Single Slam: Ghost, Akkadian, Moses, Extinction A.D., Restive Nation, Hammerfall, Undeath, Brandy and The Butcher, Acid Blood, Atlas for Home, Implore, Kurokuma and Zeal & Ardor!

This week’s single slam features Ghost, Akkadian, Moses, Extinction A.D., Restive Nation, Hammerfall, Undeath, Brandy and The Butcher, Acid Blood, Atlas for Home, Implore, Kurokuma and Zeal & Ardor. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Ghost – Call Me Little Sunshine

GRAMMY-winning Swedish theatrical rock outfit Ghost have announced the impending arrival of Impera, the band’s fifth full length studio album out on March 11th via Loma Vista Recordings.

Alongside that announcement, Ghost have also released the album’s first single, Call Me Little Sunshine.

 There haven’t been many bands who have had such a meteoric rise as Ghost and a major part of that is the accessibility of their last couple of albums. Music that all ages and taste ranges can enjoy. World domination has been on their mind for some time and you can imagine that Impera is the next major step for them.

This first single is going to delight many fans, especially those who have jumped on board Meliora onwards. A really moody and mellow track, the bass is very strong here but the chorus hook is what really digs in. The usual Ghost theatrics, heavier riffs, powerful vocals and catchy lyrics are the icing on the cake. Though it has to be said that it’s a track that needs a couple of listens to really appreciate.

Akkadian – Prisoners

Unearthed Music presents ‘Prisoners’, the new single from blackened death metal band Akkadian, Prisoners. Prisoners will be released as a standalone single worldwide on January 21st 2022 along with a lyric video.

A crunchy rhythm built on the foundations of anger and aggression; Prisoners is a riff heavy hit that portrays the frustration felt by many over the past few years. Things aren’t necessarily getting any better so the vehement punchiness of this track has even more impact. Watch out for the riffs, they’re razor-sharp here. Check it out here.

Moses – Happy Birthday Payday

Moses have released their new single; Happy Birthday Payday via Space & I Records. The track, produced by Gavin Monaghan at Magic Garden Studios in Wolverhampton, is about any artist’s struggle to survive. Taken from the band’s forthcoming second album, which is their follow-up to Almost Everything Is Bullshit.

A peppy blast of catchy rhythm and punk energy, Happy Birthday Payday is a major pick-me-up thanks, in part, to its anthemic chorus. With a little bit of poppiness, spread throughout a rocking number and with a punk edge, Happy Birthday Payday ends up being quite a memorable listen. Check it out here.

Extinction A.D. – Mastic

US metal band Extinction A.D. have unveiled their seething new single ‘Mastic’, taken from the upcoming album, Culture of Violence, due 18th March via Unique Leader.

On the new single, the band comment:

Choosing to be an outlier in society so you can go on a path that gives you a higher fulfilment than a stacked bank account is exactly what the modern world is against. We’ve based our entire lives around following that road and have been forced to make many sacrifices along the way that other people have crumbled under at just the thought of. If you know Mastic, New York, you know it’s a very nuanced place. If you don’t, you’re better off staying where you are.

There’s nothing simmering about this track, Extinction A.D. bring things to the boil straight away and deliver a smashmouth blast of aggression. A track that has some groove to it but is a maddening blend of death, thrash and modern metal. The riffs are fat, it has a kick-ass solo and even a filthy breakdown. All stuffed into a track that only just passes the 3-minute mark. Brutal.

Restive Nation – White Ural

Blurring the lines of metal, rock, progressive and electronic music since 2014, Restive Nation will release their new single ‘White Ural’ on January 28th. The bands’ debut full length will be released on February 25th [Digitally] with a very limited edition run of vinyl pressings to follow later in the year.

The band states of their new single:

White Ural is one of the heaviest tracks from Restive Nation, to date. With Tony [Carberry] on vocals, White Ural showcases the metal side of what the band can achieve. The premise of the songs lyrics follows the story of a group of hikers that set off on a journey in the Ural Mountains late January 1959. They would meet a gruesome and unexplained death. The bleakness of the story can be felt in the music – it’s cold, grim and extremely tense throughout.

Don’t let the grungy undertone fool you, this is a very heavy track. One that oozes bleakness and piles the misery on high. The droning guitars create a strong sense of discomfort but the two different vocals styles are what really causes the bigger impact. A softer, cleaner style often accompanied by more melody with the dirtier and more aggressive style punctuating the heavier elements. A fascinating listen. Keep an eye on their social media in the run-up to release.

Hammerfall – Venerate Me

Swedish saviours of heavy metal Hammerfall have released their new single, ‘Venerate Me’, featuring a special guest appearance by the legendary King Diamond. The track is the second taken from their twelfth studio album, Hammer of Dawn, set for release on 25th February 2022 via Napalm Records.

