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.
Trash Talk - "Something Wicked"
Los Angeles-based hardcore power players Trash Talk just announced their first new release in four years, the Squalor EP, which was helmed by hip-hop producer Kenny Beats (Vince Staples, Gucci Mane). Judging from its lead single, "Something Wicked," working with Beats hasn't changed Trash Talk's DNA: It's a shock, sharp punch to the head that will wake you right the fuck out of your quarantine stupor.
Make Them Suffer - "Soul Decay"
"It's probably our closest thing to a radio banger," Make Them Suffer frontman Sean Harmanis told us of his band's latest single, "Soul Decay." But don't think for a second that it's some watered-down commercial bullshit. With his nasty harsh vocals butting up against singer-keyboardist Booka Nile's ethereal croon, the song is instead the perfect mixture of melody and madness. Maybe it's as hooky as the Australians have ever sounded, but they haven't missed a beat as far as bitterness and severity is concerned.
Thirty Nights of Violence - "Marbled Regression"
Nashville-based up-and-comers Thirty Nights of Violence's new cut hits like a shit ton of bricks. A slice off their upcoming sophomore EP, You'll See Me Up There, "Marbled Regression" is four minutes' worth of anger and resentment, driven by gnarly yet poetic lyrics like "Deprive myself from happiness/Sinking deep in this abyss/Everything turns gray/I can see the walls decay/Clear water will forever run red." Believe whatever you want about those Code Orange rumors — it plays no part in how knife-to-the-throat this song is.
Northlane - "Enemy of the Night"
Northlane's fifth album, Alien, is their boldest and most personal, delving into vocalist Marcus Bridge's harrowing upbringing, growing up with drug-addicted parents. Saved from the cutting-room floor, leftover cut "Enemy of the Night" is as vile, distressing and compelling as anything on the LP. Northlane's metalcore sound can veer extraterrestrial, but this one wrestles in the dirt like a new Cane Hill cut or a lost Korn classic, marking a remarkable twist for the Australian quintet.
Mora Prokaza - "WIMG"
Belarusian trap-infused black metal? This week in "WTF?!" comes genre-busting, makeup-slathered and extremely fucking pissed outsider duo Mora Prokaza. Atop majestic symphonic blackness that recalls the bombast of Dimmu Borgir, the twosome rant, babble and shriek like demons on speed. "WIMG" apparently stands for "Where Is My Gun?" — we don't know the answer, but we do know that the song and its stark, in-your-face video are both captivatingly unhinged.
Mantar - "Ghost Highway"
For five years, German duo Mantar have been making their name with sleazy, gnarly post-metal. But as teenagers back in post-Cold-War-era Germany, "uncool" Nineties alt-rock was their salvation. Enter the band's upcoming covers album, Grungetown Hooligans II, which includes this gripping, noirish take on Mazzy Star's "Ghost Highway," released this past week on the 30th anniversary of her debut album. Paying homage without ripping anything off, the sleek and eerie cut is made to be spun on repeat.
