Single Slam: Lamb of God, Krooked Tongue, Gaerea, Torpedo, Radio Aftermath, Lorna Shore, Birds in A Row, Fox Lake, Asfixia Social, New Habits, Armed for Apocalypse and Bullet for My Valentine!

This week’s single slam features Lamb of God, Krooked Tongue, Gaerea, Torpedo, Radio Aftermath, Lorna Shore, Birds in A Row, Fox Lake, Asfixia Social, New Habits, Armed for Apocalypse and Bullet for My Valentine. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Lamb of God – Omens

Omens is the title track from Lamb of God’s forthcoming ninth album. The new single from the GRAMMY-nominated metal colossus is available everywhere now.

Says Lamb of God frontman D. Randall Blythe:

I think a lot of the messes human beings find ourselves in could be very easily prevented simply by paying attention to obvious repeating patterns, both in our personal lives and in a broader sociohistorical context. What some call ‘omens’ are really just manifestations of the fact that there is nothing new under the sun. It’s foolish to ignore this, but we all do it.

Fans will feel right at home here, Lamb of God aren’t reinventing the wheel with music like Omens but they are delivering beastly bouts of groove metal. A circle pit inducing, head-banging encouraging smash-mouth blast of heavy. It’s pure crowd-pleasing noise; nothing more, nothing less. Few do it as well as Lamb of God.

Krooked Tongue – When the Beaches Bleed

Bristol-based rock trio Krooked Tongue have released their brand-new single, ‘When the Beaches Bleed’.

Speaking about the single, vocalist and lyricist Oli Rainsford says:

Beaches, to me, is the ultimate homage to something I’ve always been in awe of. Big wave surfing is next level crazy and it’s an art that carries with it, high risk. This song is a tip of the hat but also, I think, doubles as a notion to not be scared to take risks and also not to fear failure. It’s a cosmic ‘fuck you, try it again’ that we often need to be encouraged to carry out. Confidence is key.

A moody listen, When the Beaches Bleed oozes atmosphere and sees Krooked Tongue at showcasing a more measured tempo. Albeit one with heavy and hard rocking instrumentation. It’s the vocals that offer lightness, a float to grab on to in the choppy waters of this track. Very memorable, very interesting. The chorus is particularly strong sounding. Check it out here.

Gaerea – Mantle

Cathartic black metal outfit Gaerea have now proudly released their second new single ‘Mantle’, which is taken from the band’s upcoming album “Mirage”.

Gaerea comment on ‘Mantle’:

A terrifying, fascinating and magnificent mystery of how, between all forms of random life, we were the chosen ones to suffer, to carry a burden we never truly recognize as our own to keep and die for. An ultimate poem of how life dances an endless “Valsa” with death, unmasked, falling in love for their creations as the floor is made out of bone fragments.

A stunning example of how black metal and melody can meet to create a truly unholy union. Gaerea’s explosive and frenzied style is eye-watering and ear-bleeding but the hook of this track is the layered melodic touches and switches. It almost gives the track a ‘post’ feel, although be under no false illusions, it is a roaring slab of blackened fury overall.

Torpedo – Hell

Swiss noise rock trio Torpedo are sharing their new track, ‘Hell’, taken from their upcoming second studio album, Orpheo_Nebula, set for release September 9 via Broken Clover Records.

How strange is this track? Noise-rock but not as you know it. For starters, Hell is over 8-minutes long and plays out like a piece of performance art. Which does make sense once you know that the record is built around six poetic texts. Spoken words, expressing the piece and backed up by a medley of weird, psych-infused, drone and rock noise. Hell is certainly one of the more unique listens heard this year. Check it out here.

Radio Aftermath – Custom Made Lizard Shoes

Alt-rock band, Radio Aftermath have released their new single ‘Custom Made Lizard Shoes’. The song is the second single from their upcoming EP.

An expulsion of heavy instrumentation, slow and intense sounding, gives way to a fast-paced and punk-infused blast of rock. The switch is initially quite disconcerting but once it settles, and it doesn’t take long, the energy of Custom Made Lizard Shoes will win over most. Custom Made Lizard Shoes has a raw edge to it but the track also has layers of heavy, and an infectious chorus. Check it out here.

Lorna Shore – Cursed to Die

Deathcore heavyweights Lorna Shore release ‘Cursed To Die’, the third single from their upcoming, highly anticipated album Pain Remains (Out October 14th via Century Media).

