Single Slam: Cryptopsy, Judo CHOP!, Spurv, Box Clone, Awakening Sun, Fire Down Below, Graveyard, The Lonely Surf, Green Lung, Exiled Hope, Body Void, and Shining!

This week’s single slam features Cryptopsy, Judo CHOP!, Spurv, Box Clone, Awakening Sun, Fire Down Below, Graveyard, The Lonely Surf, Green Lung, Exiled Hope, Body Void, and Shining. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Cryptopsy – Flayed the Swine

Canadian extreme metal legends Cryptopsy have revealed their depraved, merciless new single, ‘Flayed the Swine’. Found on the band’s first full-length album in over a decade, As Gomorrah Burns, due out on September 8th via Nuclear Blast Records.

Commenting on the new single, vocalist Matt McGachy says:

‘Flayed the Swine’ is one of the catchiest Cryptopsy songs I have ever written. It is brutal, filled with massive groove sections and extremely vulgar.

Lyrically, it concentrates on a mental breakdown, an utter loss of control. We all have dark intentions, but we rarely act upon them. The protagonist by the end of the track most certainly wishes they hadn’t.

A brutal showcase of dynamic heaviness, Cryptopsy are back and this track feels both fresh and familiar. The speed of the instruments, the savagery in the vocals, and a surprising melodic finish makes this one to remember. It’s certainly created interest in what the full album will hold, as there’s a sense it might be more varied than expected.

Judo CHOP! – Conquer

Judo CHOP! are a 6-piece melodic punk band hailing from Melbourne. ‘Conquer’ is their brand-new single taken from their upcoming brand-new album.

A very catchy tune from Judo CHOP! One with plenty of energy, punk spirit, and alternative rock groove. It’s as much a sing along as it is a move along, the balance of melodic tones and punk-fire energy is done very well. Check it out here.

Spurv – Som skyer

Scandinavian post-rock giants Spruv have announced the release of new track ‘Som skyer’ via Germany’s Pelagic Records. It is the penultimate single from ‘Brefjære’, the band’s fourth full-length release due September 22nd.

Gustav Jørden Petersen says:

Som skyer is Spurv at its perhaps most ethereal. The song is about the wind that flies over the earth, rustles in the treetops, and plunges down over the mountain. It represents time and fleeting memories, words and ideas that are shared across generations. The song contains old melodies combined with new arrangements, and was finally realized as part of Brefjære after many years.

One of the most daring bands to be releasing music in these modern times, Spurv continue to push the limits of post-rock and what listeners expect from them with this latest single. An epic that creates expansive space in the mind with orchestral and relaxed melody, but adds some weight with thundering drum patterns and urgent guitar riffs. It’s got incredible depth that takes you up and down making this upcoming album, a must listen.

Box Clone – I’m the Fool

High-octane rock band, Box Clone are back with a brand-new single called ‘I’m the Fool’. This new track coming off the back of their electrifying performances at Kaleidoscope and The Workman’s Cellar.

Do you know what you get when you listen to a Box Clone track? Aside from a bloody good time? It’s riffs. Lots and lots of riffs. Guess what? I’m the Fool is another banger from this fast-rising band, groovy and infectious. The different tempos, the different vocal lines, and the punky-grungy rock edge that the track has, makes this another thoroughly enjoyable listen. Check it out here.

Awakening Sun – Roses

Dutch / Lithuainian metal quartet Awakening Sun return with the I Am More EP, set for a 6th October release. The group have also signed a world-wide with Seek and Strike, the EP marks their first release of this new partnership. The EP’s first single comes via the dynamic track, ‘Roses.’

A dramatic single that hits impressively hard, Awakening Sun’s return comes with a ton of bang, thanks alone to the weight of the instruments. Yet, the thumping rhythm is just one part of what makes this so memorable. Elsewhere, the melodic layers, flashes of guitar groove, and massive chorus also hit. It’s just a banger track.

Fire Down Below – Airwolf

Ghent-based stoner rock foursome Fire Down Below unleash ‘Airwolf’, the second single taken from their upcoming new studio album ‘Low Desert Surf Club’, due out September 8th on Ripple Music.

About their new single, the band explains:

Airwolf is our dancing song. It started with a cool groove for a verse and then we tried a few different choruses with it. The one that stuck has a grungey feeling to it that we really dig. Lyrically, it’s kind of a middle finger to the ‘yolo’ stupidity we often see on social media. Hence: ‘you live every day; you only die once.

It’s groovy, it’s grungy, it’s a little dirty, and it’s extremely rocking. The sheen of stoner covers it, the guitars adding some deep infectiousness to the rhythm. Fire Down Below showcase some urgency, getting more intense as it goes on, but keeping it delightfully groovy throughout. A body-shaking number from a band that knows how to make you move. Check it out here.

