Single Slam: Heriot, Bitter Kisses, House of Ousey, Gaerea, Turmion Kätilöt, Girlhood, Awake the Dreamer, Wildheart, Glacial Tomb, Broken Earth, Trendkill, The Beautiful Monument, Winterfylleth, Days Like These, Unto Others, Five the Hierophant, Eville, and Devin Townsend!

Today’s single slam features Heriot, Bitter Kisses, House of Ousey, Gaerea, Turmion Kätilöt, Girlhood, Awake the Dreamer, Wildheart, Glacial Tomb, Broken Earth, Trendkill, The Beautiful Monument, Winterfylleth, Days Like These, Unto Others, Five the Hierophant, Eville, and Devin Townsend. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Heriot – At the Fortress Gate

The UK’s most exciting new heavy band, Heriot, have released their new single ‘At the Fortress Gate’, their second glimpse of their long-awaited debut album, ‘Devoured by the Mouth of Hell’, which will be released 27th September via Century Media.

The band comment:

‘At the Fortress Gate’ blends elements from both our early and newer influences. It’s been one of our favourite unreleased tracks to perform live over this festival season, and we can’t wait to add it in the set for the Fit for An Autopsy tour later this year!

This album is shaping up to be very special indeed and based off this latest slice, suggests Heriot are about to be catapulted into stardom. A pit song through and through, this is Heriot at their most ‘in your face’ sounding from both an instrumental and vocal perspective. Violently brutal with gnarly breakdowns, the hardcore heavy side of the fanbase will love this.

Bitter Kisses – Loveless

Self-described as “pop music you can beat your friends up to”, Bristol-based heavy-pop four-piece Bitter Kisses continue their rise with their latest single, ‘Loveless’.

Reflecting on the inspiration behind the single the band state:

With Loveless we set out to satirize the over-capitalistic elements of the world by sculpting one of our own. In a world devoid of all emotion, love is the ultimate product.

The unique sound of Bitter Kisses, and their innate ability to be musically challenging and anthemic in equal measures, is on full display here. Loveless is a punchy listen with a robust rhythm section, heavy jabs, and big, dramatic vocals. Really listenable and really lovable stuff. Check it out here.

House of Ousey – We Don’t Cast the Light

House of Ousey are back with their third single ‘We Don’t Cast the Light’. Since forming in 2021, the band has taken home awards for best guitarist and best drummer at the New Zealand Battle of the Bands in 2022, and opened for the legendary Stryper during their visit in 2023. Following this momentum, House of Ousey released their first single ‘Fugitive’ in February, second single ‘Of Love and Desire’ in April and now ‘We Don’t Cast the Light’.

The journey alongside House of Ousey has been mightily interesting and mightily fun so far, and that continues with great heavy metal aplomb on this new single. A track that has big power ballad style melodies and soaring vocals, all while delivering hearty riffs, groove, and killer soloing. As infectious as everything they’ve done so far. Check it out here.

Gaerea – Unknown

The enigmatic blackened metal band, Gaerea have released ‘Unknown’, the second single from their upcoming album, ‘Coma’. Out October 25th, 2024, via Season of Mist.

Blackened or not, the future is looking so bright for this band as their intensely clever and creative ways are beginning to turn heads. This new single finds Gaerea at their most melodious and their most intense, once again crafting something that is wholly them, but also has all the brutal hallmarks of recognisable genres. All the pieces might be unoriginal, but how Gaerea put them together is something else. It’s another stunning track from a band that seems incapable of delivering anything but stunners right now.

Turmion Kätilöt – Yksi Jumalista

Finnish industrial metal group Turmion Kätilöt have announced their new album ‘Reset’, due 25th October via Nuclear Blast Records. The band have also unveiled their new single ‘Yksi Jumalista’, the first from the album.

Oh my. I mean, you should know what you’re getting with this band, but even then, they know how to surprise and this new single is certainly that. Bear with it, it’s a grower of a track, and once the big industrial beats kick in, proves to be so much more likable. It would proably just be an alright track if it wasn’t for the hyperactive and catchy chorus. Check it out here.

Awake the Dreamer – Take My Hand

Swedish metalcore act Awake the Dreamer have announced their new album ‘Holocene’, due for release on 27th September via Arising Empire. The band have also released their new single ‘Take My Hand’.

It’s not the most inspiring of listens, especially when it comes to sounding original, but to say this new single doesn’t have plenty of merit is to ignore the fact that it’s a beastly banger. Awake the Dreamer throw a lot into this and it pays off by being pretty memorable overall. It’s a track that you can tell will sound huge in the live environment. Check it out here.

Wildheart – Withered

Brisbane/Meanjin metalcore outfit Wildheart unveil exciting changes in their camp accompanied by melodic new single, ‘Withered’.

‘Withered’ sees Wildheart delve into introspective themes, tackling everyday struggles and opening up on mental health issues. The single seeks to remind listeners that those who can relate are not alone. The track accompanies the announcement that vocalist and proud Yugambeh man Axel Best will move to guitar, with vocal duties passed across to new member Dane Evans.

