Single Slam: Fury, Eyes Wide Open, Band of Bastards, Bleeding Malice, Trivium, Falling Through April, Walking the Cadaver, A Pale Horse Named Death, Efpix, Bridge City Sinners, Maziac and Deafheaven!

This week’s single slam features Fury, Eyes Wide Open, Band of Bastards, Bleeding Malice, Trivium, Falling Through April, Walking the Cadaver, A Pale Horse Named Death, Efpix, Bridge City Sinners, Maziac and Deafheaven.

Fury – Rock Lives in My Soul

Heavy metal 4-piece, Fury have released a brand-new track called ‘Rock Lives in My Soul’. The track features guest vocals from Kim Jennett.

Damn, make sure you listen to the lyrics in this track. It’s a very powerful message and is expressed in a hell of a memorable way. Rock Lives in My Soul is a head-banger, the duelling vocals are incredible. The chorus is catchy, the riffs are hefty, the solo is fiery, and the message is incredible. It sounds better and better on repeated listens.

Make sure you check out the video too, the quotes used throughout are depressingly accurate.

Eyes Wide Open – Burn Em

Swedish modern metal four-piece Eyes Wide Open have released new single ‘Burn ‘Em’ and details new album Though Life and Death, out 12th November via Arising Empire.

Through Life and Death carries the torch from the Swedish melodic death metal scene, mixing it with modern sounds and new influences inspired by metalcore. Catchy melodies, heavy drumming, pumping rhythms and versatile vocals are merging into their own unique style of metal. The album will be available as CD, coloured vinyl and special bundles via Impericon & EMP.

An absolute anthem, Burn Em is a high-powered epic rooted in modern metal but with a robust bite. Powerful but sweet, the melody is grand but the real driving force are the incredible vocals. Especially when it becomes group based and you get that ‘woah-oh’ part. A singalong if ever there was one but most importantly still having that meaty metal sound too. Check it out here.

Band of Bastards – Division/Can’t Ya Crawl

Austin hardcore group Band of Bastards have released two new, ragging punk tracks “Division” and “Can’t Ya Crawl” from their upcoming, highly volatile debut album, Delete. Repeat., that’s out July 23rd from Redacted Records/SilverDoor Music.

Commenting on the meaning behind ‘Division’, guitarist Andrew Leeper says:

The divide these days is real and everybody feels it. Don’t know how it gets better but turning off the TV sure as shit couldn’t hurt.

He adds about ‘Can’t Ya Crawl’:

Writing an album during lockdown felt like we were always waiting for the next shoe to drop. Each news cycle was more dire than the one before. There was something weird in the air that felt like it was all spinning out of control. At some point you gotta embrace the chaos, step into the unknown and hope for the best.

Division is sharp and pointed hardcore with a strong message. A blisteringly short burst of noise that electrifies the senses. No nonsense, no issues. If you love hardcore that gets right up in your face, Division is for you. Check it out here.

Can’t Ya Crawl is even shorter but has a moodier touch with an undercurrent of danger. The energetic eruptions, crashing of instruments and blend of spoken word/aggressive shouted vocals really works. It’s got a strange catchiness to it, addictive listening that is so short, you immediately hit play again. Check it out here.

Bleeding Malice – Coming Home

Minsk, Belarus based deathcore/post metal/blackened death metal band, Bleeding Malice present their new single ‘Coming Home’. Taken from the upcoming debut full-length album ‘Thy Kingdom Come’.

A belligerent flurry of instrumentation leads to dark melodies and back again. Bleeding Malice aren’t your bog-standard ‘heavy’ band and many new listeners will surely be taken back by the melodic edge the band has. Especially when it is combined with such intensity. It oozes darkness in the best way possible.

Trivium – In the Court of the Dragon

Trivium have released a brand new single called, In The Court Of The Dragon. Bass player Paolo Gregoletto says:

We started putting together the riffs for what would become ‘In The Court Of The Dragon’ last year with no touring on the horizon. We decided to use the uncertainty to our advantage and to create without any of the limitations and commitments that would normally be eating away at our time in the jam room.

The title of the song came from a short story by Robert W. Chambers. The story is filled with dread and uncertainty, and that felt fitting for the times we’ve all been living in for the last year. Rather than a direct re-telling, we decided to go a different route and build our own narrative around the music that we were creating.

Similar to some of our past songs and albums, this song began with lyrics rooted in mythology. But unlike the past, we decided to create our own myth to fit the music. Being free to create the story and write the music without a deadline, due to a once-in-a-lifetime event, really led to one of the most rewarding writing and recording experiences we have ever had. We hope it lives up to your expectations.

Trivium at their angriest? Trivium at their most intense? Trivium at their most frustrated? In the Court of the Dragon feels all those things and more. The epic build and flareup of heaviness is class. It’s a creative masterpiece that has an old-school thrash flavour blended with thicker and more pungent melodic metal.

This is a band that just seems to be getting better and better and the proof is in this song.

