Single Slam: Saor, Dynazty, Calyces, Dark Driven, Pop Evil, Coiled Around Thy Spine, pMad, Cabal, Great American Ghost, Bleeding Through, Vermilia, Karobela, Storm, Grief Ritual, Cytotoxin, and Lacuna Coil!

Today’s single slam features Saor, Dynazty, Calyces, Dark Driven, Pop Evil, Coiled Around Thy Spine, pMad, Cabal, Great American Ghost, Bleeding Through, Vermilia, Karobela, Storm, Grief Ritual, Cytotoxin, and Lacuna Coil. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Saor – The Sylvan Embrace

Scottish atmospheric black metal Saor has unveiled their latest single, ‘The Sylvan Embrace’. Taken from their new album ‘Amidst the Ruins’, which is out February 7th, 2025, on Season of Mist. The new track features critically acclaimed composer and virtuoso cellist Jo Quail.

As beautiful as it is soothing, Soar’s latest single is a captivating listen that finds ways to touch the soul not often heard in the world of black metal. Of course, this is a band with melodic folk layers and this track may be one of the grandest examples of that. It’s one to sink into, and the immense talents of Jo Quail just make it all the more powerful.

Dynazty – Call of the Night

Creators of power metal supertrack ‘Heartless Madness’, Dynazty today release their third single ‘Call of the Night’ – taken from new album Game of Faces, which will be released on 14th February via Nuclear Blast Records.

Singer Nils Molin comments:

Night-time. A time for calm and tranquillity or a time for fears, deceit and villainousness? When light shifts so does the mind of man. ‘I have seen the depths of the dark well. I know the stories it can tell. The allure of danger, strangers and the promises they sell.’

We’re proud to present you with the opening track and one of my personal favourites of the album – ‘Call of the Night’. Enjoy and don’t forget to place your pre-order of Game of Faces, out on February 14!

What a bombastic blast of head banging fun this is. Dynazty bring the power, turning in an anthem that will have even the most ardent detractor of the genre smiling from ear to war. The chorus is so infectious, but the cherry on top is the wicked guitar solo. Check it out here.

Calyces – Flowing Through Storm

Athenian progressive metal band Calyces have announced their brand-new album ‘Fleshy Waves of Probability’, which is out on 21st March. To celebrate this, they have released their lead single ‘Flowing Through Storm’.

An exciting first taste of the upcoming new album, Calyces showcase a progressive proficiency that could dominate, except they’re far too creative to make that aspect the only notable thing about this track. It’s got layers of dreamy melody, outbursts of heavier intensity, and just enough weird twists and turns to make it feel trippy.

Dark Driven – Dressed Divine

Sweden’s Dark Driven emerge in a chilling debut of grandeur and grit with ‘From the Unbeliever’, a collection of dark, gothic metal that fuses melancholy with menace. A first offering, in the form of their single ‘Dressed Divine’, is now streaming via Hammerheart Records. ‘From the Unbeliever’ will be released on 21st March via the label.

The band comment on the track:

‘Dressed Divine’ is one of the songs that we wrote and recorded at the end of the whole album process. The music is quite a melodious piece that starts with a rocking White Lion inspired riff with a nice hooky lead loop on it. The lyrics deals with a killer’s ego and perspective on his own excellence and is slightly inspired by the video for ‘Where the Wild Roses Grow’ featuring Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds ft. Kylie Minogue.

A little bit of bleakness in January is always welcome and Dark Driven have plenty to offer on this melodically and melancholy charged headbanger. A bit melodeath in tone, but with a thick gothic metal vein running it, it’s a likable listen and creates excitement for the upcoming new album. Check it out here.

Pop Evil – Wishful Thinking

Modern rock powerhouse Pop Evil follow their scorching singles ‘What Remains’ and ‘Deathwalk’ with a new, dark track ‘Wishful Thinking’, along with cinematic music video, via MNRK Heavy.

The band comments on the track:

‘Wishful Thinking’ pushes us into a realm that’s deeper, darker, and more intense than ever before.

Always one of the world’s most anthemic bands, while being consistently creative, Pop Evil have built up such a strong reputation that expectations are high for this latest release. Happily, they are far too good to disappoint and this darker, heavier (in places), and elaborate listen is as delightful as always. Guess what? It has a chorus that gets jammed in the mind. Check it out here.

Coiled Around Thy Spine – Where Nothing Remains

The American Italian melodic death metal band, Coiled Around Thy Spine have released their brand-new single, ‘Where Nothing Remains’.

Fast, aggressive, and with a level of grandeur that really adds some pomp to this ferocious melodeath effort, this is another banger from Coiled Around Thy Spine. Not just because it is an intense listen, but because it has some serious metal flair. It’s very imaginative in places, whereas in others, it’s wild.

pMad – Feed

pMad, the post-punk goth from Portumna, Galway, Ireland delves deep into the shadows with the latest single, ‘Feed’. Exploring themes of isolation, inner turmoil, and the search for meaning.

The goth rock side of pMad is at the forefront of this new, solemn, and thought-proving effort. However, as is so often the case, the eclectic artist changes the vibe in subtle, but interesting ways. It’s a slower and darker song from pMad, but just as interesting as always. Not everything is going to be anthemic, but in its own way, this track sticks in the mind.

Cabal – Unveiled

Cabal returns with their powerful new single ‘Unveiled’, featuring Matthi, frontman of beatdown legends Nasty. The new album ‘Everything Rots’ will be released on 11th April via Nuclear Blast Records.

Singer Andreas Bjulver comments:

If you’ve ever had your trust horribly betrayed this track is for you. This is CABAL at its most furious, it’s pure anger distilled into sound and it features none other than Matthi from Nasty, which only adds to the aggression.

