Single Slam: The Halo Effect, Withered Land, Airmea, Circadian, Slowly Slowly, Cwfen, Forever in the Making, HRTLSS, Rogue Awakening, Sicksense, Mission Jupiter, and By Virtue Fall.

Today’s single slam features The Halo Effect, Withered Land, Airmea, Circadian, Slowly Slowly, Cwfen, Forever in the Making, HRTLSS, Rogue Awakening, Sicksense, Mission Jupiter, and By Virtue Fall. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

The Halo Effect – March of the Unheard

Swedish melodic death metal rising stars The Halo Effect has dropped the official music video for their powerful new single, ‘March of the Unheard’, the title track from their highly anticipated sophomore album, set to be released on January 10th, 2025.

Guitarist Niclas Engelin comments:

This song is based around the melody theme for the intro on all our ninety-six shows. I just got the idea of starting the whole album with this theme and building a full song around it. Mikael took the whole song to another level with his lyrics, which enlighten the need for our society to hear the voices of the unheard – the powerless.

We are all suckers for melancholic melodies in an up tempo beat, and add some harmonies to that, and we get a beautiful Halo song. Working with the mighty Gothenburg Marching band “Göta Lejon” just blew our minds both in the studio and live.. damn they are powerfull!!

They’re not looking to set the world alight with a brand-new sound, but as far as delivering exciting and memorable melodeath goes, The Halo Effect are on fire. This latest single is an anthem, an upbeat anthem that has elements of vintage melodeath to it, but still sounds fresh and modern. This is the epitome of how good this band can be and this is new album is shaping up to be a tasty one indeed.

Withered Land – My Last Autumn

Following the release of the debut full-length album, ‘The Endless Journey’, the fantasy black metal project from Belarus returns with a new track called ‘My Last Autumn’.

Explains Withered Land:

This song is dedicated to all those for whom a moment has come in life when everything is not on time. When snow falls on autumn leaves or when winter soil is sprinkled with rain. When you put off important things/words/feelings simply because you think it’s all at the wrong time. When you yourself live at the wrong time and everything around you seems wrong. When you are afraid to make a mistake, and therefore you do nothing and plunge deeper into the abyss of “wrong time”. Also, fans of The Elder Scrolls lore will find pleasant references in this song.

To the surprise of literally no-one, Withered Autumn’s new song is epic. A blackened folk-infused epic that brings forth a cacophony of heaviness layered with fantastical elements. The vocals are delivered with intense aplomb, the instrumentals vary between crushingly savage and movingly melodic, and the whole thing has a deep story-telling aspect that captures the imagination. Check it out here.

Arimea – Deliver Me

Oxford’s fast-rising nu-metal outfit Arimea have announced their forthcoming debut EP ‘Orchid Street’ is due for release on Thursday 28th November 2024. To coincide with this announcement, Arimea have also shared a brand-new single from the record titled, ‘Deliver Me’.

On new single vocalist Whitney Cooper says:

Deliver Me is a fun song that glamorises exorcisms and the unspoken role of a deliverance minister. After reading the book ‘Deliverance’ by Jason Bray, I was engulfed into a world that I thought was only real in movies. The book had such a hold on me, I have always been a believer in the supernatural from a very young age. Deliver Me takes aspects of the book and twists them into a hollywood-esque exorcism, a picturesque scene bursting with horror and power. This is one of my favourite tracks on the EP.

The nu-metal revival is far more palatable when bands like Arimea are around. Thanks to a lot of talent within the group, the rap and metal combo that they offer feels fresh. Especially as it blends slower and moodier tones with flashes of upbeat catchiness. Then, just when you think you’ve heard all it has to offer, there’s a clever shift that makes it momentarily even heavier.

Circadian – Blindfold

Manchester based 4 -piece ‘mostly metal’ band Circadian has released their brand-new track, ‘Blindfold’.

It’s really easy to find yourself sinking into the melodies that Circadian have crafted here. This track oozing emotion that comes from a darker, but more relatable place. It’s a strong feeling, but creating strong feelings is what this band does so well. As the track goes on, the alternative aspects develop in more progressive ways, the tempo changes cleverly, and Circadian start to sound a fair bit heavier. Addictive stuff. Check it out here.

Slowly Slowly – Love Letters

Ahead of the release their new album, ‘Forgiving Spree,’ on January 24th, 2025, via Nettwerk Music Group, Australian quartet Slowly Slowly have released a brand-new single called ‘Love Letters’.

Speaking of the single, frontman Ben Stewart says:

I was reminiscing about the lost art of a good love letter and then realised a lot of the songs I’ve written over the years serve that very purpose. It’s a celebration of how that once forgotten declaration of love has taken new form in the digital age; it’s still there, but maybe just a little more cryptic.

A track that gets better and better as it goes on. A track that gets more interesting as it goes on. Slowly Slowly offer up a retro pop-infused alternative anthem that few will be able to deny the appeal of. It’s so catchy, has incredible vocals, and to cap it off, it also has a very brash guitar solo. Check it out here.

Cwfen – Reliks

Glasgow’s rising doomgaze band, Cwfen (‘coven’), have released their highly anticipated debut single ‘Reliks’. The track delves into the collapse of long-held beliefs when confronted with mortality – a powerful, existential reflection.

Says Agnes Alder, vocalist and lyricist for the band:

At its heart, Reliks is about facing your final moments, when everything you thought you knew starts to unravel. It’s not about faith, but about the reality that all your ideas and beliefs might not hold up forever.

