It’s only February and we’re already awash with amazing releases from the worldwide alternative, heavy and experimental music scenes. We really enjoyed singles from A Burial At Sea, Stormo, Soft Blue Shimmer and Trauma Bonds, just to name a few of our favourites from our New Music Friday features. This is our list of January singles which deserved another spotlight.
Flesh Prison – No Peace (Independent)
With its first strains emerging from the warm depths of Florida, the deathcore revival has made its way fully north of the border into Canada. Killing of a Sacred Deer took the feral nature of the sound pioneered by the likes of PSYCHO FRAME and Tracheotomy and put their own horror-filled twist on it. Flesh Prison now have with debut single “No Peace”, which was soon followed by “Deathbed Messiah” for a double tap of gnarly deathcore. With a snare that sounds like a shotgun tap and lows that are unreal, it looks to be that Flesh Prison are the next deathcore act ready to rise through the ranks.
FFO: Thus Spoke Zarathustra, CRUCIFICTION & Restricted US
Defiance – Kisses (BDHW Records)
European Hardcore, if that is the correct term to coin it by, seems to have quality bands emerging left, right and centre at the moment. Sorcerer dropped one of 2024’s more underrated records, with Lifecrusher, Divine Sentence and Calcine absolutely crushing it on their respective releases. Making their debut in the opening weeks of 2025 with “Kisses”, scornful vocals command the track and are backed by some juicy drum grooves and riffs. The first step in Defiance HC’s emergence is an impressive one and what follows holds much anticipation.
FFO: Threshold, Hounds Of War & smother
Suffocate For Fuck Sake – to rest in the trust, that creates the world (Independent)
A marvellous and unexpected return for this Swedish band. Their discography is foundational for the intersection of screamo and post rock, and we didn’t expect to see a new release come so soon after Frya. There’s no better place to start with the band than this single – might as well dive into a twenty minute epic. We love the tender audio samples and the unique timbre of the heavy sections.
FFO: Envy, Ostraca & Torpor
feralcity – Appararition (Unclefunk Recordings)
Piecing together a fully instrumental track in a metalcore sound feels like a challenge in itself. It’s a genre that involves high emotion and passion which more often than not pivots it on its lyrical and vocal content. feralcity weave together intricate riffs to create an expansive soundscape that succinctly forms a heartening and warm sound. Never moving too far in any one direction to become overblown, it focuses on the plucking of heart strings through intricate and moving riffs.
FFO: Tides of Man, Bouquet & Novelists
Thorn Haven – Save My Place (Independent)
Grunegaze as it’s now referred to is the latest genre making a splash, with many bands finding their message within the sound, much like shoegaze did a decade ago. Blending alternative and grunge sounds with that of shoegaze, it creates a sound that you’d hear on a WWE Attitude Era montage, pre-laced with nostalgia. Thorn Haven are the latest to enter into this fray and while currently a busy space, the duo bring an aggressive edge to the genre that many don’t, with a dirty mix that sounds like you’re listening to it off an old CD-player.
FFO: Black Coast, Oversize & Hundredth
Sulk Rooms – Earth & Horror (Frosti)
The solo project from drone trafficker Thomas Ragsdale (also a player in Pijn), Sulk Rooms has amassed a significant discography over just four years, including collaborative and live releases. “Earth & Horror” is a psychedelic rush coloured in greyscale tones. Sheets of drones wash through you, forming chores that promise a bright resolution. It’s enough to make you want to hit “pause” on all of life’s storms for a moment to linger within its tranquility. Sulk Rooms will be gearing up to support Aidan Baker’s UK and EU run in the coming months.
FFO: Nadja, Fennesz & Tim Hecker
Amulets & Midwife – Lifelike (Beacon Sound)
I was overjoyed to see these two collaborating, only to realise this isn’t even their first jaunt – the duo made a seventeen minute track called “Heaven” ten years ago, which makes this a sort of reunion. On “Lifelike”, Madeline Johnston (Midwife) speaks to us softly from a realm of static conjured by Randall Taylor, juxtaposing the cold atmosphere with the fuzzy familiarity of analogue effects. It’s sure to be one of the centerpieces of Amulets’ upcoming album Not Around But Through, hinting that it will be the most emotive work from the project yet.
FFO: Natural Snow Buildings, Emeralds & Grouper
This Gift Is A Curse – Ascension (Season of Mist)
This occult blackened sludge band emerged from winter hibernation with a gift. “Ascension” is grand and dramatic, written and paced naturally for its nine minute runtime. Rather than the uncanny smoothness that can be found in black metal, they’ve opted for a production style that prioritises the uneven fury of their blast beats, embracing the uneven chaos of their five-piece live sound. They’ve not been slacking in their six year studio release absence: Heir will be their longest release yet, promising an entire dimension of unholy extreme metal.
FFO: The Sun’s Journey Through The Night, Wiegedood & Regarde Les Hommes Tomber
Church of the Sea – Eva (These Hands Melt)
Our first exposure to the Greek trio Church of the Sea was through “Eva”, immediately drawing our attention toward their whole discography that’s been carefully grown over the past seven years. They offer darkwave and gothic atmospheres through their tribal drums and haunted vocals. While they carefully temper their volume, “Eva” finds its stride in its latter half with noisier elements and a driving beat. However, it’s the playful key melody they retain throughout that becomes the essential part of their sound, grounding it and balancing the dark with light.
FFO: Barn Owl, Earth & Earth (especially Primitive and Deadly)