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 deathcore, death-pop, death metal 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.
Brand of Sacrifice - "Exodus"
Brand of Sacrifice make deathcore songs that sound like action movies. "Exodus" is a nail-biter from start to finish, combining cinematic choir samples, suspenseful synths, blood-pumping breakdowns and dramatic, shoulder-shaking clean singing into one of the Canadian band's most ambitious 'core concoctions yet. Vocalist Kyle Anderson has clearly been training since last year's Lifeblood album. The future is bright for Brand of Sacrifice.
VOWWS - "Wait" (Feat. Chelsea Wolfe)
VOWWS call their music "death-pop," but "Wait" doesn't evoke either of those suffixes. The Deftones-approved band usually sound like an industrialized darkwave act, but their latest single is a lot sparser and more reserved than their usual fare. It's more akin to the stark folk-metal of Chelsea Wolfe, who makes a haunting guest appearance on "Wait" while VOWWS build a hazy instrumental out of acoustic guitar strums and breathy, sustained notes. "Death-folk" feels more apt for this one.
200 Stab Wounds - "Masters of Morbidity"
200 Stab Wounds are staking their claim as the new "Masters of Morbidity," and their first single as a Metal Blade band makes it hard to deny. This single is several cuts above (200, to be precise) what the band were doing on last year's excellent Slave to the Scalpel LP, proving that their year of hard-touring has paid dividends for their musicianship. This song is fucking stuffed with great riffs, has a ton of unexpected tempo changes, and there's a quirky little drum fill and an intestine-ripping guitar solo that foreshadow where they're capable of going next.
Narrow Head - "Moments of Clarity"
Following in the footsteps of slightly older bands like Nothing and Superheaven, Narrow Head are the new reigning kings of shoegazy grunge that's made with the drafty warmth of a trash can fire on a snowy street. "Moments of Clarity" picks up where their 2020 album, 12th House Rock, left off, immediately lunging into a bungee-jumping groove à la Failure or Hum, and painting it with scuzzy riffage and Jacob Duarte's nasally cries of desperation and longing.
All Out War - "Wrath/Plague"
All Out War's music has always drawn from death metal, but it's never been as death-metal as the first two singles from their forthcoming album. On "Wrath/Plague," the Upstate New York vets aren't just going through the motions, they're fiddling with their sound — which is now heavier than ever, by the way — by throwing in some Converge-esque yells over open chord dissonance, and coming in hot as hell with a grindcore fury. Once they get to the uncompromising breakdown, it feels more like a reward than an obligatory tradition. Goddamn this is heavy.
In Flames - "Foregone Pt. 2"
Based on all the singles we've heard thus far, it seems safe to say that In Flames' upcoming album, Foregone, will be a back-to-the-roots record. The Swedish band led by frontman Anders Fridén have returned to the Swedish melodeath attack they helped pioneer two decades back, and on the album's latest preview, "Foregone Pt. 2," they even channel the folk-metal styles that they first explored on classic albums like Whoracle and Clayman. Old heads, rejoice.