Falling Through April – Paralyzed

Falling Through April is no stranger to boldness. The four-piece rock band has earned international attention with song placements in Footlocker, Disneyworld, Universal Studios, and idobi Radio. worldwide. The band has amassed a significant touring resume having opened for rock tastemakers Theory of a Deadman, The Pretty Reckless, and Breaking Benjamin, as well as playing Rock Fest, Vans Warped Tour, and SXSW.

Today, July 9th, they have released their brand-new single. Paralyzed with a music video due on the 16th July.

Melodious, modern and catchy rock music. Falling Through April have the robust flavour of radio rock with just a touch more bite to their instrumentation to turn a metal fan’s head slightly. Paralyzed’s strength comes from the powerful sounding chorus, the vocals are majestic, while the other instruments add an imposing level of energy to things.

If there’s one thing though, that doesn’t sit quite right, it’s the pre-chorus vocal effects but it’s a short enough segment to not detract from the overall quality on show. Check it out in a week, here.

Walking the Cadaver – Threaten Physical Force

US death metal kingpins Waking the Cadaver return with new single / lyric video ‘Threaten Physical Force’ and announce the release of forthcoming album, Authority Through Intimidation, out 22nd October 2021 via Unique Leader.

Ooof. That start. Waking the Cadaver may as well have taken a shovel and smashed it over your head. This is unbelievably brutal, carnage personified with the guttural roars and grinding squeals to match the speed and weight of the instruments. Sickening bass drops, gore-encrusted riffs, violent drum patterns… ooof. Check it out here.

A Pale Horse Named Death – Shards of Glass

A Pale Horse Named Death, the doom metal band led by founding Type O Negative and Life of Agony member Sal Abruscato, have released their new single ‘Shards Of Glass’. It’s the second new track taken from upcoming album Infernum In Terra, out 24th September 2021 via Long Branch Records / SPV.

Sal Abruscato commented on the new single:

This song refers to the mental and emotional abuse that happens in a family setting. Tip toeing around a family member that causes only emotional damage to you and your family, whatever they touch they destroy, whatever they say about your character is a lie and no one trusts what you are saying is true. You get this feeling that the broken glass you walk on is what lies in their wake of destruction.

Always a thrilling listen, A Pale Horse Named Death deliver doom with heart. Heavy, crunchy and with impressive melodic vibes that give it a gothic aftertaste. The melancholic vocals sounds great against the serrated edge of the guitars, and the drums and bass add the doomy heft.

Efpix – Overcome

Russian Industrial Metal band Efpix have released their new single ‘Overcome’ from the upcoming album, No More Remorse which will be released at the end of 2021.

There’s some nice energy to Overcome and Efpix’s industrial noise has some catchiness to keep the head nodding along. All while having a nasty metal bite too. The chorus is particularly strong and there’s no arguing that it’s one hell of a memorable offering.

We don’t see a ton of industrial metal coming out of Russia so this band really does stand out. Check it out here.

Bridge City Sinners – The Legend of Olog-hai

Taking a page from the book of black metal, this story of terror and despair takes a path somewhere between folk music and something much darker. The new fantasy/Tolkien inspired song by the murder folk sensation Bridge City Sinners is the third single prior to the release of “Unholy Hymns” to be out on 20 August via SBÄM Records and Flail Records.

Eerie and cold folk melody that has shocking tempo shifts and reveals a dark side. The melodies become more frantic and the clean female vocals evolve into something terrifying sounding. All while being matched by the filthiest of guttural growls. It’s baffling but very enjoyable. The sort of track you listen to over and over again to try and make sense of, before you realise you’re addicted. What a unique offering. Check it out here.

Maziac – Permutations

London based progressive metal/alternative rock 3-piece Maziac have released a brand-new single. Called ‘Permutations’, it is taken from their upcoming EP of the same name. Mixed & mastered by Justin Hill of SikTh, the EP is out on the 30th July.

Maziac are a great band and really do deserve more attention. If you need more proof than the stellar releases they have dropped in the past, this track is what you need to hear. A thrilling blend of energetic alternative metal with detailed heavy progressive touches. It’s a punchy number that sounds wilder than it actually is. Such is the way in which it entrances.

Maziac has such a command of their instruments. This is brilliant.

Deafheaven – The Gnashing

Deafheaven have shared another new song from their upcoming new album, Infinite Granite. Called ‘The Gnashing’, its release comes at the same time as the band announced a 2022 tour.

There’s no denying that Deafheaven are experimenting on this new album and The Gnashing features more of that. It’s still clearly Deafheaven, filled with all manner of post-rock soundscapes and flashes of intensity. It’s a powerful and unique sounding effort. However, it lacks excitement and the vocals are very questionable. Buried heavily and clean throughout, they lack any kind of spark. It’s rarely an area you would find yourself criticising Deafheaven but the simple fact is that they’re the most lacking part of a track that is just… alright.