A heartfelt and mournful piece that promises a certain amount of intensity, and delivers on that. The melody and clean singing are great, but the injections of heaviness add a lot to the overall vibe. Especially as emotion oozes from every aspect, while still having a certain amount of vitality. This is a great track.

Glacial Tomb – Stygian Abattoir

Denver, CO sludge-corrupted death metal trio, Glacial Tomb has today shared a new song and accompanying music video, ‘Stygian Abattoir’. It is the second single to be taken from Glacial Tomb’s forthcoming sophomore album, ‘Lightless Expanse’, which is set for release via Prosthetic Records on September 20th.

Absolutely destructive noise and that’s about it, but who the hell is asking for more? Glacial Tomb are wrecking everything and everyone with this nasty slice of grubby death metal. If you like your music to sound dangerous, this song will please. Check it out here.

Broken Earth – Ghost

Sydney nu-metalcore rising stars Broken Earth return with vulnerable new single, ‘Ghost’, and will launch it live across the East Coast on tour supporting Noctica this September on the Dysphoria Tour.

Vocalist Raphael Smith draws upon his own experiences with loss and coping as the backbone of the story, explaining that:

When a loved one died in the midst of COVID on the other side of the world, I wasn’t able to say goodbye the way I really wanted to. I didn’t know how to let myself feel the grief and ended up just feeling numb instead. I pushed down my own feelings so I could be a support beam for others, which created a deep-rooted depression I didn’t realise was there until about a year later. That dam of bottled-up emotion burst wide open and I had to let it flow. At that time, people close to me were also going through their own struggles, and so it felt like we were two ghosts talking to each other, holding on for dear life, trying to be there for each other but not able to be there for ourselves.

A really well layered track that has thick levels of emotion buried amongst manic energy, chaotic heaviness, and plenty of esoteric melody. What might first seem to be fairly standard ‘core’ stuff becomes one of the strongest examples of creativity in this genre heard this year. Yes, it really is that good of a track. Don’t be surprised if you end up listening to this one over and over again.

Trendkill – Step Inside

Groove/thrash heavyweights Trendkill are back with a brand-new single called ‘ Step Inside’. It is the first single from their long awaited second EP ‘Blood for the Crown’, due out at some point in the future.

It’s becoming less of a secret, thankfully, but Trendkill are an awesome band and continue their fantastic run of hits with this latest substantial head-banger. A track that starts off heavy (big drums, furious riffs, and epic vocals), and stays that way to the very end, albeit showcasing an accessible edge that slips into different genre territories here and there. This is the stuff that is only going to make them even more popular. Check it out here.

The Beautiful Monument – Duerme

Self-doubt and anxiety bubble up to the surface on The Beautiful Monument’s new single, ‘Duerme’, out now via Greyscale Records.

Translating to sleep in Spanish, ‘Duerme’ narrates vocalist Lizi McIntosh’s personal journey with second guessing and uncertainty within music and writing. Tells McIntosh:

In my sixteen years of being a part of this community I’ve encountered so many wonderful and encouraging people, but just like all things in life; where there are positives there are always negatives.

Unfortunately, being a human with emotions, you always tend to fixate on the things that deflate you and it becomes even more crippling when people who are supposed to be on your side doubt the things that you do or create. We’ve had people share unsolicited advice on past projects that has felt more critical than constructive when it came to writing and creating, to the point I genuinely started to consider if I should even continue if they didn’t believe we were capable. Believe it or not this has inadvertently traumatised me and has made any sort of writing or recording incredibly daunting. In these moments it felt like being asleep was the only time I could switch my brain off. Duerme is definitely something that everyone can relate to on some level, whether it’s schooling, crafting, relationships or whatever it may be. It sucks and it’s an extremely difficult mindset to try and move on from, no matter how many people tell you otherwise.

While it might not be initially ‘grabbing’, the more listens that this single has, the more notable it becomes. In particular, the strength in the vocals and how so many aspects of the music twist around a voice that commands your attention. The wonderfully harmonised chorus is, arguably, the most special element of the track, but overall, it ends up being very enjoyable. It just needs a couple of spins first. Check it out here.

Winterfylleth – To the Edge of Tyranny

Winterfylleth have released a new single, ‘To the Edge of Tyranny’, taken from their anthemic new album, ‘The Imperious Horizon’, set for release on the 13th September via Candlelight / Spinefarm.

Guitarist/vocalist C. Naughton commented on the new single:

Whilst Winterfylleth is known for creating vast, sweeping, landscapes within our music, we also have the ability to draw on other influences within our output. This new single represents the shortest and probably the most ‘direct’ song (lyrically speaking) we have created in Winterfylleth for over 15 years.

