Single Slam: Ov Sulfur, Attendant, Yours Truly, The Shadows Gone Out, El Moono, DragonForce, Kollapse, Comastatic, Ihsahn, Avralize, Cadet Carter, Timelost, Invent Animate, Shooting Daggers, Doomcrusher, Swarm6ix, Crownshift, What Awaits Us, and Landmvrks!

Today’s single slam features Ov Sulfur, Attendant, Yours Truly, The Shadows Gone Out, El Moono, DragonForce, Kollapse, Comastatic, Ihsahn, Avralize, Cadet Carter, Timelost, Invent Animate, Shooting Daggers, Doomcrusher, Swarm6ix, Crownshift, What Awaits Us, and Landmvrks. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Ov Sulfur – Hivemind (feat. Lukas Nikolai of Mental Cruelty)

Ov Sulfur is proud to announce the release of their latest single ‘Hivemind’, featuring Lukas Nikolai of Mental Cruelty. The single showcases Ov Sulfur’s consistent stance against conventional religious narratives and herd mentality, a theme that aligns seamlessly with Mental Cruelty’s established defiance in their music.

On the new single, guitarist Chase Wilson comments:

‘Hivemind’ is Ov Sulfur’s rallying cry against the herd mentality that has turned religion from hopeful to hateful for centuries – to the point where it’s basically part of its ethos. The song takes a cue from its celebration of avoiding the typical, stylistically, by taking a left-hand path: embracing off-kilter swing in its dramatic chorus, contrasted with some of their most technical riffing. Lukas Nicolai of Mental Cruelty really elevated the brutality. It’s a honour to have our Century Media labelmates and fellow blackened deathcore leaders on a song with us ahead of our co-headlining tour across North America.

You know, before even hearing a second this track, that it is going to be intense. You also know it’s going to be special. Simply because Ov Sulfur have been on such form in recent time, and then you throw in the insane talents of Mental Cruelty’s Lukas Nikolai. Guess what? This track goes f**king hard. Yet, it is so epic too. Ov Sulfur are kings of making blackened deathcore sound grander than ever and Hivemind is a beast. Lavish and detailed, but unrelentingly heavy. It’s one of 2024’s most brutal sounding tracks, and proves unequivocally that Ov Sulfur are in a league of their own.

Attendant – Chimera

London’s brilliant rising grunge rockers Attendant have a brand-new single ‘Chimera’. It will be the first single off a debut album that’s set to release in the summer.

A catchy tune that has a strong alternative vibe, Attendant showcase a melodious example of grunge rock that feels older than it actually is. The energetic instrumental side of things ensures the infectiousness of the track is front and centre, while the vocals add the overall ‘moody’ vibe that gives it the alternative/grunge flavour. Check it out here.

Yours Truly – Call My Name

Armed with their first new music since their 2022 EP, Sydney alternative band Yours Truly return today with ‘Call My Name’, out now via UNFD.

Frontwoman Mikaila says of their brand-new single:

Call My Name is about the internal struggles of being addicted to a person that you know is bad for you. You turn away from all their red flags because you have so much hope that they can be the person you created in your dreams. You defend them and begin to blame yourself. I realised that we as people crave acceptance from the people who make us feel we are not enough and on the other side some people use that power to their advantage. At the end of the day you realise some things aren’t meant to be and you need to make peace with that.

Consistently anthemic, Yours Truly are one of the finest examples of modern genre-bending that exists in alternative rock. Always delivering something inherently memorable, while blending pop melodies with vigorous rock rhythms. Which is exactly what we get here, alongside a chorus that gets well and truly jammed in the brain. It’s a crowd pleaser with a strong and deep lyrical message. Check it out here.

The Shadow’s Gone Out – Whispering Ghost

Instrumental rock band The Shadow’s Gone Out have released their new single ‘Whispering Ghost’. The track follows their first EP, ‘1st Final Alarm’, inspired by rock/metal and synth wave sounds, released on September 23, 2022 digitally. Whispering Ghost aims to be the link between Final Alarm and the group’s 2nd EP, which will be released in April 2024 on the Pogo Records label.

