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.
Gouge Away - "Only Friend"
Following 2016's cult-fave full-length , Dies and high-profile stints opening for Touche Amore, Ceremony and other scene vets, Florida post-hardcore upstarts Gouge Away have burst forth from the underground with "Only Friend," the gnarled first single from their Deathwish debut Burnt Sugar. Whereas past releases expressed the band's potent chemistry primarily through teeth-gnashing hardcore, this cut skews more noise-rock, conjuring lurching riffs and queasy tempos reminiscent of Big Black and the Jesus Lizard. Even with their newfound stylistic ambition, though, Gouge Away are ultimately slaves to their emotions: "Paranoia's always lingering," wails singer Christina Michelle on the chorus, desperate and anguished. "She's my only friend." A pained, neurotic admission manifested as a triumphant rallying cry — now how's that for catharsis?
Behemoth - "God = Dog"
On "God = Dog" — the debut single from Behemoth's forthcoming 11th studio album I Loved You at Your Darkest — Nergal and Co. somehow manage to top their own already-exalted position as lords of the (extremely) blasphemous, blackened death-metal realm. Throughout the track, the Polish band weaves a rich, terrifying tapestry that is as sublime as it is unsettling: moving seamlessly from cinematic ambience, seasick riffs and soaring solos to pummeling blast-beats, tortured vocals and ritualistic incantations chanted by a heretical children's choir.
Drug Church - "Avoidarama"
On their new single "Avoidarama," Albany, New York's Drug Church combines the sharp, witty lyricism of frontman Patrick Kindlon (also of Self Defense Family) with a bouncy, exuberant interpretation of the Pixies and Nirvana's sludgy jangle. It's an equation that creates an alternate-universe sort of grunge-pop that's both heavy and insanely catchy.
Miserable - "Gasoline"
For a dulcet-voiced doomsayer, King Woman's Kristina Esfandiari is actually a pretty big poptimist. Discussing her new single "Gasoline" — a smoldering break-up song off her upcoming double EP Loverboy / Dog Days — with Flaunt, the vocalist declared, "I most certainly see myself releasing many pop records." After listening to the new song, we hope that proves to be the case: Its shimmering guitars, swirling harmonies and relatable themes (who among us hasn't gotten testy with an ex after a few drinks?) make for some grade-A ear-candy.
Leeched - "By the Factories"
U.K. trio Leeched aren't out to make things complex or overwrought; their only concern is hitting you over the head with heavy riffs. On "By the Factories," they engage in a kind of thunderous riffing somewhere between the grooves of Pantera and the grit of Wolverine Blues–era Entombed. Nothing about what they do is pretty, but it delivers in full-bodied rage, crunching to an end with a pit-rallying breakdown to satisfy any mosh warrior.
L.O.T.I.O.N. - "Xenophobia"
The long-awaited L.O.T.I.O.N. split with Scumputer (a.k.a. Gabba of Chaos UK) offers a singular snapshot of a band in motion. Recorded with the outfit's former percussionist Emil Bognar-Nasdor (also, ex-Hammerheads, Dawn of Humans) — the NYC-based cyberpunk crew has officially moved on to live drums with the addition of Warthog drummer Ryan Naideau — the "new" recorded material feels cold, calculated and, above all, hateful on tracks like "Xenophobia." Fans of Nitzer Ebb, Skinny Puppy, Ministry, Uniform and others should pay attention.
