Here at Revolver, we're always on the hunt for new songs to bang our heads to — indeed, it's a big part of our jobs. With that in mind, here are the tracks released this week in death metal, hardcore, deathcore and more that have been on heavy rotation at Revolver HQ.
For your listening pleasure, we've also compiled the songs in an ever-evolving Spotify playlist.
GEL - "Mirage"
No one who liked GEL's previous material will be disappointed by "Mirage," but those who like heavier hardcore will be particularly intrigued.
The New Jersey noise-makers sound just a half-step darker, meaner and fuller on the first Persona single, which might be the best track they've ever released. Get ready to two-step.
200 Stab Wounds - "Hands of Eternity"
200 Stab Wounds are known for brutally assaulting death metal that's more mashing than moody. On "Hands of Eternity," they try their hands at some more subtle horror atmosphere, beginning with an eerie acoustic strumming pattern, a Metallica-esque bell toll, and a slow-building grind toward maximum distorted power.
By the time the double-kicks come in, this shit sounds heavy as all hell. But it's cool to hear them experiment a bit with their sound as they get more comfortable in their blood-soaked shoes.
Knocked Loose - "Suffocate" (Feat. Poppy)
Knocked Loose frontman Bryan Garris said he "laughed out loud" when he saw fans assuming that the Poppy feature on their new album would be a soft one. Ha-ha indeed.
"Suffocate" is easily one of the heaviest Knocked Loose songs in their repertoire. Poppy shrieks like a delighted serial killer, and the breakdown may or may not be influenced by reggaeton — at the very least it sounds dope as fuck.
Bodysnatcher - "Severed"
You'd think by now that we would get tired of hearing breakdowns that sound like what it feels like to get your head smashed through a piano until the keys are sticking out of your mouth like in an episode of Tom & Jerry. But nope. We still love that shit.
Bodysnatcher's new song has at least a couple breakdowns that are downright nasty. And the riffs aren't half-bad either — meaty and chunky and down-tuned as all hell. As long as Bodysnatcher keep writing songs like "Severed," we'll keep coming back for more.
Anklebiter - "Paradise"
Anklebiter's 2023 seven-inch was one of our favorite hardcore releases of the year, and their new split with Prevention keeps the hits coming. "Paradise" is a firecracker where frontperson Rachael Braverman sounds like she's on the verge of popping a blood vessel with every word she shouts.
"Your hands that restricted my breathing were far warmer than the rope I have now," she screams before the outro mosh part. That's haaard.
Graywave - "Dark Spell"
What if Slowdive had bigger riffs? That's essentially what Graywave sound like on "Dark Spell,"a pretty yet also full-bodied shoegaze burner from the U.K. crew, who are signed to hardcore and metal powerhouse Church Road Records.
There's plenty of shoegaze on the heavier side getting made all throughout the world today, but the way Graywave sneak a surprisingly giant riff into this steamy, slow-building song — without interrupting its hypnic mood — is uniquely awesome.