Calling this band ‘instrumental rock’ might be the most simplified example of pigeon-holing ever, as this track is certainly so much more. The Shadow’s Gone Out drawing from the world of trip-hop to create something that is extremely dark and atmospheric sounding. There is groove to it, and you can hear the thrum of rock in it, but it’s certainly not what new listeners will expect when reading a basic band bio. Hey, who doesn’t love surprises, right? Especially ones that end up being as memorable as this?

El Moono – The First Man on Mars

Alternative Brightonian quartet El Moono are delighted to announce their debut album, The Waking Sun, to be released 10th May via Lockjaw Records. As if that weren’t enough, the band have also released the new single ‘The First Man on Mars’.

The band comment:

Modern life looks more like a dystopia every day – the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and billionaires are planning their escape to Mars. ‘The First Man on Mars’ is a comment on the billionaire space race, and how we’re allowing those billions to be invested in a vanity project, rather than problems that affect us all on earth. Sometimes we feel like we’re stuck in the Truman Show, with no escape from our predetermined fates. Musically, the track sums up our band’s divergent style of songwriting, with verses of world-music tinged pop suddenly juxtaposed by doom-metal sludge sections, and accentuated by the biggest riff we’ve ever written.

We do enjoy a bit of El Moono here at GBHBL, and our faith in them is proven to be well placed as this new single is just great. A track that oozes atmosphere, creates melodic intrigue, has heavy bursts of trippy heaviness, and keeps the listener guessing all the way through. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, it’s El Moono. Check it out here.

DragonForce – Astro Warrior Anthem

Grammy-nominated extreme power metal frontrunners DragonForce have unveiled their new single, ‘Astro Warrior Anthem’, together with an official music video. The opening track from the epic new album, Warp Speed Warriors, out on 15th March 2024 via Napalm Records.

Tell if you’ve heard this before… but DragonForce go big and fast here. That’s not a criticism though (mostly) as it’s what fans expect and love about this band and Astro Warrior Anthem is DragonForce through and through. It’s a big track, both vocally and instrumentally, with plenty of grin-inducing flair, and a chorus that expects you to raise a fist in the air and sing along, as best as possible. What else would you expect from DragonForce? Check it out here.

Kollapse – Død

Danish post-metal/noise-rock trio Kollapse have just dropped a music video for ‘Død’, the brand-new song off their new full-length album ‘AR’ (Scars for non-Scandinavians), which is set to be released on March 8 via Fysisk Format (Norway), Vinyltroll Records (Denmark) and Head Records (France).

The band had this to say about the latest single:

DØD was one of the harder songs to write from a lyrical point of view. This is also the track that really introduces Peter L. as the second vocal pillar of Kollapse. He had done vocals earlier on Sult, but here he carries the song for the first time. As a lot of our songs, DØD was written around Peter D’s drums and has a basic start/stop dynamic and a certain Amrep feel in the bass parts. The bare bones approach was something we wanted to explore, and the somewhat busy drums push against the simplicity of the guitars in an effective way. This one demands a certain headspace when we play it live because of the subject matter, but no one said playing music should be comfortable.

One of things that constantly surprise about Kollapse is that they are way heavier than you might first expect. This is a band who enjoy being abrasively heavy, but also showcasing musical abilities that create captivating soundscapes, all while having an intense vulnerability. This sums up Død, and then some, as Kollapse really push their limits, in particular with the drumming and the vocals. It’s a fascinating listen that gets under the skin.

Comastatic – Como

Alternative rock duo, Comastatic kick start the year with a brand-new single titled ‘Coma’.

It’s all about the chorus here, as Comastatic hit their alternative stride when it comes. Around that, we have a melodramatic blend of pop and rock, but having a freshness that is sometimes found lacking in the alternative world. It takes a couple of listens to really appreciate the layers the track has, but given the time, it delivers. Check it out here.

Ihsahn – The Distance Between Us

Ihsahn has released the final single to be taken from his forthcoming self-titled album. ‘The Distance Between Us’ introduces us to the more melancholic, spacious side of the release. Accompanying the track is a haunting new video, a continuation of the conceptual storyline which has been spread across previous singles, ‘Pilgrimage To Oblivion’ and ‘Twice Born’.