Well, this is just filth. Aggressive and intense from the start, Cabal’s intent to be heavier than ever is realised, and that’s before an incredible guest spot from Nasty’s Matthi is considered. There are no nuances to this, it’s just fast and furious chaos that calls to the animal in all of us. Check it out here.

Great American Ghost – Echoes of War

Great American Ghost have shared their new single ‘Echoes of War’, the newest glimpse of the band’s upcoming album ‘Tragedy Of The Commons’, out 31st January on SharpTone Records.

Says vocalist Ethan Harrison:

This song is this record. The keystone that holds the entire thing together. The culmination of everything we took into the studio and of everything we hoped to accomplish with Tragedy of The Commons creatively. This is the foundation of the new Great American Ghost.

A mighty and meaty deathcore/metalcore-focused effort that has a staggeringly good chorus, Great American Ghost bring the heavy with this one. Their approach is methodical, but the slower tempo doesn’t limit the impact. Case in point? A breakdown that will leave all seeing stars, especially as the tempo shifts in such a startling way.

Bleeding Through – I Am Resistance

SoCal metalcore behemoth Bleeding Through is gearing up for the release of their long-awaited, ninth full length album, ‘Nine’, on February 14th via SharpTone Records, and have revealed a new single called ‘I Am Resistance’ featuring Comeback Kid vocalist Andrew Neufeld.

There’s some old-school Bleeding Through vibes to this one, evident by the haunting synth touches, but it’s still got enough forward-thinking aspects to feel important now. They’re finding their feet again, looking to the past and finding exciting ways to make their modern approach as appealing as possible. It is certainly working as this is a bit of a banger. Check it out here.

Vermilia – Veresi

Vermilia has released a new epic pagan anthem titled ‘Veresi’, taken from her upcoming album ‘Karsikko’, set for release on February 14th, 2025.

As black as a starless night in the farthest corner of the world, but with those iconic folk elements that makes Vermilia so special, Veresi is a powerful track. It feels so deep and dark, and features some intense moments (especially vocally), but it still holds an inherent beauty. This new album is going to be very special.

Karobela – Afterthought

‘Afterthought’ is the latest single from alt-rockers Karobela. It delves deep into personal experiences of feeling set aside, second best and simply never enough for that one person who should always be putting you first.

Are you looking for something to move and groove to? Something that has a little funkiness to it? Something deliciously infectious? Karobela have the track for you, and it is going to be stuck in the mind for hours afterwards. The alt-vibes are super accessible, but there’s a bit of bite to this one too, courtesy of a big sounding chorus. Check it out here.

Storm – Alien Perspective

Norwegian metalcore prodigy Storm has released his brand-new single ‘Alien Perspective’.

Shares Storm:

‘Alien Perspective’ is my personal favourite of the songs I have released so far. Teaming up with Erlend Torheim (PandaPanda) and Torine on the songwriting, I wanted to create something I’d never done before. It’s about embracing chaos – like being the only sober person in a room full of drunk or high people. You’re watching it all unfold, and finding acceptance with it. This track is pure instinct, pure creativity.

What were you doing at 16? Chances are it wasn’t putting out electrifying music like this. A punchy and precise track that features energetic drum and bass blended with metalcore intensity, powerful rapping, and extravagant effects. It’s very cool and very appealing. Check it out here.

Grief Ritual – Spiral

Grief Ritual’s debut album ‘Collapse’ is out via Church Road Records on January 31st, 2025, the follow-up to their self-released debut EP Spiritual Disease. On the album, the band lay bare the anger, frustration, and disenfranchisement they feel about the UK and the wider world. Human extinction, capitalism, genocide, ecocide, and the rise of populist right authoritarianism are explored in garish detail across the record. Now, the latest explosive single ‘Spiral’ has been released.

To the surprise of anyone who has been paying attention, this latest Grief Ritual song is a banger. A trend that has been in place all the way up to the release of this album. Here, we get Grief Ritual at their heaviest. Delivering a vitriolic beast that alternates between methodical pounding and anarchic blasts. It’s freaking great.

Cytotoxin – Condemnesia

After the release of their fourth full-length record Nuklearth in 2020, the nuclear quintet Cytotoxin strikes back with their second standalone single ‘Condemnesia’. The band continue their blast of a musical and lyrical concept, tackling the catastrophic incident at the Chernobyl power plant in 1986.

Doing an outstanding job of making complex brutality listenable, Cytotoxin slam very hard with their technical death metal crossed with deathcore sound, delivering a track that is wildly intense from beginning to end. Get those neck muscles warmed up before you hit play on this one. Check it out here.

Lacuna Coil – Gravity

Italian metal legends Lacuna Coil are back with their newest single ‘Gravity’. The new single, which comes with a striking new music video, marks the fifth single from their upcoming record Sleepless Empire, which is set to be released February 14th, 2025, via Century Media Records. Exploring themes of the inevitability of fate as well as the constant cycle of falling and rising, ‘Gravity’ delivers an important message on resilience.

The band shares about the single:

Balance is so difficult to keep as we navigate through desperate times, feeling lost and gasping as we ask for help. How do we deal with tough times? Do we ask for a hand? Or do we isolate ourselves from everything else to recollect in our own misanthropic golden cage? I hope you will love ‘Gravity’ as much as we do and that it will make you reflect on the time we have left and how to use it wisely.

Who would think, outside of superfans, that Lacuna Coil would be the verge of releasing one of their strongest albums to date? It’s happening, based off all the singles we’d had so far and this really enjoyable new effort. One that feels like a collection of Lacuna Coil eras but isn’t a rethread of past glories. It’s creative, it’s interesting, and it’s anthemic, what more does anyone want from this band?