Single Slam: Ministry, Kite Thief, South of Salem, Battery Acid, Banks Arcade, Mavis, Catholic Guilt, The Gems, Gut Health, Days Like These, SMO, and Hearts & Hand Grenades!

This week’s single slam features Ministry, Kite Thief, South of Salem, Battery Acid, Banks Arcade, Mavis, Catholic Guilt, The Gems, Gut Health, Days Like These, SMO, and Hearts & Hand Grenades. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Ministry – Just Stop Oil

Corporate greed. Sharky politicians. Climate out-of-control. Questionable government interests. All of it comes to a head in Al Jourgensen’s latest diatribe against the system, ‘Just Stop Oil’. The brand-new track – from Ministry’s upcoming 16th studio album HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES – is shared alongside a visually stimulating music video that begs for action for the benefit of our collective future.

Says Jourgensen of the track:

Ministry approves this message and the movement behind it. ENOUGH is ENOUGH!

Pulling absolutely no punches and wearing their hearts on their sleeves, Ministry do what Ministry do best and drop a no-nonsense slice of groovy industrial rock on heads. Delivering 90s tinged heaviness with energised rock and roll vibes, covered with a greasy sheen of recognisable Ministry industrialisation. It’s an anthem, and the fact that it is upsetting so many people because of its lyrical content, shows that Ministry still have it.

Kite Thief – Shush

Kite Thief is a high-voltage expanse of catharsis; an ecstatic space of rage, and a playful moment in time to lose yourself, without fear. Emanating from Bristol, the five-piece blend their diverse influences with the spice of disrupting & confronting toxic social norms.

Fresh from blistering performances at 2000 Trees Festival and Wildfire Festival and sharing stages with the likes of RXPTRS, Of Virtue, and InMe, Kite Thief have released their fourth single ‘Shush’ on the 10th November.

Kite Thief’s momentum is high right now, and Shush will only help keep things trucking nicely along as it showcases the huge anthemic style that the band has. Accessible, in a catchy alternative rock way, but with heavier and groovier bursts that sound great. This is a fantastic and addictive listen. Check it out here.

South Of Salem – Static

UK hard rock sensations South of Salem have revealed their new single/video ‘Static’, taken from their highly-anticipated second album Death of the Party. Death of the Party will be released January 19th by the band’s own Spider Party Records.

The hype is very real, and South of Salem are quickly becoming the name on everyone’s tongue when it comes to the UK hard rock scene. Helped by a litany of previous tracks, and surely this new offering too. A robust and heady blast of groovy rock, the highlight is a killer chorus that will get stuck in everyone’s head, regardless. The cherry on top though, is the guitar solo. Kick ass stuff from South of Salem.

Battery Acid – Disposable

Disposable is the second single due to be released on the 10th November 2023 by all female alt punk rock band Battery Acid. The song is a powerful expression of inner turmoil and self-criticism. The lyrics depict the frustration of a person who is unable to confront their own issues so instead resorts to distancing themselves. Leaving them feeling ‘Disposable’, an extended metaphor present throughout the song.

Now this is a band worth keeping a close eye on. Delivering a frenetic and groovy blast of grunge-tinged punk rock that has a wicked level of excitability to it. Yet, listen to the lyrics and listen to the interplay between instruments and you’ll hear a band with depth. If all of that wasn’t interesting enough, it’s also one hell of an infectious listen too. Check it out here.

Banks Arcade – Change

They say a change is as good as a holiday, and for Melbourne heavy metal boy band Banks Arcade, a hypnotic diversion is just what the doctor ordered with their brand-new single ‘Change’ out via UNFD.

A band who never disappoint, Banks Arcade have a dark and melodic showcase of their dynamic metal sound to display here. Sounding both fresh and alternatively nostalgic too. With a trippy touch, it’s surprisingly unique sounding, no easy task in modern music, but that’s Banks Arcade for you.

Mavis – Calypso

German heavy music ensemble Mavis, featuring vocalist Phil Donay, guitarist Manu Weller, bass player Mo Amrein, and drummer Jakob Schulz-Klein, have announced their debut full-length record, Grief is no Ally, to be released 15th December via Arising Empire. To celebrate the news, the band have released their new single ‘Calypso’.

Wow. This is an absolute beast of a track. Filled with atmosphere, epic heavy intent, and moving melody. It is the epitome of the ‘let’s go’ movement as it encourages a frantic expulsion of energy. It balances unbridled heaviness with dark melody perfectly, resulting in listen after listen after listen. Check it out here.

Catholic Guilt – Can You See Me?

Melbourne/Naarm alt-rockers Catholic Guilt share their nostalgic new tune ‘Can You See Me?’, out via Wiretap Records, and prepare to share it live at The Tote in Melbourne on November 18th.

Vocalist Brenton Harris explains:

Drawing inspiration from the Australian indie and punk scene from the 2000s, Can You See Me? is a tale of lost identity and feeling at odds with yourself. For me personally, that feeling was brought on by a period of intense emotional and physical upheaval caused by a variety of interpersonal issues and a few serious life and career setbacks.

