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 metal, hard rock and hardcore that have been on heavy rotation at Revolver HQ. For your listening pleasure, we've also compiled the songs in a Spotify playlist, which will grow each week.
Me and That Man - "Burning Churches"
Behemoth bandleader Adam Nergal Darski's Me and That Man project is pure blues and outlaw-country worship with an edge of tongue-in-cheek rebellion reminiscent of Nick Cave's Murder Ballads best. New single "Burning Churches" features the tortured wail of Mat McNerney (Grave Pleasures, Beastmilk, Hexvessel, et al.), and it's a somber yet fun ode that rails, with equal parts sincerity and winking mischief, against the righteous hypocrisy of organized religion.
Downpressor - "Eyes to Heaven"
It wouldn't be a full week without the hard-pressing fist of some meaty hardcore, and Downpresser unloaded plenty of brute force with their latest release "Eyes to Heaven." Wickedly heavy but exploratory through off-kilter time signatures and textured layers, the band avoid the pitfall of being forgettable in a saturated genre by adding a flavor purely their own in this gut-punch cut.
Haunt - "Light the Beacon"
Trad-metal is a dish best served mid-tempo and gallivanting, and Fresno, California, rockers Haunt pull it off perfectly with their triumphant new single "Light the Beacon." While the music is perfectly in keeping with the roots of heavy metal's earlier sounds, the vocals here have a modern twist that freshens up the well-trodden musical territory Haunt traverse and keeps the groove cantering on.
Frayle - "Gods of No Faith"
Cleveland-based act Frayle may reside in the U.S. Midwest, but their appeal and approach seem magically otherworldly and embedded firmly in the occult. "God of No Faith," their newest, is a tripped-out, airy chant rooted in singer Gwyn Strang's belief that "we are all gods," and if her voice is any indicator, some folks here are at least channeling their most supernatural talents.
Raspberry Bulbs - Ultra Vires
Raw, blackened punks Raspberry Bulbs cropped up with a surprise signing to Relapse Records and a filthy new track, "Ultra Vires," to consummate the marriage. If you're looking for a hellish ripper that sounds like it was recorded inside a coffin hidden in the shadows of Dracula's rotting basement, you've come to the right place.
Ioanna Gika - One Thing Leads to Another
It's hard to imagine anyone improving upon the Fixx's irresistible Eighties classic "One Thing Leads to Another," but singer Ioanna Gika slowed it down and put a quietly emotional spin on it to create something entirely new, yet with the same infectiousness that's kept the tune in our universal conscious since 1982. Listen now to bury your holiday ennui in the lush threads spun with Gika's enveloping charm.
