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, hardcore, black 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.
Apex Predator - "Jesus Wept"
Apex Predator don't sound exactly like Hatebreed, but they've mastered the balance of heavy and catchy that Jamey Jasta and Co. do so well. The Washington band's debut LP, Jesus Wept, is stuffed with murderous mosh parts and grunt-along chants, and its title track is a highlight.
The way the vocalist intones, "Jee-sus wept, BUT NOT FOR YOU!" to queue in a clobbering groove is incredibly addictive. By the second time it comes around, you'll be diving off your couch into the coffee table.
Escuela Grind - "Meat Magnet" (Feat. Barney Greenway)
When it comes to grindcore guest features, there really isn't a bigger get than Barney Greenway. The longtime Napalm Death frontman's cacophonous bark is almost as pivotal to grind's DNA as Mick Harris' blast beat, so by lending his voice to "Meat Magnet," he's sort of passing the torch to Escuela Grind.
And they've earned it. The Massachusetts crew's last single was their heaviest yet, and "Meat Magnet" lands in a similarly noxious sweet spot between death-metal precision and grind fury.
Upon Stone - "Paradise Failed" (Feat. Brian Fair)
Call it melodeath, call it old-school metalcore. However you want to tag it, Upon Stone are doing it supremely well. On "Paradise Failed," the L.A. band enlist Shadows Fall frontman Brian Fair for an uproarious guest appearance.
The metalcore vet fits right in alongside the sword-slinging riffs and howling yells. But it's the wicked guitar solo that steals the show on this one.
Brand of Sacrifice - "Purge"
In the last five seconds of "Purge," before the song sounds like it gets sucked up into a vortex, Brand of Sacrifice collectively gang-chant: "Is this where it ends?/Or where it all begins?"
To us, it sounds like the Canadian deathcore futurists entering a new phase of heaviness. Kyle Anderson's shrieking highs and guttural lows have never sounded better, the fast parts are even faster, and the breakdowns hit harder than ever. Cheers to new beginnings.
Hulder - "Vessel of Suffering"
One-woman outfit Hulder unleash an utterly oppressive torrent of black metal on "Vessel of Suffering" that should remind everyone why the Washington band stand among the genre's very best right now.
The guitars are gnashing, the drums are positively battering, the vocals are hellacious, but there's a primitive medieval synth drone deep in the back of the mix that adds density and texture to the aural assault.
Duckboy - "I Was a Teenage Nihilist"
Making a song titled "I Was a Teenage Somethin'" is a punk rite of passage that the Cramps, Green Day, Against Me! and even Queens of the Stone Age have honored. Now, Duckboy — a.k.a. $uicideboy$ M.C. Ruby da Cherry — has entered the pantheon with "I Was a Teenage Nihilist."
Snotty, zippy and constantly sounding like it's ready to fall over itself, this spit-stained standout from his second punk EP of 2023 has an early New Found Glory flavor that even the toughest moshers can't deny.
