Single Slam: Lorna Shore, Tribulation, Ross Harding, Gutter Puppets, Krissy Matthews, Skin Failure, Starbenders, Circles, KEN mode, Oversize, Antropofagus and Brank Bjork!

This week’s single slam features Lorna Shore, Tribulation, Ross Harding, Gutter Puppets, Krissy Matthews, Skin Failure, Starbenders, Circles, KEN mode, Oversize, Antropofagus and Brank Bjork. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Lorna Shore – Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames

Today marks the opening of the next chapter in the epic journey of Lorna Shore leading up to the release of Pain Remains, due 14th October. The new single, ‘Pain Remains I: Dancing Like Flames’, is the first in the trilogy.

On the new single and the upcoming trilogy, the band comment:

The Pain Trilogy is a three-part tale focusing on the stages of grief and vulnerability and exemplifying it through a love story. The first song, ‘Pain Remains I: Dancing like Flames’, begins with the main character becoming enamoured by the person within his dreams. He decides to turn to this reality as a sense of purpose despite knowing that the closer he gets to his goal, the further it seems to drift away.

As if there wasn’t already a ton of reasons to be excited about this upcoming album, Lorna Shore drop the first part in a trilogy of songs that simply delivers a wonderful experience. From the heart-wrenching melody of the intro to the darkening of the tone, the building heavy intensity and phenomenal explosion of Lorna Shore ferocity. It’s one of the best things heard from this band and easily the most impressive thing from the new album so far. Unbelievably brilliant and that’s not mentioning the phenomenal guitar solo either. One of the best tracks of 2022.

Tribulation – Hamartia

Tribulation have now returned with a new standalone single and video, ‘Hamartia’. A first recording to feature new guitarist Joseph Tholl.

Guitarist Adam Zaars comments:

This is a song about the many shades of the word Hamartia. It’s an angry gothic tragedy sonically and introduces Joseph on guitar. This is the first of a few. We hope you like it!

An immense slice of gothic heavy as only Tribulation can do. Hamartia might serve as an introduction to the new guitarist, but it also shows how the band continue to push forward and strive for excellence. Dark, ominous, eccentric, electric and nice and heavy, it’s Tribulation at their finest. Any worries about the line-up change is well and truly put to bed with this excellent offering. Check it out here.

Ross Harding – Love & Time

Inspired by themes of love and time, South African Rock Singer-Songwriter Ross Harding is back with ‘Love & Time’ as the first single from his upcoming EP ‘Chapter II’.

A welcome bit of groove and filled with heartfelt rock vibes, Love & Time has a pensive quality. Thanks, mainly, to the smooth vocals of Harding but also thanks to the melodic guitar tone. Brooding, shady and dramatic, it’s a track that is filled with honesty and passion. That’s what makes it so memorable.

Gutter Puppets – Black Clouds

Gutter Puppets are a London based trio that has a clear focus on the future of heavy/industrial music. Their new single ‘Black Clouds’ captures Gutter Puppets’ vision for a raw chaotic live performance, twisting and churning at an unstoppable pace.

Chaotic and intense, Gutter Puppets unleash an industrial/metal crossover beast that is downright threatening. There’s a sense that Gutter Puppets aren’t quite in control at first but that quickly dissipates as the vocals come in and they hit the chorus. It’s here that things get quite energetic and bouncy. Transforming into something with real bite. You can easily imagine this resulting in mayhem in the live environment. Check it out here.

Krissy Matthews – Carry You

Blues-rock artist, Krissy Matthews has released his new single, ‘Carry You’ and premiered a video for it. This follows Krissy signing to legendary German label Ruf Records last year and releasing his latest album ‘Pizza Man Blues’.

This is a lovely song. That’s the review in a nutshell. Awesome groove, lovely melody and catchy rhythms. The blues-rock blend is really infectious with a major part of that coming from Krissy’s impressive vocal range. Unbelievably listenable, it’s a track you will just enjoy over and over again. Chances are, you’ll be humming that chorus for days afterwards.

Skin Failure – Meat Pond

New progressive thrash/hardcore group Skin Failure are overjoyed to announce their out-of-this-world debut album Radillac, to be released 11th November via Small Pond.

The quintet, made up of members of Black Peaks, Memory of Elephants, and Kainoah, have also streamed their new single ‘Meat Pond’, featuring guest vocals from Charlie Davis of Wasted Death and Beggar.

