Here at Revolver, we're always on the hunt for great new music — indeed, it's a big part of our jobs. With that in mind, here are the tracks released this week in metal, hard rock, hardcore and beyond that have been on heavy rotation at Revolver HQ. For your listening pleasure, we've also compiled the songs in a Spotify playlist, below, which will grow each week.
High on Fire - "Electric Messiah"
A rampaging tribute to the late, great Lemmy Kilmister, High on Fire's new single "Electric Messiah" finds the beloved sludge-thrash trio at their most visceral in years: a potent melange of towering riffs, swampy backbeats and hypnotizing solos that's as heavy as liquid mercury, as putrid as month-old bong-water and, indeed, as badass as the fallen idol who inspired it.
Horrendous - "The Idolater"
What makes Horrendous stand apart from the death-metal pack is their commitment to standing outside the genre's familiar box of tropes. "The Idolater" starts like some kind of drug trip, slowly insinuating what is to come, before finally kicking up the distortion and going full-bore into the riffing. The bass is deliciously groovy and present in the mix, and the guitars sail away into progressive territory sure to set even a seasoned tech-death fan's head spinning.
Soulfly - "Evil Empowered"
With any Max Cavalera project, you can bet that you're in for something pretty disgustingly heavy. Queue the new Soulfly song "Evil Empowered," which rides in on a signature Cavalera groove-tastic main verse. There's a guitar-driven bounce through its DNA, although the song is not afraid to speed up for brief spats of double kick chaos and, of course, later crescendo in a crusher of a breakdown sure to stir up the pit.
Marissa Nadler - "Blue Vapor"
Lest we forget, Marissa Nadler might be the original goth sad girl in the current wave of indie — paving the way for the likes of Chelsea Wolfe, Zola Jesus and more. Her latest, "Blue Vapor," slides in like a cold fog, keeping things focused on just a bright guitar strum and Nadler's damaged-angel croon. It's a beautiful song with an emotional yet ominous feel, with enough mystery and depth that it feels ready to be packaged for a Twin Peaks soundtrack alongside that Chris Isaak classic. We're not crying — you're crying.
Haunt - "Burst Into Flame"
Trevor William Church has been keeping very active this summer — following the seven (seven!) new EPs his main band Beastmaker released back in June, the California metaller made his first full-length foray into Maiden-style maximalism this week with Burst Into Flame, the inaugural LP from his NWOBHM-inspired side project Haunt. If you've got a hankering for razor-sharpened hooks and vintage arena riffs, the record's eponymous opener should do the trick. It's one of those rare sonic blasts from the past that, however, nostalgically-inspired, decidedly exist as a product of the here and now.
Outer Heaven - "Bloodspire"
Once in a while, you're really caught off guard by a band — their songwriting, live prowess and presence — to the point where its a complete shock that the world isn't in on this secret that you've stumbled upon. Prior to their Relapse signing, Outer Heaven was one of those bands. Thankfully, their first single "Bloodspire" is an excellent introduction to the group's ferocious death-metal chops, tipping the cap to both Gothenburg and Stockholm in only the most tasteful of ways.
