Column Releases You May Have Missed
RELEASES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED: LPs & EPs, July 2026
Despite the summer heat, July was a month that certainly kept everyone busy from the moment it began. Standout records from the likes of Rozemary, NO CURE, Boundaries and Long Goodbye ensured it will be talked about for the remainder of the year and beyond. Then there was the small matter of Bring Me The Horizon‘s re-recorded version of their cult classic, Count Your Blessings, soon followed by the long-awaited Loathe record, A Stranger to You, which blew away all expectations. For those still looking for more, here’s our selection of gems from the previous month.
Fanchon— Heaven, unfamiliar
Independent
It would be amiss not to mention the release of Fanchon‘s debut record, Heaven, Unfamiliar. The mystic world Fanchon has crafted has made for one of the best grungegaze releases we’ve heard this year. Subtle atmosphere builds through interludes woven throughout the tracklist, drawing back the heavily reverbed guitars to let the chords strum and build the wandering feeling of the record. Their ability to blend the heavier grunge influences with this delicate atmosphere makes for an absolutely sublime listen. – Joe
FFO: Fleshwater, LOCKSTEP & IOTA
Contain — Imitation of Progress
Independent
Imitation of Progress made waves near immediately across metalcore Twitter; its raw, unfiltered approach stands out amongst a crowd of revivalists and wannabes. One of the few bands who stay true to the sound, Contain pulls off something which feels fresh out of the 90s, takes itself entirely seriously, and never lets up. Whether it’s the fast-paced chugging of “Floods of Apathy”, or the slower, more methodical, structured chaos of “Vessel”, there’s a bit of everything here. This is from the heard. No cashing in, no imitation, just pure love for the game, and it shows. – Jack W
FFO: Bolt Cutter, Broken Oath & Shockpoint
The Larches — Nihilistic Majesties
Independent
While sludge coming out of Middlesbrough might raise a few eyebrows, some of this year’s best can be found in the North East. After a run of singles over the past 12 months putting The Larches on the radar, their debut EP delivers on what the trio of tracks hinted at. There are down-tuned grooves that will remind many of the likes of Acid Bath, alongside vocals that sound wounded and angry. There are varying soundscapes across Nihilistic Majesties to give life to the record, whether it’s the foray into classic heavy metal on “Smother the Hero” or the remarkable “Drought“, which has a slow-burn to it that detonates halfway through, proving the noteworthy songwriting here. For those looking for some sludge closer to home, The Larches will be one to keep tabs on. – Joe
FFO: Crowbar, Leechmilk & The Acacia Strain
Cady — Limitations Of The Human Form
Independent
UK screamo is alive and well and Cady are one of its most terrifying standard-bearers. They’ve recently supported Ostraca, Febuary, City of Caterpillar, and Page Ninetynine. Now it’s their turn to put out some essential material through their second album, Limitations of the Human Form. This is emoviolence at its most abject and sheer, as the drums come in flurries and dual vocals bounce against one another beyond their limits. Shades of hardcore spring through with the occasionally tight riffage and moshable moments, but there are no rules the band adheres to; no tired breakdowns or expected turns can be found. Its themes deliver a portrait of hopelessness for the human body colliding with the modern era, meditating upon decay, identity, and capitalism. Following an already celebrated debut album, this LP carries their momentum forward and continues to prove that very exciting things are happening in the UK’s underground. This release skips a Spotify distro, but one can find it on other streaming services like Bandcamp, and also through the tape and CD run they’re doing via London label Mimizu Izuru. – Dobbin
FFO: Jeromes Dream, Loma Prieta & Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
Dahlia Cross — Deaths Have Benefitse
The Coming Strife
The Coming Strife has been a breeding ground for some of the scene’s best up-and-coming talent for some time now, and Dahlia Cross are no exception to that rule. Having played a slew of shows with the likes of Empty Shell Casing, Lorraine, and Dead Butterflies, it was about time that they dropped a debut that lives up to their live hype, and Deaths Have Benefits delivers on all fronts. Frantic, mathy, and belligerent, there’s nowhere to hide from the carnage. Chuck this EP on and get moshing.– Jack W
FFO: The Test Dream, crossmyheart & Silence|me
9/11… Only Worse — Only Worse
Independent
We’d be remiss not to point out the sheer tongue-in-cheek absurdity associated with any band name remotely akin to that of 9/11… Only Worse. Self-awareness wouldn’t see its own reflection in the mirror when compared to the Houston-based slamming death metal solo act. Best of all? The music itself, unironically, hits with all the g-forces you’d otherwise expect. Wouldn’t we all like some sludge with our bass? Only Worse is wall-to-wall with 808 drops, chugs, riffs, and blasts that are practically devoid of any equalizer setting outside of “destroy my entire speaker system”. Morbidly curious indulgers will come for the name, stay for the samples, and return for an unrelenting bombardment of earth-shattering instrumentation. Appropriately scoff at modern slam all you want, but Only Worse is the gold standard of garnering attention by moniker alone and sustaining a following because of the product. September 11th falls on a Friday this year; feel free to connect the rest of the dots. – Shane C
FFO: Slambulance, Girl of Glass & xXTHEYSHOTKENNEDYXx
Mentality — Breakthrough
Independent
From the moment Breakthrough fully kicks in on “In Vein“, it’s evident that Mentality have written this record with their live performances in mind. Big metal riffs to headbang to, neat little two-step moments, and the big breakdowns to make a room go side-to-side too. The whirling metallic riffs will remind many of the likes of Guilt Trip, with that thrash edge to them and the punch of Negative Frame. Gnarly vocals command Breakthrough, ensuring the force of each track courses through the veins of listeners. Mentality are another grand addition to UKHC, and we can’t wait to catch them live again. – Joe
FFO: Agency, Skorn & Soulprison
Mountainscape — Traversing Realms
Independent
Mountainscape are experts at merging the worlds of ‘post’ and ‘metal’, offering a sound that satisfies fans of each and will absolutely delight both. After three strong records, each a daunting monolith waiting to be scaled, they’ve taken a different route for Traversing Realms. At thirty minutes runtime, it’s a more bitesize format for the band. Still served in an epic and progressive manner, of course, as they deftly make each track’s extended runtimes so, so worth their listener’s time. Furthermore, as the album cover betrays, the band dive into their media influences with tracks “Dune” and “The Elder Scrolls”, interpolating the melodies of their soundtracks in a truly Mountainscape style. Frank Herbert’s Dune is a touchstone across heavy music, so it’s particularly welcome to get the post metal treatment here, and Amaya Lopez-Carromero (Maud the Moth/Healthyliving) adds yet another dimension to the track with some amazing vocals. “Closure” completes the EP with a classic track for the band in a supremely hopeful stride. Traversing Realms is the sort of indulgent release that every musician yearns to put out some day. – Dobbin
FFO: Din of Celestial Birds, Million Moons & Pelican
Nothingness — Godslaugher
Independent
Welcome back to death metal’s finest underground act, Nothingness, with their third record Godslaughter and a whole lot of disgusting riffs. They bring the brutal influences to the forefront and offer a delightfully suffocating mix with relentless chugs and articulate growls. As usual for the band they bring plenty of moments that will have you laughing at their sheer intensity. “Skull Evulsion” builds from an absolute rampage of an introduction to a tight jabbing bridge, suddenly turning to enthralling, hurtling descent into hell. Whilst that tightness comes to define Godslaughter’s approach, there is space for indulgence too, with closer “Novus Hegemonikon” going toe to toe with their epics from Supraliminal. – Dobbin
FFO: Sanguisugabogg, Stabbing & Ablation
