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 metalcore, death metal, industrial 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.
I Prevail - "Body Bag"
Undoubtedly, a main reason I Prevail have transcended the 'core underground and become Grammy-nominated scene leaders is because of their hooks. Basically no one in their lane writes and sings choruses like theirs, and the one on "Body Bag" is a fuckin' earworm. Unlike many of their other tracks, this new single is also a destructively heavy ripper that brings to mind the anthemic hardcore of Stick to Your Guns, the monstrous metalcore of Knocked Loose and the fire-spitting lunacy of a deathcore band. Woof.
In Flames - "State of Slow Decay"
In Flames had a huge hand in kickstarting the melodeath subgenre throughout the Nineties, basically perfected that sound by the end of that decade, and then moved on to other genres throughout the 21st century. "State of the Slow Decay" is kind of a return to form. It still has the mechanical production and alt-metal chorus of their more recent material, but the galloping rhythms, twirling duel-guitar leads and triumphant death metal vocals are back in the fold. Something for fans of all their eras.
Black Magnet - "Floating in Nothing"
Like many of the best industrial bands, Black Magnet is a one-man project that sounds like a whole factory floor's worth of caustic noise. Signed to the extreme-metal household, 20 Buck Spin, the first single from next month's sophomore LP is propulsive and abrasive, pounding and weirdly pleasurable. Sure, "Floating in Nothing" recalls many of the genre's most revered touchstones — the scrapyard screams of Godflesh, the clubby goth-night joy of Ministry — but it's also imbued with the apocalyptic urgency of the present.
Vomit Forth - "Predatory Saviour"
Connecticut's Vomit Forth are one of many young death metal bands who're rising above the genre's tired conventions. Instrumentally, "Predatory Saviour" exhibits the moshy heaviness of a band like Dying Fetus, and vocalist Kane Gelaznik's pained shrieks are certainly in the spirit of Deicide's Glen Benton. That said, despite the old-school production, the band also drop in some glitchy vocal effects for a modern touch, as well as a chanted refrain of the words, "I feel nothing," that recalls early Machine Head. So much going on, and it's all executed suavely as hell.
Enterprise Earth - "Psalm of Agony"
Enterprise Earth have gone through a remarkably large number of lineup changes over the years (their Wikipedia page lists 14 ex-members since their formation in 2014), and a couple months back they even lost their last remaining founding member, vocalist Dan Watson. Never fear, because the deathcore band still sound like a fucking brutal and totally capable beast on "Psalm of Agony," their first track with new frontman Travis Worland, who can belt a clean hook as well as he can shriek like a mutant rat.
Norma Jean - "Call for the Blood"
If it's been a little while since you've checked in on Norma Jean, do yourself a favor and give "Call for the Blood" a loud and detailed listen. The Christian metalcore pioneers haven't stopped evolving throughout their two decade-plus career, but the first taste of their new album — which they say is inspired by White Zombie's La Sexorcisto, Alice In Chains' Dirt and Smashing Pumpkins' Siamese Dream — definitely pulls from ambitious rock opuses that far transcend the VFW hall mosh pit.