All of these issues coalesced around the time of the lockdowns and ended up impacting life on the other side of it, resulting in me living life as a version of myself that felt so unfamiliar, so unconfident, so shaken, so entirely unlike ‘me’. Writing the song allowed me to process and heal and move onto the next evolution of ‘myself’. It’s our ‘feel sad hit of the summer’.

Nostalgia is the perfect word to describe this track, and many a listener will come away feeling wistful upon hearing it. Catholic Guilt capture the indie and punk scene of the 2000s perfectly here. Yet, it doesn’t sound dated, it just makes you smile. Catchy and effective music.

The Gems – P.S.Y.C.H.O

Promising new rock band, The Gems, consisting of three ex-Thundermother members: incomparable vocalist Guernica Mancini, powerhouse drummer Emlee Johansson, and guitar and bass virtuoso Mona ‘Demona’ Lindgren, have released a new single, the energetic ‘P.S.Y.C.H.O’, cut from their upcoming debut album, Phoenix, out 26th January 2024 via Napalm Records.

The Gems continue to impress their hard rocking and anthemic ways with a simplified and fun number that would go down well in a rock club. Punchy and catchy, it’s not the most exciting release the band have given us, but even then, it’s a delightfully infectious tune. Check it out here.

Gut Health – Runaway High

Hailing from Worchester, MA, Gut Health are an aggressive alternative rock outfit that spawned from the spoils of the COVID-19 pandemic. On the 13th of November, they will release their new single ‘Runaway High’.

A bit gnarly and a bit nasty, Gut Health’s approach to alt-rock is interesting. Adding a punkier edge, infusing grunge into things, and layering it all with a lovely bit of fuzz. It’s a sound that makes them all the more intriguing, and, happily, the end result is deliciously catchy. The last section of the track will be stuck in brains for days afterwards. You can pre-save it on Spotify here.

SMO – Real People

SMO, the new project of guitarist Sammy Urwin of Employed to Serve, has released the music video and track, ‘Real People’.

If Sammy Urwin is involved, we can confidently expect something quite good, and Real People is very good. A track that covers a lot of bloody ground, blending heavy riffs and pounding industrialised beats with wacked out electronica. It betrays most genre-conventions, being wildly alternative and aggressive, but it so freaking fascinating. Also, how good does Sammy’s vocals sound? The future of SMO is going to be very exciting indeed.

Days Like These – Primadonna

Brisbane alt-rock sweethearts Days Like These return off the back of their recently released EP, ‘Icon, with the brand new, electro-charged single, ‘Primadonna’.

Shares frontman Callen Batson:

The arena-ready anthem pulls together an eclectic array of sounds to form a fast-paced, hook-laden rock song that muses on the beauty of life and human connection. Primadonna is our positive outlook on life. Noah and I wanted to write about being in love with what life can offer you. Specifically, the idea of being a light, a support and a beacon of love to yourself and other people. We wrapped the message up in glamour and tongue-in-cheek, which we did a fair bit of on ‘ICON’, something that I think DLT prides itself on now.

Really leaning into the ‘alternative’ part of their alt-rock sound, Days Like These certainly have an attention-grabbing song here. One that compels the body to move, even if it’s against its will, but might be just a little too poppy for some. It is annoyingly catchy though, especially because of the chorus. Check it out here.

Hearts & Hand Grenades – Better Off Alone

Buffalo, NY, explosive American hard rock group, Hearts & Hand Grenades have premiered a new music video and single entitled ‘Better Off Alone’. The second single & music video taken from their upcoming full-length album ‘Where I Begin’ which is scheduled to be released on January 26, 2024 via Eclipse Records.

Says lead vocalist & bassist Stephanie Wlosinski:

Better Off Alone is a song about being overlooked in a relationship, finally getting fed up, and doing something about it and we chose this song as a single to show that the band is extremely diverse when it comes to our music. We can go from a punk feel to hard rock, to metal, and back again!

Guitarist Mike Bress continues:

In thinking about all our music videos so far, this was actually the most fun to create. Each shot was thought up on the spot, and brought to life by the people at the party just being themselves and having a great time. For example, there is a guy in the video that just laid down after having too much to drink, and it looked like he was passed out drunk. We thought, that’s funny so we decided to have a bunch of shots where he was passed out everywhere. There is also a scene reminiscent of the movie 300 where he yells ‘This is Sparta’ and kicks a guy into the pit. Our female friend got to do the same when she finally had enough of her boyfriend ignoring her. Overall, Nick Sonricker is fantastic to work with. He is easy-going and comes prepared not only with all his camera equipment, but the ability to recognize and execute ideas that made our video pop!

Hearts & Hand Grenades are an awesome band, and Better Off Alone is another banger track that proves their hot spell isn’t ending anytime soon. Delivering a powerful rock and roll hit of adrenaline with a banger chorus. It’s the kind of song you play someone to show just how damn infectious band can be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwjZ9GOSpa0