Continuing to prove that age is but a number, Hammerfall bring us yet another banger. One that mixes the old-school heavy/power metal edge that has made them superstars with a fresh, modern sound. Venerate Me features all the things fans love… energetic riffing, electric soloing, powerful percussion, those sublime vocals and so much more. Oh, it also happens to feature a guest appearance from the legendary King Diamond.

Undeath – Rise from The Grave

Undeath have announced details of their sophomore album, It’s Time… To Rise from The Grave. The first track to be released from the album, Rise from The Grave is out now.

Death metal that can be called ‘catchy’ is always hilarious, simply because it should be impossible. Then you get bands like Undeath and tracks like Rise from the Grave and you’re not laughing anymore. Mainly because you’re far too busy head-banging like a lunatic. This is a disgustingly brutal blast of heaviness but with instrumentation that turns all that noise and makes it hooky as hell. A top shelf blast of noise. Check it out here.

Brandy and The Butcher – B.G.F.

Retro punk/heavy rockers Brandy and The Butcher have unleashed their new single B.G.F. via the Ripple Effect.

A rip-roaring blast of heavy rock with an aggressive undertone of punk, Brandy and The Butcher bring us a scuzzy burst of old-school noise. Like Frankenstein’s monster, it’s a track that takes a moment to come to life but when it does, it’s on a rampage. A latter tempo shift features a thrilling guitar solo but for the most part, it’s all about the choppy speed and energy. Check it out here.

Acid Blood – Bleeding Out

Swedish punk band Acid Blood has a brand-new video out for the song “Bleeding Out”, taken from their self-titled debut album. Since this was the 9th video released from the album the band wanted to try something a bit different from their previous clips, so this one does not feature the band just performing in a live setting. The new video was conceived and directed by singer Jojo Anderbygd and produced by Jonas Nimrodsson.

Two-ish minutes of frenzied punk heaviness, Bleeding Out is Acid Blood at their snarkiest. A track that features some real snarl but has a catchy, heavy punk beat that gets under the skin. One of the band’s most infectious tracks, a wicked accompanying video is the icing on this cake.

Atlas for Home – Keep Going

Keep Going is the brand new single and video from Atlas for Home. Influenced by bands like Blink-182, The Starting Line or The Dangerous Summer, Atlas for Home is a Parisian pop punk/emo duo.

As pop-punk/emo as they come, the duo that is Atlas for Home sure create some nostalgia with this bouncy, heartfelt and catchy tune. There’s no getting away from the fact that it is a track that sounds ripped straight from the playbook of pop-punk tunes. Though, that’s not to say the pair don’t have their own musical merits. It’s a good song that will get your foot tapping. Check it out here.

Implore – The Burden of Existence

Implore are a band with a fresh mix of all extreme styles including punk, death metal and hardcore. On January 19th, 2022 they released their new single ‘The Burden of Existence’.

In their own words:

The Burden of Existence is the agonizing tale of enduring life, with its different stages and consequences. At times the beauty of nature is enough to justify the principle of universal finality.

A scathing blast of weighty noise, The Burden of Existence is not a nice song at all. Meaty wildness warped by modern genre-blending and delivered by a band with a taste for aggression and vehemence. The track is one of those tracks that beat you over the head but through the haze it creates, there is detail that makes it so much more than just heaviness. Check it out here.

Kurokuma – Sacrifice to Huitzilopochtli

Sheffield based psychedelic sludge-metal band Kurokuma have shared the 2nd single ‘Sacrifice to Huitzilopochtli from their upcoming debut album ‘Born of Obsidian’ which is set for release on 4th Feb.

Their latest single explores human sacrifice and how the Aztecs believed if they stopped sacrificing the sun would stop in the sky and an eternal night would come.

A bloody savage listen, Kurokuma have dropped one hell of an intensely heavy track here. A track that has such a dangerous guitar tone, backed up by bass & drums that add the sludgy thickness, while the vocals roar with such vibrancy. The chugging rhythm is incredibly infectious, just try and deny the urge to head-bang while listening to this one. It is impossible. Check it out here.

Zeal & Ardor – Church Burns

Zeal & Ardor have unveiled their final new song, ‘Church Burns’, ahead of the release of their self-titled, third album on February 11th.

When asked about the track, frontman Manuel Gagneux wryly quips:

There’s a church. Guess what? It burns. Church Burns.

Is this new album going to be the greatest release from Zeal & Ardor? On the back of all the singles to this point, it seems likely to be the case and then we get Church Burns. Turning likely into a sure thing. A track that has some of the traditional Zeal & Ardor vocalisation, some lovely melodies but most notably, a really raw and dirty heavy sound that boils over on a regular basis.