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.
Gouge Away - "Wave of Mutilation"
Florida-based punks Gouge Away delivered up a beautiful and bombastic take on the Pixies' grungy classic "Wave of Mutilation" this week. In a strange calm amid the storm, the clear, clean guitar tones and vocalist Christina Michelle's chilling voice provide two minutes of rocking peace. But even when exploring their mellower side, true rebels still have causes — 25 percent of the profits from the sale of the band's new two-song 7-inch, which features the cover, will be donated to the International Rescue Committee.
The Acacia Strain - "The Lucid Dream" Featuring Jess Nyx
After the surprise drop of of the 7-inch D in February, we now get its follow-up E, the latest in a string of offerings that will almost assuredly follow in the Acacia Strain's storied practice of encoding words or sentences in their record titles. "The second chapter is here. We descend further and further into our own undoing," said frontman Vincent Bennett. Whatever the holistic picture is, we're here for it. This standout cut, alternately majestic and barreling, features a guest shot by Mortality Rate vocalist Jess Nyx, who complements the savage screams of Bennett perfectly, making you feel as if you are truly coming undone.
Lamb of God - "Memento Mori"
Despite being written well before the outbreak of COVID-19 and the global struggle to respond to its spread, Lamb of God's second single off their upcoming self-titled album strikes an eerily relevant chord today. "Memento Mori," which builds from a Sister of Mercy–esque intro to a more characteristic thrashy onslaught, is an urgent battle cry for listeners "not be consumed by the omnipresent electronic harbingers of doom that surround us — cellphones, computers and television screens," according to frontman Randy Blythe, and to hold on to the things that matter IRL.
Old Man Gloom - "EMF"
For those not in the know, Old Man Gloom is a sludge-noise supergroup featuring current and former members of Converge, ISIS and Cave In, and their forthcoming LP, Seminar VIII: Light of Meaning, will be their first since the 2018 death of bassist and core member Caleb Scofield. Which makes the album's lead single hit all the harder. From the one minute's worth of bizarre clamor that opens the proceedings, to the absolutely punishing verses, to the ebbs and flows in-between, "EMF" crushes.
Entheos - "Remember You Are Dust"
Entheos — the tech-metal crew newly stripped down to the duo of vocalist Chaney Crabb and Swiss Army knife of an instrumentalist Navene Koperweis (dude plays guitar, bass and drums) — continue to push djent boundaries with new single "Remember You Are Dust." The music is utterly vertiginous, but it's Crabb who provides solid ground amid the earthquake: "Through this fear I am unconscious," she roars as if speaking for dizzy listeners. "And from within it I cannot see."
Converge - "Endless Arrow"
Converge's emotive hardcore is untouchable and especially so when it veers into more atmospheric, Neurosis-adjacent territory (such as on the 2017 B-side "Eve" or their past collabs with the post-metal band's Steve Von Till). So it is with "Endless Arrow," an overwhelming, 30-minute ambient version of 2012 single "Aimless Arrow" created by guitarist and producer-engineer Kurt Ballou. It's available as a "pay what you want" download on Bandcamp, who is waiving its revenue share on sales today (March 20th) in order to help musicians impacted by COVID-19 pandemic.