Say hello to your new favourite doom and goth-infused band, Cwfen, who leave one hell of an impression with this debut single. An impression warped by the haziness of the atmosphere that pours out of this track, but an impression that is wholly positive. Putting it simply, the retro gothic post-punk vibes blended with dark melodies and given heavy injections of doom throughout is remarkably addictive. It leaves you wanting to hear so much more from this band.

Forever in the Making – Above the Snakes

Hailing from Derby in the UK, Forever in the Making is a distinctive metalcore band who have now released their brand-new single, ‘Above The Snakes’. The track is born from personal challenges and collective reflection. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 lockdown and a lineup change, the band found themselves exploring deeper and darker tones in their music. The track serves as a gritty and honest reflection of the band’s emotional and musical journey during this time.

In the band’s own words:

After a lineup change and coming back to playing music after lockdown, we had a discussion about where to take the sound of our music. We wanted to experiment with deeper vibes and darker tones. ‘Above The Snakes’ is the result of that discussion and the start of our new journey as a band.

The opening melody of this track speaks of beautiful darkness, and then the vocals arrive to add more weight to a burgeoning sense of misery. You’re waiting for it to break, but Forever in the Making won’t be rushed, so when it starts to shift and become heavier and more epic sounding, it feels even more impactful. As this one goes on, it just gets better and better, and you won’t be surprised to learn that there is plenty of reasons to head bang too. Check it out here.

HRTLSS – Hollow

Following a successful debut UK tour supporting Mallory Knox, fast rising alternative rock outfit HRTLSS (pronounced Heartless) rounds off an impressive 2024 with their final release of the year, ‘Hollow’ – the follow up to the recent seasonal defining single ‘Good Intentions’ and release to their debut ‘Blood Moon’ EP (released May 2024).

Speaking about the new single, HRTLSS says:

Hollow is a track that reflects on life and its fragility through themes of self-destructive behavior and the loss of those closest to you. It delves into personal battles with mental health, drug abuse, and death.

What an incredible year it has been for HRTLSS and then they release something as addictively alternative as this new track. It’s a punchy banger with powerful moments of instrumental heaviness, controlled by the vocals that are smooth and clean. Infusions of unusual effects add a cool touch, and before you know it, it’s over and you’re left feeling very satisfied.

Rogue Awakening – Bloodflow

Brit newcomers Rogue Awakening have thrown down the gauntlet with their ultra-enticing new single and video, ‘Bloodflow’, out now.

The band remark about the track:

‘Bloodflow’ is an observation on individuals who tend to ‘people please’ at the detriment of their own happiness and boundaries. The song and the theme came together effortlessly, and it was a great experience recording and fine tuning the song together in the studio.

A potent mix of heavy metal energy, intensity, big melodies, and catchiness, this new single from Rogue Awakening is very creative, and very accessible. It has just the right amount of heaviness to keep a metalhead happy but has the infectious vibes that ensures a more casual listener will have their head turned. All will love that chorus. Check it out here.

Sicksense – Masquerade Parade

Phoenix nu-metal juggernauts Sicksense, featuring former The Agonist vocalist Vicky “Killer V” Psarakis, have released the third single, ‘Masquerade Parade’. The track taken from their upcoming debut full-length album, Cross Me Twice, out 14th February 2025 via Earache Records.

The best song they have put out so far, mainly because it shows a much deeper creative aspect to their nu-metal sound, and doesn’t feel like it’s trying to capture a specific period in time. Now, Sicksense are beginning to sound like their own thing and it’s pretty brutal sounding.

Mission Jupiter – Sometimes it Hurts

Mission Jupiter, the alternative rock band from Minsk, Belarus have released their latest single and video, ‘Sometimes it Hurts’.

As dramatic as always, Mission Jupitar’s new song is deeply melodic and puts the vocals at the forefront to drive a more melancholic vibe. That being said, it has got power too, and the chorus has the band revving up nicely for a headier hit of hard rock goodness. The talents of this band are undeniable, and the future continues to look so bright for them based off this excellent new effort. Check it out here.

By Virtue Fall – Death’s Hand

UK Metalcore band By Virtue Fall have released their brand-new single, ‘Death’s Hand’, alongside ‘a live-shot-at-Bloodstock music video’.

Talking about the track, the band says:

We wanted to create something that hits hard and fast, but still sticks in your head with a catchy chorus. Nailing the balance between aggression and melody. Writing it was a blast; it came together so naturally too. Traf (guitarist) had been reliving his Ill Niño and Coal Chamber phase while writing it, and their heavy grooves definitely helped shaped the riffs. At the same time, he already had this lead hook in mind for the chorus, so it was about finding a way to blend that raw heaviness with a melody that felt anthemic.

It’s one of the newer tracks on the upcoming EP, and in many ways, it captures the essence of where we are right now as a band. It has this perfect blend of our evolving, heavier direction, but still carries the melodic undertones that have always been part of our sound. It’s like a bridge between where we’ve been and where we’re heading, and it feels like an honest reflection of our growth and what’s inspiring us right now.

It’s great to reflect on what By Virtue Fall were able to achieve at Bloodstock and the video reflects that, but it’s also great to see them moving forward and looking to the future. A future that feels important based off the strong quality of this track. One that has the metalcore makeup, but isn’t hamstrung by expectations around the genre. Notably, By Virtue Fall mess with the structure and deliver heaviness and melody in differing, but exciting ways, all while infusing impressive aspects of melodeath into things. It’s a fantastic new release from a band you really need to be keeping a close eye on.