Graveyard – Twice

Swedish hard rock band Graveyard have revealed details of their new album 6, that’s set to be released on September 29th via Nuclear Blast Records. Alongside the announcement, the band have also released the video for first single ‘Twice’, their first new music in five years.

The band comments:

Finally it’s here, ready to be harvested and enjoyed like the forbidden fruit in your backyard. We are very, very happy being able to share album number 6 with you all very soon. Peace out.

Five years is a very long time, but Graveyard are picking up exactly where they left off with a delight of a track. One that is pure rock and roll fun, energetic and catchy, stupidly so. The smooth rhythm, bouncy beats, singalong chorus, and classic rock vibes are just wonderfully pleasing to the ears.

The Lonely Surf – 12 Months Out

South coast indie punks from Bournemouth, The Lonely Surf have released their new single ’12 Months Out’ via Disconnect Disconnect Records.

This is such a cool track. The Lonely Surf showcasing a wonderfully infectious style of indie rock and pop-punk. Peppy and bouncy, it makes you want to move, while having a ton of heart and soul. Where have these guys been hiding? This is a banger. Check it out here.

Green Lung – Mountain Throne

The UKs finest purveyors of occult rock, Green Lung, have revealed the details of their highly-anticipated third album This Heathen Land, that will be released on the November 3rd via Nuclear Blast Records. Alongside the announcement comes the first taste of the record, in the form of single ‘Mountain Throne.’

Vocalist Tom Templar comments:

We couldn’t be more excited to share This Heathen Land with the world. This album is the culmination of five years of work as a band; an odyssey into the weird and wonderful world of British folklore that melds together our myriad influences – classic rock, doom, NWOBHM, horror film soundtracks, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop – and fashions something out of them that is utterly our own. ‘Mountain Throne’ was the first song we wrote for the album, and feels like a natural bridge from the old Green Lung to the new. We’ve always been inspired by the story of the Pendle Witches, and such an iconic subject required an epic rallying cry of a song – we hope that we’ve done these folk heroes justice!

More and more people are wising up to the quality that Green Lung possesses and that is surely something that will continue with foot-tapping head-bangers like this new single. Green Lung leaning into their groovier side, while still sounding wonderfully occult, thanks to the layering of different sonic elements. It’s one of the band’s catchiest tracks! Check it out here.

Exiled Hope – The Summoning

Exiled Hope, the blackened power metal project of Sofia Frasz, has unveiled the haunting new single ‘The Summoning.’

Says Frasz:

‘The Summoning’ was the first song I recorded for Apocrypha almost exactly 2 years ago. It introduces the protagonist’s struggle to reclaim his identity and find meaning in a world full of monsters (literal and metaphorical) tempting him to sacrifice his humanity for power. But to conquer his demons, he must first call them forth and confront them. Though the upcoming album has its lighter and softer moments, its defining quality is a much deeper dive into doom and black metal. It has a more gothic, ethereal feel, since much of the album deals with the world that bridges the living and the dead.

Dripping in mournful and dark vibes, this single is dominated by a piano and it sounds epic. Exiled Hope doing a stunning job of making the listener feel cocooned in gloom. The vocals add even more atmosphere to the song, and when it ‘heavies’ up it really burns with blackened fire. An incredible piece of music that is extremely unique sounding.

Body Void – Flesh Market

New England via Bay Area doom band Body Void has announced that they’ll be releasing their fourth album, titled Atrocity Machine, via Prosthetic Records on October 13. Alongside the album announcement Body Void has also shared the lead single, Flesh Market, with an accompanying music video directed by Chariot of Black Moth.

Nearly 7-minutes of uncomfortable, teeth-aching, body-quivering doom. It’s as simple as that. Body Void are doom through and through, but on the heavier side of that fence. Adding in touches of blackened garishness to really make this track sound like pure horror. It’s a very good track. Check it out here.

Shining – Avsändare Okänd

Iconic Swedish metal band Shining have unleashed the second single, ‘Avsändare Okänd’, taken from their upcoming self-titled Napalm Records debut, out on 15th September.

Mastermind Niklas Kvarforth commented on ‘Avsändare Okänd’:

Our second single, ‘Avsändare Okänd’, could best be described as what ‘Halmstad’ or ‘Varg Utan Flock’ could have sounded if recorded with the current line-up. It’s the opening track of our new album and classic Shining at its absolute darkest.

You never know quite what you’re going to get with Shining, and once again, the group create something startlingly unique and progressive here. All while sounding like an amalgamation of who they are today. It’s got a really dark edge, a horror-infused vibe, with touches of grimness and dirtiness to it.