Four-piece Bristolian alt-metal act MALLAVORA unleashes their destructive new single, ‘SKIN,’ and signs to Marshall Records as they gear up for their debut at this year’s Download festival. As winners of Kerrang! Radio’s THE DEAL competition, the band recorded at The Marshall Studio, produced by the infamous Mikey Demus of Skindred, the band’s latest offering, delves deep into the theme of individuality and defiance against societal norms. ‘Skin’ takes inspiration from Jessica Douek’s personal journey and the challenges of navigating a world that often expects conformity. “It’s about feeling different and being utterly defiant about it,” says Douek. “I have always felt different. I have struggled to understand people and the world around me, and I feel there are unspoken rules I’m unaware of. As a result, I have felt alienated.” Guitarist Larry Sobieraj adds, “The initial idea for the track came during a time where I was feeling utterly frustrated, confused and exhausted by a lifetime of feeling different. We all connected with this topic as a band, and the song evolved from there. I think the result is a true reflection of the feelings we wanted to impart, and Mikey did a great job of helping us craft the emotion into the song.”
Creative powerhouse and genre-collision experimenteer BEX is back with a new single ‘Fight’. ‘Fight’ is a rallying cry in the wake of a relationship breakdown with BEX’ signature scuzzed-up, grumbling basslines propelling a proper punchy chant. The combative track arrives as she looks towards a number of festival performances this summer, as well as a newly-announced headline date at London’s Omeara on 1st November. As BEX says, “’Fight’ is not a love song, it’s the opposite. It’s an acceptance of embarrassment. Loving someone to then have it thrown in your face is embarrassing, when you try your hardest, never fight, and you’re getting along so well, it can be so confusing to find out they were never loyal. Fight is about how blind sighted I was, for so long and the way the whole situation made me feel in the end. Truth is, you never know another person, and trust should never come easy, that’s what I have learnt – you have to let people EARN your trust. Don’t just give it away.”
Heriot have announced their debut album, Devoured by the Mouth of Hell, due September 27 via Century Media. It was recorded with Will Putney (of END, Fit For An Autopsy, Better Lovers) and Josh Middleton (Sylosis, ex-Architects), and it features recent single ‘Siege Lord’ as well as the just-released ‘Foul Void,’ which opens the album. Like the last single, it offers up a futuristic blend of metalcore, death metal, industrial, and more, and the band says it “delves into the inner struggle of an individual facing uncertainties about their faith.” [via Brooklyn Vegan]
Poppy has released an absolutely banging new single, ‘New Way Out’. The musician has followed up last year’s 4/5-rated Zig album – plus mind-blowing 2024 collabs with Bad Omens and Knocked Loose – with a brilliant new tune that leans towards the heavier end of what she’s done across her genre-defying career so far. Bonus: it also features the production work of Jordan Fish, who, since departing Bring Me The Horizon in December, has been busy in the studio with everyone from Architects to Spiritbox – and now Poppy! [via Kerrang!]
EPICA singer Simone Simons has released the official music video for her second solo single, ‘In Love We Rust’. The track is taken from her debut solo album, Vermillion, which will be made available on August 23 via Nuclear Blast Records. Simone, who has been a pioneering force within the world of metal for over two decades as part of EPICA, worked on Vermillion with her musical partner and longtime collaborator Arjen Lucassen (AYREON). Arjen is no stranger to Simone’s soaring operatic voice, one that can stir even a gargoyle’s stone heart to tears. Together they have crafted a sonic universe that befits the influential figure she is. Vermillion emerges as a gargantuan goose-bump generator, a universally touching, stellar tour de force. Simone and Arjen state about ‘In Love We Rust’: “The video was filmed in just one take to keep it as pure and raw as possible. We opted to keep it in black and white so as not to distract from the song or the performance. ‘In Love We Rust’ is quite different from our first single ‘Aeterna’, which shows how diverse this album is. This is one of our favorite songs. We hope you love this as much as we do.” [via Blabbermouth]
European quintet ANKOR have signed to UNFD, and released their first single for the independent heavy label. The band – fronted by Bristol vocalist Jessie Williams, and completed by guitarists David Romeu and Fito Martinez, and bassist Julio López, all from Spain, and drummer Eleni Nota from Athens – have joined forces with UNFD to help propel their next era, having already been building up a dedicated fanbase for the past 20 years. And that’s helped further with the release of new single and video ‘Embers’, which Jessie explains is “a song that mixes EDM with classical ANKOR melodies. A song about dealing with loss and grief. We recorded the music video in a beautiful church in London, and we believe it sends the exact message of the track. “’Embers’ is a journey through the mind of someone living an alternate reality,” she continues, going into detail about the accompanying music video. “Dreaming of what could have been… but the truth is much darker, that’s why we represented it with both dresses. It’s a ceremony of what could have been a wedding and ends up being a funeral, in which she dances alone, knowing none of it will ever happen. It can hit as a negative song, but in her sadness there is hope, as she’ll always be connected to her loss.” [via Kerrang!]
Titled Silhouettes, the sophomore album from the Newcastle-based heavy progressive band Giant Walker follows 2022’s All In Good Time and is scheduled to be released in September this year via Church Road Records. The album will feature the previously released single ‘Make Me’, as well as the newly released ‘Halcion’. Speaking about the creative process behind the new track, guitarist Jamie Southern comments, “The initial idea for the song emerged from a drum groove, although it evolved through several different iterations before culminating into its final form. Sonically, it’s quite dark and angular, and so, when it came to crafting the lyrics, the aim was to encapsulate that feeling of uneasiness that came from the music and weave it into a story. It just so happened that amidst writing the song, I ended up watching a documentary about a serial killer, which felt very fitting to the music, and so, this ultimately shaped the lyrical direction Halcion took.” [via Distorted Sound]
Sydney rebellious rockers Wicked Envy have premiered their formidable new single called ‘Final Descent’. The dominating new track commands attention, taking you on a gut-wrenching final journey through flight. “’Final Descent’ is about the fear of flying and dying in a plane crash,” explains vocalist Desiree Hancock. “I decided to write this song, cause It’s a very relatable topic, as many of my family and friends struggle with this fear of Aerophobia, especially when travelling overseas. The eerie whispering voices and haunting vocals are evident throughout the song to create a sombre feel, as if these voices are from the dead.”The thumping guitars in the main riff/ chorus and pounding drums bring out the emotional, gut-wrenching feelings like turbulence on a flight we have all been taken on. You never know when your number is up. This song is based on the movie Final Destination! As I’m a massive fan of the movie and horror films in general, I thought it would be thrilling to write about a plane crash and the audience left with one question. Will this be the end?“ [via Heavy Mag]
Hard rock band Beautiful Skeletons unveils their new music video, ‘Only Zuul.’ The track, featured on their recently released EP Temperance (Wormholedeath Records), is accompanied by a visually unsettling video experience. Produced by the one and only Hotkarlproductions Karl Whinnery and Amanda McGahey, this video will grip you with its eerie atmosphere and special effects.
