Dynamic London-based duo WARGASM return with a bang, unleashing a frenetic and fiery new single entitled ‘Do It So Good’ and announce they will be releasing their debut album Venom on October 27. On the news of Venom & release of ‘Do It So Good’ the band said: “For the last 16 months we’ve spent every moment off the road in the studio creating the perfect debut album for Wargasm. Heavy, melodic, disgusting, honest, sexy, everything this band has experimented with since our inception has been pinned down on the anvil and hammered into shape, thrown at the wall, beaten into a more fucked up shape and gone back onto the anvil. We hope you enjoy ‘Do It So Good’ as a taste of what’s to come. Venom is us. This is ours and before the year clocks out this will be yours. Watch closely – you have no idea what’s gonna happen next x” ‘Do It So Good’ hinges on pulsating synth loops ravaged by groans of distortion and pummeling beat-craft. It seesaws between iconic lyrics in each verse and shuddering screams as Milkie Way promises, “Baby we came for blood.” The devastatingly ecstatic ‘Do It So Good’ spirals towards one final climactic crescendo, incinerating the boundaries between metal, alternative, and electronic. The music video for the track equally matches the intensity as it sees Milkie Way and Sam Matlock performing live and in a distorted glitch screen video tunnel.
Lacey Sturm has debuted a music video for her aggressively introspective new song ‘Reconcile’, a long-awaited follow-up to 2021’s ‘Awaken Love’. “My own humanity can be so divided. When I cling to my rights by pointing out the faults of others, I splinter myself. All of this division is rooted in my own pride,” Sturm shares. “Have I arrogantly supposed that I could somehow reconcile the world around me if I am not reconciled within myself?” Lacey’s personal process of looking inward to bring herself into congruence with her ultimate human purpose informs ‘Reconcile’. The track is an unflinching mirror held up to the uncomfortable ways in which she acknowledges her own contribution to the world’s brokenness through arrogant pride: personal pride, relational pride, religious pride. The accompanying music is equally visceral, with Josh Sturm’s careening guitar riffs and Lacey’s gut-punch vocals. The video is a visual representation of the singer’s inner fight for personal reconciliation. As always, the darker reflections are tempered by the hope that comes when she can integrate her ego’s death with the life that comes from resurrecting grace. Lacey says: “As soon as I cultivate peace within myself, the world around me starts falling into peace too— my kids, my family, my friends, the person at the checkout in the grocery store.” [via Blabbermouth]
Earlier this year, Svalbard released their single ‘Eternal Spirits,’ their first new track since the excellent 2020 album When I Die, Will I Get Better? Now, Svalbard have announced the impending release of their new LP The Weight Of The Mask. Svalbard recorded the new album with longtime collaborator Lewis Johns, and it’s all about turning depression into aggression. Svalbard have dropped the video for opening track ‘Faking It,’ which sounds tremendous. Here’s what bandleader Serena Cherry says about the track: “’Faking It’ is a song about feeling deprived of meaningful human connection due to depression acting like a wall that shuts you off from others. It addresses the ways in which those who suffer with depression can feel guilted into putting on a happy mask. The lyrics are a reflection on happiness as a social obligation and how scarily good you can become at deceiving everyone around you into thinking that you’re fine when you’re not. With ‘Faking It,’ we are both acknowledging the pressure for forced positivity, the fear that people won’t like you if you’re sad, and also questioning where the root of this intolerance towards depression lies.” [via Stereogum]
Hippie Death Cult is back with a crunchy new single ‘Arise’ and a new record Helichrysum due out on October 20. If you’re in the mood for slow-burning riffs and smoke vocals, then you’re gonna love this. “Lyrically, ‘Arise’ serves as a poignant reminder of the prevalence of grifters and self-proclaimed spiritual leaders who exploit vulnerable individuals searching for guidance, often leaving them even more disillusioned and adrift than before,” said bassist and vocalist Laura Philips. “The song narrates a tale of a devoted follower who finally sees through the charismatic manipulation and shatters the illusion. Another reminder to question everything and trust your own inner compass when navigating the path of truth.” [via Metal Injection]
Sweden’s female-fronted symphonic/industrial metal pioneers Rave The Reqviem are back with their new single ‘Doombreaker’, a catchier-than-catchy metal banger made to shake your core.With its perfect harmony between heavy shouts and beautiful female vocals, this track proves that Rave The Reqviem is back with vengeance, ready to claim their God-given right to the throne of symphonic/industrial metal. The song was written and produced by Filip Lönnqvist and the clip was directed by Petter Perseius and Daniel Yor Lindgren. [via Chaos Zine]
THE HELLFREAKS have released a new music video. The new music video, for the track ‘Rootless Soul Riot’, is taken from the Hungarian punk band’s latest studio album, Pitch Black Sunset, which was released back in April. Speaking about the song and its accompanying music video, the band says, “’Rootless Soul Riot’ is the ‘last and first’ music video to celebrate the release of our new album Pitch Black Sunset. This song was the very first video the band recorded for this album, and it’s the final one to be released from the tracklist… for now. Even back in high school, we always felt a deep camaraderie for the misfits, the freaks, and geeks – anyone that was not considered cool. That was our gang. That was our people. We gravitated towards them because these individuals were the ones who stood out, unlike the ‘cool kids’ who were too afraid to embrace uniqueness. In our eyes, the real souls with genuine hearts were the weirdos like us. That’s why our band, THE HELLFREAKS carry the name with purpose and see it as a badge of honor. Hand on heart, we all found solace in the community of metal, punk, or hardcore music because we rejected conformity and committed ourselves to living life on our own terms and being different personally and musically. We may not conform to any societal norms and definitely do not fit into one musical genre, but we have made it a point to be different because this is what we are.” [via Distorted Sound Mag]
Swedish symphonic dark metal powerhouse Eleine definitely have the world at their feet: Not only have they just been confirmed as support act for industrial metal icons Pain’s upcoming European tour, the group have also finally unleashed their long-awaited new opus We Shall Remain via Atomic Fire Records. In addition, Eleine has prepared another music video — this time for the album’s title track. Band founding members, lead singer Madeleine Liljestam and Rikard Ekberg (guitars, vocals), comment, “This song combines all important elements that Eleine are known for: Chuggy riffs, groovy rhythms as well as a smashing chorus while its empowering lyrics breathe the spirit our legions keep following us for.” [via Metal Underground]
