Single Slam: The Gaslight Anthem, Matricide, Going Off, paradise fell, Kraanium, Vanitas, Code Orange, Comastatic, Carnation, The Hyena Kill, Graveyard, and Gama Bomb!

This week’s single slam features The Gaslight Anthem, Matricide, Going Off, paradise fell, Kraanium, Vanitas, Code Orange, Comastatic, Carnation, The Hyena Kill, Graveyard, and Gama Bomb. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

The Gaslight Anthem – Little Fires (feat. Stefan Babcock)

New Jersey-bred rock band The Gaslight Anthem have released ‘Little Fires’, the third single from their upcoming sixth studio album and first in over nine years, History Books, due for release on October 27th. It features guest vocals from PUP frontman Stefan Babcock.

Frontman Brian Fallon says:

‘Little Fires’ is like the opposite end of the spectrum from the frustration you feel in ‘History Books’. It’s an empowerment song, about refusing to play along with the kind of people who always seem to be throwing a grenade into the room for no particular reason.

A very anthemic track with a lot of energy, The Gaslight Anthem add a punk edge to their peppy rock sound here. Making a defiant stance and asking listeners to find the same level of vim and vigour. An easy demand to cave to, thanks to the track’s foot-tapping, fist-pumping and chorus-driven vibes. It’s a very memorable and infectious effort.

Matricide – Smoke and Mirrors

Matricide, the dynamic indie metal outfit hailing from Tel-Aviv, have released their latest track, ‘Smoke and Mirrors’. It is Matricide’s fourth single from their eagerly awaited second full-length album.

An intense blast of progressive heaviness, chaotic breaks, anthemic melodies, and more. Matricide have released a very clever track that blurs genres wonderfully, while still proving to be brash, brutal and beautiful. The twists and turns are fascinating, it keeps you on the edge of your seat, and thrills from beginning to end. A real ‘sit up and take notice’ track. Check it out here.

Going Off – Crossroads / Weak Links

One of the UK’s most exciting new hardcore bands have released not one, but two brand-new singles. ‘Crossroads’ and ‘Weak Links’ and both out now.

Vocalist Jake Huxley had this to say about the lead single ‘Crossroads’:

Earning its title after realising some lines of the lyrics and general theme of the song shared similarities with the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony song of the name – Crossroads was written from a very dark point of view I took when listening to the instrumental demos. It’s a pretty pessimistic and bleak outlook on life. The music is dark and that’s where it took me mentally. The song deals with themes of death and the fact we’re all born to die at the end of the road. We lose the people we love along the way and it’s just another grim fact of life.

Starting with Crossroads, we have a little over a minute of pure worrisome aggression and intensity, Going Off are sounding particularly dark here, their rage bubbling away until it’s time to spill over and cause some chaos. Which the latter part of the track does. Get that two-step ready.

Then there is Weak Links, a faster and more ‘in your face’ slice of rough sounding hardcore noise. Here Going Off start off hot, before pulling back and then building to a cacophony of destructive nasty hardcore groove. Again, it’s such a mean sounding track, and together with Crossroads, makes Going Off sound like one hell of a dangerous band. Check out both tracks here.

paradise fell – FOREVER // EVERMORE

London, UK based alternative project paradise fell has returned with a brand-new single, ‘FOREVER // EVERMORE’. The track follows the launch of single releases – VICES. and LOVE STAINED.

Explains the band:

This song was written for anyone out there who needs reminding that it’s perfectly valid to WANT to let someone go but to also NOT BE ABLE TO do it because it hurts too much. Whilst the twisted restless electronic verses feel like a dark stab in the back from someone you loved, twisting deeper with every line, the chorus feels like a cathartic, anthemic release. You can’t help but scream along every line. Gradually feeling the relief of verbalising out loud that this person has become a “scar, tattooed on heart” that will haunt you forever but that you keep closer than ever before.

There’s some interesting energy to this track, but there’s something off about the beat and vocals. They just don’t seem to sync that well together, and then the chorus comes along and it’s actually quite special sounding. It’s really frustrating, as the main bulk of the track is a bit meandering, but the chorus is fire.

Kraanium – Braindead Skullf*cking

One of Europe’s most lauded brutal death metal exports, Kraanium, have announced their signing to new label home, Unique Leader Records. The announcement also comes with news of the band’s new album, ‘Scriptures of Vicennial Defilement’ due out on November 3rd, 2023, and a brand new single and music video for track ‘Braindead Skullf*cking’.

With a title like that, you know you’re in for something pretty damn devastating, and if you know Kraanium, then it might almost seem par for the course. They are a band who deal in nothing but brutal death metal sounds and this new track is exactly that. The band sounding possessed by demonic entities, creating disgusting noise, and leaving you feeling a little queasy afterwards. Check it out here.

Vanitas – Between Lune & Eden

Following the success of their latest release Eventum gaining 15K+ views on YouTube and being added to over 50 Spotify playlists, progressive metal band Vanitas have made their return with their newest single, an epic love story called ‘Between Lune & Eden’.

An absolute beast of a track, Vanitas are on epic form, and this is another great example of their progressive power. Lively from the start, the interplay between guitars and drums gets the blood pumping loudly in the veins, but then there are the vocals that command so much attention. It’s an energised performance, surprisingly catchy thanks to touches of power metal, but it still sits comfortably in the prog department.

Code Orange – Mirror

Code Orange have a new album, The Above, coming at the end of the month, September 29th, via Blue Grape Music, and now they’ve released a new song and video for ‘Mirror’, another piece of the album’s puzzle.