Skin Failure comment on ‘Meat Pond’:

One of our favourites, this track came together super-fast when we were writing and then in the studio and it was a total joy to have Charlie (Davis) (Wasted Death / Beggar) come and guest with us. He really added some gnarly f**king character to the choruses and then the part in seven just sounds beastly with both Will and Charlie’s voices.

Nice. Who knows what to expect when all these great artists come together but it likely won’t be this mad blend of heavy rock, progressive metal and hardcore ferocity. Skin Failure throwing a lot at the wall and finding a lot that sticks. It’s challenging but so interesting. Yet, it’s also so wild and crazy, that it can be enjoyed in a bubble of furious head-banging. Check it out here.

Starbenders – Blood Moon

Today, Atlanta-based glam punk rockers Starbenders have dropped their new single ‘Blood Moon’ and the accompanying music video via Sumerian Records.

Speaking on the single release, the band state:

It’s been feeling like everything is crumbling around us as we seem to be hurtling toward an apocalyptic destiny. At some point, you come to the understanding that things have been this way since recorded history. Now we’ve been down for so long that it’s beginning to look like up. Instead of succumbing to frustration and rage, we decided to become one with the chaos and make some noise. ‘Blood Moon’ is our catharsis.

Sleazy, fun, and catchy. As all good glam rock should be. Blood Moon is a throwback with bundles of energy and a fair amount of punky snarl. It’s Starbenders letting some steam off and it just so happens to result in a catchy and groovy tune.

Circles – Dig

Melbourne’s alt-metal outfit Circles deliver the pinnacle of Australian progressive metal with their new single ‘Dig’. Streaming now via Wild Thing Records, the new single comes ahead of their long-awaited EP The Stories We Are Afraid Of | Vol. 1 which is set for release on 25th November.

In a fiery blur of progressive and alternative metal, Circles set the bar high for this up-coming EP. Where an assault of heavier instrumentation hits clean and dramatic vocals, meeting for a huge and energised chorus. It’s surprisingly short considering how much detail is in it but that just makes it even more interesting. Top stuff and an exciting showcase of what we can expect from this new EP. Check it out here.

KEN mode – Throw Your Phone in the River

KEN mode’s new single ‘Throw Your Phone in the River’ is now streaming on all platforms. The track appears on the band’s eighth full-length album, NULL, out September 23rd on Artoffact Records.

A slice of nastiness that moves at a frenetic pace, KEN mode continue their forward march to this new album with another heavyweight single. One that delivers uncouth and uncomplicated intensity. All with layers of instrumental detail that has a technical sharpness to it. It’s punky, it’s hardcore-infused and it’s heavy. Two and a half minutes of eye-gouging and ear-bleeding power.

Oversize – Taste

Oversize draw inspiration not only from American alt-rock big hitters such as The Smashing Pumpkins and Dinosaur Jr, but also from closer to home in the UK’s home-grown sounds of New Wave, Shoegaze and even 90s Britpop.

Their new EP ‘Into the Ceiling’ drops next month on the 21st via Church Road in Europe and Quiet Panic in North America, and the band have now released the first single from the EP titled ‘Taste’.

This is such an awesome track. The shoegazey rhythm, the mellow vocals and the wicked bursts of heavier rock. All of it works to craft a memorable picture in the mind. One that encapsulates a lot of different genres and never goes in the direction you expect. It’s got enough energy to make you move, while being melodramatic to make you feel. Check it out here.

Antropofagus – Hymns of Acrimony

Italy’s brutal tech-death unit Antropofagus premieres the first song to be unveiled off the band’s recently announced new studio album “Origin”, set for release on October 28th via Agonia Records. The song – titled “Hymns of Acrimony” – comes along with a music video directed by Andrea Larosa of Lucerna Films.

A nasty slab of tech-death to make you growl and gurn with joy. Antropofagus bring a forceful amount of brutality here, made all the more electrifying by extravagant technical instrumentation. It’s revoltingly intense and it’s unreservedly harsh but it is bloody good. Check it out here.

Brant Bjork – Bread for Butter

Legendary Californian singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and founding member of Kyuss, Brant Bjork, reveals ‘Bread for Butter’ featuring Nick Oliveri, taken from his forthcoming fourteenth album “Bougainvillea Suite”, to be issued on October 28th through Heavy Psych Sounds.

There’s no denying that, at this stage, we kind of know what we’re getting with Brant Bjork. We know it’s going to be groovy; we know it’s going to have the dust of stoner rock, the heat of desert rock and feature strong psychedelic vibes. Bread for Butter is a cleaner sounding track but one with a ton of groove none the less. It infects the senses, forcing the body to move, regardless of temperament.