Single Slam: BABYMETAL, Dogma, Volbeat, Ghost Bath, and Machine Head!

Today’s single slam features BABYMETAL, Dogma, Volbeat, Ghost Bath, and Machine Head. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

BABYMETAL – from me to u (feat. Poppy)

BABYMETAL recently announced their new album ‘METAL FORTH’ and now they are back with a new single ‘from me to u (feat. Poppy)’.

Poppy notes of the collaboration:

I have been a fan of BABYMETAL for years and I am so happy for this song to finally be here! They have inspired me so much, enjoy ‘from me to u’!

BABYMETAL adds:

A kawaii metal song was born from a collaboration between BABYMETAL and Poppy! Check out Poppy’s shouts and BABYMETAL’s dance in the Neo Tokyo setting! Kawaii is sprinkled throughout the intense sound! Kimi ni todoke!

Listen, you’re already formed an opinion on this song before you’ve even heard a single note. You’re either ready to defend it as the greatest thing ever, or ready to denounce it as the worst thing, well, since the last BABYMETAL song. It’s boring and tiresome. What we actually have here is a solid, energetic, and catchy tune that has some bite, thanks to Poppy’s harsher vocal moments and a brief, but punchy breakdown. There’s nothing ground-breaking here, but it is enjoyable.

Dogma – Banned

Sinners, the time has come. Dogma’s newest invocation, ‘Banned,’ is here. Some acts are condemned, others are justified. Who draws the line? ‘Banned’ tells another chapter of the story, the moment desire collides with imposed virtue, where submission is shattered, and pleasure becomes power.

It really doesn’t get more salacious than this (especially if you watch the video), but that’s Dogma for you. However, there’s so much more to this track and the fusion of ‘Tango’ and metal is quite something. You don’t often get to see a double bass in metal. There’s a sense that Dogma are really beginning to define their sound now and with it, stand out from the crowd. Check it out here.

Volbeat – In the Barn of the Goat Giving Birth to Satan’s Spawn in a Dying World of Doom

Volbeat recently announced their ninth album ‘God of Angels Trust’. This album arrives on June 6th via longtime label Vertigo/Universal. Now, the band has shared the video for the wonderfully-named, new single ‘In the Barn of the Goat Giving Birth to Satan’s Spawn in a Dying World of Doom’.

Vocalist/guitarist Michael Poulsen shares the origin story, saying:

I had so much fun writing these lyrics. It’s about the outcasts and fallen angels of God — all the angels that were cast out of Heaven. And I’m being told to collect them in this big wagon and bring them to a barn.

There’s a ritual going on where the fallen angels are being sacrificed to Satan’s spawn to create soldiers for a new dark kingdom. So, instead of inviting my lady out to go to the cinema, I say, ‘I have something better. You have to see what’s going on in this barn… we’ve been invited to see the birth of Satan’s spawn and watch the world go down. How about that?

I think some people will read the lyrics and go, ‘What’s wrong with this dude?’ But, it’s all for fun. It’s like a silly horror movie. Or is it?

Well, that’s a memorable title and a description, isn’t it? Thankfully it’s far from the only notable thing about this latest single. Old-school Volbeat fans rejoice! This is Volbeat going back to their roots and you can hear the likes of ‘Sad Mans Tongue’ and ‘Hallelujah Goat’ in it. Which, if you know those styles, is a major reason to be very excited about this track. It rocks, and it rocks hard. Hail Satan!

Ghost Bath – Well, I Tried Drowning

Depressive black metallers Ghost Bath have emerged from beyond the veil with their new album, ‘Rose Thorn Necklace’, which will be released on 9th May via Nuclear Blast Records. Now, the band has unveiled the atmospheric second single, ‘Well, I Tried Drowning’.

Ghost Bath comment:

‘Well, I Tried Drowning’ is a plea for death, not by my own hand but for someone else to do the courtesy as I have not been able to bring myself to do. It is a fantasy – rooted in wishful thinking – that someone would cut my throat in my sleep, finally ending my life as I drown in my own blood. Wish fulfilment in blunt, gory detail.

A relentless showcase of black metal blended with heart-wrenching melody and covered with a thick layer of atmosphere; this is Ghost Bath in all their ‘unusual’ glory. A tight and focused listen that ebbs and flows, until it reaches its epic conclusion. The identity of the album is beginning to become clearer, and this is a good showcase of how a rawer tone can still work with intricate music. Check it out here.

Machine Head – BØNESCRAPER

Bay Area icons Machine Head have sharpened their sound into its most direct and impactful form with the release of their eleventh album, ‘UNATØNED’. The record will be released on April 25th via Nuclear Blast Records.

The band has unveiled the energetic second single, ‘BØNESCRAPER’. The release features a new music video as well as the announcement of the BØNESCRAPER edition LP of UNATØNED (shipping June 17).

Machine Head comments:

This one is for those of us with darkness in our heart, a song about love lost, and a song for those who fail at love… but keep on trying… hence, we scrape our bones to numb the pain.

It’s beginning to look like this new album is going to be ‘single heavy’ and by that, I mean, a bunch of tracks that are focused on big grooves, heavy riffs, and catchy choruses. Head banging is guaranteed, even if a track like this doesn’t exactly challenge the mind. That’s fine though, there have been plenty of Machine Head albums and tracks that do that, and no doubt, there will be plenty more. A straight-forward heavy head banger that will go off live? No complaints here!