisfaction is within society.

A track to relax to, or at least move with a little lethargy, Lightweight is extremely poppy but does hit a rockier high in the chorus to please those who want a bit more bite. The over-arching thought, listening to it, is that it will have wide-spread appeal and be extremely catchy for most who hear it. Check it out here.

Defying Decay – System of Sinners

Boundary-breaking Thai alt-metal outfit Defying Decay have returned with the release of their new single ‘System of Sinners’ ahead of their UK tour with slashercore overlords Ice Nine Kills. The track is the second to be released from their new album, due later this year.

On the new single, vocalist and guitarist Jay Euarchukiati comments:

We live in a world designed by few people where ordinary people are unwilling participants. ‘System of Sinners’ is the blatant anarchistic anthem not meant to be revolutionary or thought-provoking. It is meant to be a pebble creating capillary waves in the pool of growing sentiment towards more free speech-based music. We are proud to be Thai representing musicians who can share unfiltered messages in our music and we will continue to do so.

The winner of the most infectious track of the week award, System of Sinners is a brash and ballsy alt-metal track with a ton of fresh and memorable ideas. It’s not quite ‘kitchen sink’ territory, but it’s not far off. However, Defying Decay make it all work and the end result is a stupendously catchy effort.

Archives – Matriarch

Northern Irish metal outfit Archives have shared a monolithic new single titled Matriarch. Pushing mental health awareness is close to the band’s hearts and is a recurring theme in the material that Archives produce.

Says vocalist Adam Holland:

Matriarch is a song about how human beings process loss & grief in many different forms. In this case hiding away from the reality of losing someone even if it means you may never get to properly say goodbye in order to save your last memory of a loved one being a positive one & not bed ridden. Grief is difficult. The inevitability of someone’s life decaying is something you can only hide away from briefly eventually you have to face the music.

Let’s f**king go! That’s what comes to mind the moment Archives erupt on this track. Find a circle pit and go nuts. The speed and heaviness are delightful, but this is all together more impressive track because of the layers of metal and melody throughout. It makes it hard to define, aside from that fact that most will simply love it. Check it out here.

Vexed – X My Heart (Hope to Die)

One of the UK’s most exciting new talents – the alt-metal outfit Vexed – will release their hotly-anticipated new record Negative Energy on 23rd June via Napalm Records. Crushing new single ‘X My Heart (Hope To Die)’ is the second harbinger of Negative Energy.

The band comment:

’X my <3 (hope to die)’ was the catalyst for Negative Energy. After months of writers block and feeling like giving up, this song opened the floodgates for inspiration and creativity. Inspired by the victims of religious extremists, cults or abuse of power, this song is about how one person shouldn’t be able to dictate other people’s lives based on their own personal opinions.

A band that rarely puts a foot wrong, Vexed’s second single from the new album is a different beast, but one that absolutely slays again. It’s a track with a bit more technicality, a much more aggressive stance, drawing inspiration from the world of deathcore at times. It’s pretty damn amazing and suggests this new album is going to be Vexed’s most diverse work yet.