After a month that saw lead singles from Orion…Once Again and Hidden Mothers‘ upcoming records, along with exceptional entries from Sunday Best with their post-hardcore cocktail, Trauma Bonds with their heartfelt metallic hardcore and Malice with another furious deathcore triumph. We now take a look at some of our other favourite singles from the month of August.
Dygora – My Fear Was Not Death Itself… (Southside Records)
South London unit Dygora made their first foray into 2024 with new track “My Fear Was Not Death Itself… “, that saw them channel deathcore and trap elements in lethal combination. Vicious vocals from Omar Swaby and charged drums from Steve Parnell gave the record formidable spine. Each element on My Fear Was Not Death Itself… ” emboldens the track into something bigger. If built on, we should see Dygora become a staple of the London scene.
FFO: UNTIYTX, Beyond Extinction & PeelingFlesh
SAFIRE – Beauty In The Chaos (Independent)
What SAFIRE offers up on “Beauty In The Chaos” is a gorgeous rendition of the 00s clubland and trance sound that simmers with authenticity. The vocal performance is goosebump-inducing as its melodies and hooks weave itself through the tapestry of the track. It’s another track that shows the talent at hand with SAFIRE, and how it only seems a matter of time before bigger and better things are due for the solo artist.
FFO: Anyma, Devault & Imprintafter
SALT – BITCHMADE (Independent)
Throwing in one of the most pissed and rage-filled tracks of August came SALT with their latest single “BITCHMADE“. Already building up a feral discography, with their WINTER PROMO and For Your Wounds, the Columbus unit show no signs of cooling off. Punchy, angry and on brand as always from SALT, those looking for a track to have a scrap or throw down to will need to look no further than “BITCHMADE“.
FFO: PRINCESS, Temple Guard & Chained Up
Terror Cell – Come and See (Fisher King Records)
Richmond’s Terror Cell, featuring members of Thin and Black Matter Device, burst onto the scene in 2019 with their raw, metallic hardcore EP Last Day of Sun. Their 2022 LP Caustic Light saw them evolve into screamo and post-metal unit. “Come and See” is the first opening into their upcoming record, All Quiet, a harrowing and piercing sound that takes on the narrative of the glory war, taking its name from the famed book, All Quiet on the Western Front.
FFO: Dreamwell, Fuming Mouth & Hidden Mothers
WRONG STATE – IITAKUNAI (feat. MINI MYTH) (Independent)
Oskaka, Japan group WRONG STATE continue the pummelling sound that they showed on “DARE” with latest track “IITAKUNAI“, yet with a neat little twist. The metallic riffs and barked vocals are induced with the punk rock cleans of MINI MYTH, giving an extra spice to “ITAKUNAI” before it descends in whirling guitars and stomping drum grooves.
FFO: KRUELITY, Standout & Punitive Damage
Take Breath – No Lungs, No Breath (Independent)
Take Breath dive into the atmospheric and emotional with their brand on metalcore on “No Lungs, No Breath“. Souring cleanings and crashing riffs ebb and flow throughout the track, matched with a production that gives it a rough, dream-like atmosphere of late 00s metalcore that will capture the imagination and throw back the mind of any listener.
FFO: The Elijah, My Only Solution & the great nothing
Self Neglect – Saying Goodbye Twice (Independent)
Screamo come hardcore Self Neglect deliver an anguished and emotive sound like very little this year on “Saying Goodbye Twice“. It would be a challenge to find such a pained and potent vocal performance going – it seems to drill a hole in the head with its ferocity. The Albuquerque unit weave between genres and influences of melodic hardcore, skramz and mathcore with an succinct nature that makes for a magnificent yet introspective listen.
FFO: Infant Island, Sadness & Itami
AEONS – No Love Lost (Independent)
Offering up a blend of melodic hardcore and emo soundscapes, “No Love Lost” sees AEONS further indulge in a distinct sound of rawness and contrast between sounds that are rarely touched on this side of the of the decade. There is something to AEONS‘ sound that makes it something that the ear yearns to return for listen after listen.
FFO: Houses We Die In, Blossom Decay & Harm
+CAREGIVER+ – Gesalt (Independent)
Ahead of their EP release, Within A Forest Dark, +CAREGIVER+ have released another impressive single in the form of “Gesalt“. +CAREGIVER+ deliver a strident sound, that delivers an empathic screamo sound and delicious guitar melodies that make the ear sing. If recent singles are to go by, Within A Forest Dark should be a delightfully emotive listen.