The lyrics speak to a growing sense of dread, fear and despair in the world. They suggest that there has to come, or perhaps WILL come, a point at which ‘enough is enough’ and people have to push back against the agendas and the power structures within society that try to chip away at the freedoms we all hold dear. But it suggests that there is a fear, and sometimes apathy, within the world that would only lead people to speak up as we get ‘To the Edge of Tyranny’.

The track is a pause to think about the world and how we all need to pull in the same direction to make it a place we can continue to exist peacefully within…

The build to this album has been immense so far, and with this new single, Winterfylleth showcase their darker side with a fairly straight-forward blast of black metal. It’s a side we all know they have, and it’s not like the previous singles have been light and airy, but this is a piece that is heavily focused on being brutal, and it’s bloody great.

Days Like These – Sourpuss

Sydney-based alt-rock sweethearts Days Like These have released their new track ‘Sourpuss’, and will celebrate with an East Coast tour supporting Those Who Dream with Peni Parker in October.

This offering explores the theme of duality, with frontman Callen Batson explaining:

Like with anything else in this life, there is a give and take; a push and pull of feelings that we try our best to moderate but often struggle with, just like everyone else. As we’ve grown to be known for, we tied together these themes with frisky, tongue-in-cheek storytelling.

This is an odd one, but it will make you pay attention, that’s for sure. Beginning in crunchy style that suggests out and out heaviness, before transforming into something much poppier and extremely alternative sounding. This is far from the only shift either, and as this track goes on, it continues to baffle. Each to their own, plenty of folks are going to love the wackiness of this, whereas others will see a confused and unfocused listen that doesn’t quite nail any one thing. Check it out here.

Unto Others – Momma Likes the Door Closed

Portland, Oregon’s Unto Others have spent their seasons in the abyss and arise from the other side with their third full-length and Century Media debut ‘Never, Neverland’- incoming September 20th, 2024. The album’s epic new single ‘Momma Likes the Door Closed’ has arrived alongside a cinematic music video by Brock Grossl.

Unto Others’ Gabriel Franco comments:

Honestly surprised I wasn’t high when putting this together, cause it’s a weird one.” He continues, “With elements of punk/thrash/hardcore/post punk/goth and metal, ‘Momma Likes The Door Closed’ is our attempt to recreate an 80s B-movie horror flick in musical format. Brock knocked it out of the park with the video, which must be watched with the song for the full experience. Shadows dance across the floor, don’t you ever open up the door!!

It can be tough to be too impressed with Unto Others as their sound is a little tired and they rarely manage to deliver something outstanding. Case in point? This new single, which has some cool 80s metal crossed with punk vibes (familiar elements of Danzig era-Misfits), but lacks a spark. It comes, it goes, and once again, leaves very little long-term impression. Check it out here.

Five the Hierophant – Initiatory Sickness

UK-based, saxophone-driven, instrumental, avant-garde/post-black metal, eccentrics, Five the Hierophant have announced their new studio album ‘Apeiron’. Which is set for release on October 18th via Agonia Records. The first single, ‘Initiatory Sickness’, is out now.

Long-term fans will feel right at home with a near-eleven-minute avant-garde epic that is as subtle as a whisper in a long forgotten cave depth and as wild as a herd of elephants stampeding. New listeners though? Be prepared to be challenged, but be prepared to potentially fall in love with something truly spectacular. It’s a track you need to hear to understand as no words can do it justice. The line between genius and madness is barely visible here, and once again, Five the Hierophant skirt it expertly.

Eville – Blood

Brighton’s brat metal four-piece, Eville is back with the new single, ‘Blood’. Eville mastermind, Eva Sheldrake says:

I wrote Blood as a hard-hitting, heavy empowering anthem that goes out to girls everywhere encouraging them to take back their power.

An anthem through and through, Blood finds Eville in a particular venomous mood, sounding particularly intense, but as lovably infectious as always. The vitality of this track is so encouraging, where it’s genuinely hard to hear the groove and chorus and not want to move. The world of alternative metal is a better place with tracks likes this existing and bands like Eville around. Check it out here.

Devin Townsend – PowerNerd

POWERNERD – noun

1. A person of any gender who has, through tenacity and perseverance, turned what society may deem as a ‘weakness’ into a superpower.
2. A total fucking badass.
3. You.

Devin Townsend is pleased to announce the release of his forthcoming new studio album ‘PowerNerd’ on the 25th October 2024 (InsideOutMusic). Devin Townsend’s career is one of many distinct eras. He’s been the leader of Strapping Young Lad, the lynchpin of the Devin Townsend Project and the co-architect of country duo Casualties of Cool, all while maintaining his prolific and lauded solo project. Now, the polymath’s newest era starts with ‘PowerNerd’, and the title track is out now.

It is not hyperbolic in any way to call Devin Townsend a musical genius and even if not everything the man has created is for you, everyone can recognise his innate ability to create and reinvent himself. Positivity oozes from this energetic, relatable, and therapeutic piece that has a goofiness to it, but still sounds exactly like the sort of thing Devin Townsend could put out. Hyperactive heavy rock and roll with flair, it’s odd, but it’s fun.