The notable thing about this track are the guest vocals of Reba Meyers, but beyond that, this is an extremely ‘meh’ track that never gets out of second gear. Its chilled tone is nice, but it’s also quite boring. It’s great that Code Orange are experimenting and there is no arguing with their creativity, but the lack of a spark really makes this one to forget. Check it out here.

Comastatic – Toxic Energy

Zurich, Switzerland based alternative rock duo, Comastatic have today unveiled a new single titled ‘Toxic Energy’.

Singer Mattia Di Paolo shares:

Even though the relationship was harmful and addictive, the other person was like a drug to me… so much that even though the relationship was damaging, I was not able to break away from it. The key message of ‘Toxic Energy’ is to never let anyone control how and what you feel! Be aware of toxic people and behaviours that might be toxic, but also know that nobody’s perfect.

Heavy on effects and electronica throughout, Toxic Energy is a challenging listen as it really doesn’t seem to have much rock about it. At least until the chorus hits, where the track becomes a bit more excitable, and it can be called quite catchy. That being said, it’s a bit of a lacking listen, repetitive and uninteresting overall. Check it out here.

Carnation – Metropolis

Belgian death metal crushers Carnation present their new track ‘Metropolis’! The new song is inspired by the groundbreaking German science-fiction film Metropolis, directed by Fritz Lang which was released in 1927. The track depicts the corruption and filth behind the glitter and glamour of this world, the dark undertone of the advancement of our civilization.

Frontman Simon Duson comments on the track:

We are thrilled to finally unveil ‘Metropolis’. Inspired by Fritz Lang’s 1927 film, our song delves deep into the shadows lurking behind the facade of progress and opulence. ‘Metropolis’ reveals the corruption and filth concealed beneath the glitter and glamour of our world, echoing the dark undertones of our civilization’s relentless advancement. It’s a haunting reminder that often, what lies beneath the surface is far more enigmatic than meets the eye.

A crushing display of brutality from the death metal, Metropolis goes extremely hard. Carnation going for speed and savagery over everything else. Keeping the track short, but still delivering something that has a ton of impact. It’s a wonderful display of death metal mayhem. Check it out here.

The Hyena Kill – Piece of Hell

Manchester atmospheric rock band The Hyena Kill return with some of their deepest material to date, with their new single ‘Piece of Hell’, a track about finally letting go of that poisonous person in your life.

Comments vocalist/guitarist Steven Dobb:

Our new single ‘Piece of Hell’ is taken from our forthcoming new album. It’s such an aggressive tune and feels like a return to our roots but gives nothing away as to the overall sound of the record. We’ve been playing it live for a while now and it’s as cathartic as it gets when we start ripping. It’s even got a shredding solo which is a first for The Hyena Kill.

A punchy and pounding blast of heavy rock noise with a powerful, emotive twist, this new single finds The Hyena Kill pouring a ton of passion into the music. Delightfully anthemic too, while being emphatically heavy. It’s a return well worth celebrating as The Hyena Kill are always producing quality music and this track shows that is just going to continue.

Graveyard – Breathe In, Breathe Out

Swedish blues rock institution Graveyard have released a new single titled ‘Breathe In, Breathe Out’, the second single from their upcoming album 6, that’s set to be released on September 29th via Nuclear Blast Records.

The band comments:

Our 2nd single from the upcoming album 6 is rolling in like a fresh breeze from the west coast for all of you to enjoy. We are happy and thrilled about it, hope you will feel the same.

Moody and atmospheric, the bluesy tones of Graveyard’s rock sound is extremely prevalent here. Graveyard leaning into their progression and age to give us something that sounds like them (with a touch of The Doors), but them as they are now. It’s dramatic, it’s exciting, it’s mellow, and it’s pretty. That’s a summation of Graveyard and what this song offers. It sure does stay with you long after it’s over. Check it out here.

Gamabomb – Speed Funeral

Irish thrash metal legends Gama Bomb have today announced details of their upcoming eighth studio album Bats, to be released 10th November via Prosthetic Records.

The band have also revealed their first single from the album, with accompanying video – which finds the quartet in the aftermath of the untimely demise of their beloved mascot, Snowy the Gamabominable Snowman.

Of the new album, Gama Bomb vocalist Philly Byrne comments:

Bats is the weirdest album we’ve ever made. It has a guest spot by hip hop legend The Egyptian Lover, a surprise sax solo, a futuristic prologue, and a crossover song with lyrics by Percy Bysshe Shelley – we finally felt confident enough to take the brakes off and had a lot of fun with the writing. Weird is good!

Regarding ‘Speed Funeral’, he adds:

There are songs on our new album that diverge from the ‘Gama Bomb formula’ a lot, so we wanted to lead with ‘Speed Funeral’ because it’s a fun, catchy, classic GB mosher. We’re breaking you in gently with this one!

The lyrics are about something I’ve always dreamed of – when I die, I want to be strapped to a rocket and blasted off into space as my family and friends watch. We’re middle-aged men now, so maybe death is on our minds a bit more.

It will be interesting to see what comes from this new album as Speed Funeral is a bit ‘par for the course’ when it comes to Gama Bomb thrash and speed metal. However, that’s not a negative as Gama Bomb thrash and speed metal is always good fun, and this is a head-banging barrel of laughs. A ‘true to form’ brash blast of high-energy cockiness and confidence from a band capable of doing this sort of stuff in their sleep.