New album, definitively titled Ihsahn, will be released on 16th February 2024 via Candlelight Records. Daring to push the realms of creative expressionism even further with his eighth studio offering, the Norwegian progressive metal visionary will release two melodically interlinked versions of the same album: one prog metal, one fully symphonic, both creating a cinematically-influenced masterpiece.

Commenting on the new track, Ihsahn says:

The first two singles were taken from the beginning of the conceptual narrative, generating the hubris and determination required. With this last single, we’re getting closer to the end of the story and hence both music and lyrics express a more reflective and melancholic perspective.

Excited yet? Who hasn’t been sold on this upcoming double album with the previous singles already? If you’re one of the rare holdouts, this might be the one to finally set your senses aflame, even if it’s a much more dramatic and melody-focused piece. What it delivers is cinematic grandeur and atmosphere that floods the mind. It’s got a sinister edge, balanced out by a sense of epic unlike anything else. It’s not hyperbolic to call Ihsahn a musical genius, and the proof is in tracks like this. Check it out here.

Avralize – Lotus

Fronted by vocalist Severin Sailer, with guitarist Philipp Tenberken, drummer Bastian Gölz and bass player Valentin Noack; Avralize have signed with Arising Empire and released hitting single ‘Lotus’.

Say hello to Avralize, they play modern metalcore music with a coarse twist, and this track shows their dedication to going as hard as possible. All while having emphatic melody layered throughout, and making sure the chorus is one hell of an ear-worm. It’s not game-changing music, but as an up and coming band, Avralize stand out and at this rate, will be one of the bigger bands in this genre in a few years.

Cadet Carter – Let it Go

With artists like Machine Gun Kelly, Mod Sun and Avril Lavigne dominating the mainstream charts (again!), Pop Punk and Emo music has seen a remarkable resurgence over the past year. While Cadet Carter consider themselves very much part of this genre, their sound is much closer to the likes of Jimmy Eat World and Taking Back Sunday than it is to the aforementioned. The Munich-based band, fronted by Welsh lead singer Nick Saute, have now released ‘Let it Go’, the new single taken their upcoming album ‘Self-Maintenance’.

Yes, it is the year 2024. Even if Let it Go will have you convinced you’ve time-travelled back to when alternative/emo rock was the hottest thing in the world. Depending on your taste, you’ll either see this as a good thing or a bad thing, but no-one can deny the catchiness of this track. Cadet Carter are here to make emo great again and with songs like this, few will be able to deny their imminent success. Check it out here.

Timelost – Diet Strangers

Timelost, the band with an energetic blend of garage rock and nostalgic nods to the alternative rock sounds of the 90s, will release their highly anticipated second full-length album, ‘Drained’, through Church Road Records. The first single, ‘Diet Strangers’ is out now.

The time travelling continues in this Single Slam with Timelost taking us back to the 90s and a more unrefined/garage rock era. One twisted with the infectious vibes of alternative rock. However, what really makes Timelost stand out is the fact that they’re doing this music better than most who came from that era, and they don’t sound outdated. This sounds like a modern band, utilising the past, giving it their own take, and delivering something grin-inducing. It’s a great track.

Invent Animate – Sleepless Deathbed

Atmospheric metalcore trailblazers Invent Animate are kicking off 2024 by releasing their new single ‘Sleepless Deathbed’ and the accompanying visualiser (via UNFD).

When asked about the inspiration behind today’s release, the band shared:

The song is about hallucinating a state of your own death and being stuck in that lifeless plane of constant and repeating discomfort. Where all your bad memories, big and small, are falling down on you in the form of rain and making you feel it all again, physically all at once. At a point, you start to think this might be death and that it might be like this forever. It weighs you down so much that your ground melts and you fall down through a static space through your own memories. The fall becomes the sleepless deathbed, where you’ve come to serve until the end of time. This is one of those songs that was written naturally, we knew we wanted something fast and heavy and we knew lyrics needed to represent physical panic.

The form that Invent Animate are on is so impressive, and the fact that they’re back with a new single already, is testament to their current creative output. The fact that it is a manic piece of quality metalcore… well, that’s what this band does and this track is them through and through. Take their speed, their garish heaviness, their melodic drops, haunting tones, and big choruses, and that’s what we have here. A banger. Check it out here.

