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.
Venom Prison - "Uterine Industrialisation"
In many ways the unbridled aggression of death metal makes the genre perfect for embodying true rage, which U.K. upstarts Venom Prison use to their extreme advantage on new single "Uterine Industrialisation." In between the blast beats and slam riffs, vocalist-activist Larissa Stupar sets her sights on the trauma of forced pregnancy. She leads an all-out assault against religious dogma and hypocrisy, backed up expressively by savage riffing and unrepentant percussion.
Inter Arma - "Citadel"
Lumbering, vicious and brutishly heavy, Inter Arma's latest is a growling treat for extreme-metal lovers tiring of the current OSDM throwback strain currently cycling through the underground. Refreshing in its ability to terrify, the track sprawls deliberately across nearly seven minutes of tectonic, teeth-grinding fury. The Richmond outfit have surely set the bar high for their forthcoming full-length Sulphur English.
Spotlights - "The Age of Decay"
What happens when you combine expansive post-metal and drown the riffs in deafening sludge? Add a touch of glimmering hope and what you get is "The Age of Decay" — the latest single from Brooklyn trio Spotlights, beloved by Deftones' Chino Moreno, among others. The numbing placation of sonic waves washing over the gently obscured vocals is a dream in the heart of a storm; the surrounding din a flurry of grey, swirling matter while a moment of peace stands immovable in the center. The inescapable low end is the kind that hits directly mid-chest, never letting up despite the dynamic shifts throughout, all glued together with the unwavering steadiness of the powerful, leaden beat.
Alexisonfire - "Familiar Drugs"
Through their career, Alexisonfire have always evolved their sound, be it by taking heaviness in surprising directions or building out how they approach clean singing. On "Familiar Drugs," the group's first new song in nearly a decade, both elements are on play as the band fully unsheathes a sharp edge of sludge metal that they only hinted at before. Swinging hard in a way not unlike the approach of contemporaries like Red Fang or Mastodon, the single comes complete with some of Dallas Green's most soulful vocal work to date and George Pettit screaming like an animal.
Numenorean - "Coma"
Much like Deafheaven, Canadian crew Numenorean showcase an impressive ability to combine icy black-metal riffs with profound depth and subtlety on their latest single, "Coma." Equal parts uplifting and bone-chilling, the track is a solid practice in juxtaposition and the brilliance born of pushing genre limits. The song hisses and winds through periods of quiet introspection and triumphant cacophony with stunning ease, leaving listeners dangling, wanting more by the stark tease of the end.
Cold Cave - "Promised Land"
Cold Cave's Wes Eisold has spent years constructing his vision for the very best that goth and synthwave can be, and "Promised Land" is a closer step to that perfect (under)world. Eisold combines elements of goth's past and present, running retro synths through a modern mindset to create a larger sense of dread. Vocally, he sounds more comfortable than ever, slinking and crooning in the vein of Depeche Mode's David Gahan for a subtly emotive and extremely deep performance.