Lorna Shore are on unstoppable form at the moment, every single from this upcoming album so far has delivered raucous examples of ferocious deathcore. Lorna Shore have never sounded as heavy as they do at the moment. Yet… something hits different about this one. Perhaps it’s the clarity of guitars, perhaps it’s how wild the breakdown is? Perhaps it’s the touch of symphonic that comes pre-breakdown? Regardless, this track slays.

Birds in A Row – Nympheas

French experimental punk/hardcore trio Birds in Row have announced details on their new album ‘Gris Klein’ which is set for release on 14th October on Red Creek Recordings. Nympheas, a taste of the album has now been released.

Punk and hardcore make good bedfellows but the way in which Birds in A Row twist is uniquely raw and dark. There’s some atmosphere to this raw and heavy beast, which is captivating enough and then Birds in A Row reveal an innate catchiness that is genuinely shocking. Shocking because it fits and it sounds so good. Their experimental ways captivates and if this track is even half as good as the full album, we might be looking at one of the best release of the year. Check it out here.

Fox Lake – Gaslight (feat. Marc Zelli of Paleface)

Denver-based hardcore hip-hop band Fox Lake release “Gaslight.” This track marks the second single from their dual-track EP Fear & Loathing; while their previous single “Dog Eat Dog” represented fear, “Gaslight” represents loathing. The vicious track features a roaring vocal performance by Marc Zelli from Paleface.

The heaviest track Fox Lake have released and not just because of what Marc Zelli brings to the table. Gaslight has those innate hip hop and crossover elements that have made Fox Lake such an intriguing listen but this is a track that leans way more towards the hardcore/deathcore side of things than anything else. It’s a barely contained ball of rage and that hits, not just because of the lyrical content either. This has the potential to blow Fox Lake up.

Asfixia Social – They Sold Your Soul

They Sold Your Soul – Asfixia Social’s new song is out now with an accompanying video which was recorded during the band’s 2022 European tour.

A track with some bite but also some groove, comparisons to the likes of Rage Against the Machine will come thick and fast, yet Asfixia Social are their own thing. Bringing elements of their home to the music in a thrilling way and switching things up on a fly. The latter part of the track gets a bit more punky and even more energetic. This is a band that really should be getting a lot more attention around the world. Check it out here.

New Habits – Breakway

Inspiring new post-hardcore troupe New Habits have revealed their single ‘Breakaway’. The new single follows from New Habits’ previous, ‘Poor Old Me’, featuring Charlie Rolfe of As Everything Unfolds.

A track to have some introspective thoughts too, Breakaway is heavy on the melodrama and layered with passionate outbursts that give it some energy. The tone is one of emotion, mixing harder rock beats with eccentric electronica, but focusing on feeling more than anything else. It hits and that’s the most important thing. Check it out here.

Armed for Apocalypse – Hourglass

Uncompromising sludge juggernaut Armed for Apocalypse have released a bruising new single, ‘Hourglass’, ahead of their third album release, Ritual Violence, which debuts on 7th October via Candlelight Records.

Vocalist Nate Burman comments on the new single:

This is a song for the entire band. It’s about touring through the worst. Feeling exhausted from it all, like nobody cares what we’re doing, and still keeping your head high. Most bands would have hung it up going through what we have. We’ve stuck around simply because we love to create and play music together. It gives us a sense of fulfilment in life that nothing else does.

Freaking heavy. There’s a sense of sounding like a broken record when it comes to describing Armed for Apocalypse as they are so consistently brutal sounding. The group’s sludge sound is ferocious and uncompromising. A titanic slab of noise, dropped from upon high, crushing skulls and spirits, what’s not to enjoy? Check it out here.

Bullet For My Valentine – No More Tears to Cry

‘No More Tears to Cry’ will feature on a deluxe version of Bullet for My Valentine’s current self-titled album – due for digital & CD release via Spinefarm on August 5th 2022. This extended-release features 4 brand new tracks, plus “Stitches”, a song previously only available as a Japanese exclusive.

The band says:

We’re super happy to announce our new single “No More Tears ” is out now!! The song is a dark but colourful story about dealing with mental health struggles. Musically the track is very different from the other tracks on the album and has a lot of surprises on there, including slide guitar…

Building on the immeasurable success of the self-titled album, fans are going to eat up this extended edition, thanks to the new music if offers. This track, an example of where BFMV are at these days, paying tribute to their anthemic past with a lot of their modern ideas thrown in. While also showing off some more experimental moments, which makes sense, seeing as it’s an extended edition. It’s an interesting track that doesn’t quite have the energy desired but the chorus is decent.