Shooting Daggers – Smug

London queercore punk band Shooting Daggers are set to release their debut album ‘Love and Rage’ on 16th February via New Heavy Sounds. Before then though they have shared new single ’Smug’.

Watch out, Shooting Daggers are here to shake up the punk rock world, and the proof is in this noisy, shouty, and surprisingly catchy banger. Having a rawness that gives it the punk flavour, but with some rock and roll groove running through it. London sure does produce some good music, and Shooting Daggers are well worth keeping an eye on.

Doomcrusher – Breakout

German modern metal quintet Doomcrusher, the newest addition to the Arising Empire roster, have released their crushing debut single ‘Breakout’.

The band comment:

We’re more than proud to present you our first single ‘Breakout’! The everyday life, duties, and worries weigh us down. We deserve to live in freedom and bliss. We shouldn‘t wait any longer. It’s time to break out now!

Another new band, another one to be excited about. Doomcrusher want to leave an impression with this debut single, and that goal is well and truly met with a cacophony of heavy, head-banging metal. Big riffs, big hooks, big choruses, and some well placed big melodies, makes this one a hit. Check it out here.

Swarm6ix – Lip$tick

Swarm6ix provide a safe space for those that have always appeared anti-social, dormant, and introverted on the surface. The band acquired their unique identity by combining a love for heavy trap and metal music and stand strongly for the freedom of expression within art. Swarm6ix execute a sound somewhere between Ghostemane and Emmure, yet simultaneously evoke nostalgia and familiarity. Adding a sprinkle of modern nu-metal, Swarm6ix have their red beam set to storm the scene with everything they have in their artillery and will not be stopped.

Following on from singles ‘Fuego’, ‘d0pamine’, ‘$OCIAL $UICIDE’ ‘CANCER’ and ‘Deaths G(rip)’ which were all spun by BBC Radio 1, and coverage with Loudwire, Metal Hammer and more, Swarm6ix release new single ‘Lip$tick’ today. Not only that, the band have also announced that they have signed with Out Of Line Music.

Swarm6ix’s rise is becoming undeniable and with this new single, and the announcement of the label signing, the future has never looked brighter. The thing is, this is happening because their inimitable blend of trap metal and nu-metal is very good, and Lip$tick is one of their best efforts yet. The band are sounding more confident than ever, and seem to have a stronger understanding of balancing all their different elements.

Crownshift – If You Dare

One of Finland’s hottest new exports, modern metal band Crownshift, are pleased to finally unleash their debut single and music video. Having just signed with Nuclear Blast Records, ‘If You Dare’ is the first glimpse at Crownshift’s upcoming debut album, which is set to be released in the first half of 2024.

A modernised take on melodeath, with some earlier Children of Bodom influences and touches of Soilwork/Scar Symmetry, Crownshift are going to be f**king huge. Seriously, don’t take our word for it, just check out this energetic and excitable debut track, it is a very solid effort, made all the more notable by the strong harmonies. Check it out here.

What Awaits Us – The Harbinger

Finnish melodic deathcore juggernauts What Awaits Us are back with the release of a new obliterating single, ‘The Harbinger’.

The band comments on the new single:

The Harbinger, by definition, is a person or thing that originates a new activity, method, or the essence of today’s infrastructure – technology. Society is changing, and we wanted to emphasize how vital it is to retain the human factor in whatever direction we develop the artificially intelligent world.

Even more Finnish melodeath and can you believe it? This one goes hard too. Frantic as hell, furiously heavy, and featuring some immense melodies that lift this track to an even greater level. What Awaits Us are back and if this new single is anything to go by, what they have planned for listeners is going to wreck necks. Check it out here.

Landmvrks – Creature

French metalcore quintet Landmvrks return with a video for their brand-new single ‘Creature’, out now via Arising Empire.

The band comment:

‘Creature’ is the first single from Landmvrks’ new chapter, which explores the fears we bury deep inside ourselves instead of exploring and facing up to them. They end up resurfacing even stronger. The creature taking possession of the body is a metaphor for this.

One of the leaders of the modern metalcore pack, Landmvrks epitomise quality and once again, they deliver an anthem that only they could have created. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Landmvrks perform live (the energy alone) and this is a track that captures the mayhem they can create. The chorus is something else. This is going to be a fan-favourite for a very long time.