“Give me your hands, I never knew what this feeling would do to you.“
As the cold wind blows, or the sun begins to shine, depending on which part of the world you’re in, we’ve reached that point in the year that the Spotify, Amazon, Tidayl, Apple et al. hits us with their retrospectives. This draws a lot of attention on our favourite tracks of the year and the big numbers attached to established artists. Yet there is still plenty of quality that is being released that will either be the footnote of a band’s a year, or better still, a sign of bigger things to come. While it’s not yet time for our Ones To Watch piece, hopefully our singles round-up for November will give a taste of what is to come in 2026.
anomic33 – human condition (Independent)
A furious cocktail of metalcore, cybergrind and emo makes for one unique listen on this anomic33 single, “human condition“. Chiptune synths back the track, akin to that found on the likes of Blind Equation. The metalcore screams that hearken back to the old days of Bring Me The Horizon, all topped off with gentle cleans that capture the soul of the track. A listen that, for those who indulge with its content, will find it to be one of the most surprising and fascinating this year.
FFO: Satellite108, Excide & izumi is dead
monochrome. – расходник (Independent)
Nothing but chaos and violence enshrouds the sound that monochrome. conjure up. The unit from Khabarovsk have pieced together one of the most misanthropic sounding tracks many will hear in a long time. It is one for the end times we live in, and no doubt their upcoming Template Constructions will provide the soundtrack to the apocalypse. A must-listen for any of those into their noise, doom or powerviolence, as monochrome. are doing the best of it right now.
FFO: The Armed, Trauma Bond & Sanguisugabogg
Mark Of The Altar – No Scope Communion (1134 Records)
Slam and deathcore are slowly asserting themselves as a staple here, with the likes of PSYCHO-FRAME, A Year In Black & White and GUNPUSSY being among some of our favourite releases this year. MARK OF THE ALTAR provides an addition to that, showing just how stacked the genre is. Insane double kicks with gutturals that will chew anyone’s ear off, that make for a song that is absolute filth. With a sick video and timely Dark Souls samples, this will be the ideal listen for any deathcore and slam fan.
FFO: Coma Witch, Vivarium & Theurgy HC
Houses We Die In – i’ll stay as long as you do (Independent)
For all the metalcore revival chatter that is going around, Houses We Die In often seem to be a name that many are forgetting to mention as one of the most compelling acts going. Since their debut on Faces of the Suffering the Austin unit have gone from strength to strength with the several singles that have followed. “i’ll stay as long as you do” is no different, with an emotive nature to the harsh vocals that remind the ear of early Of Machines, to a certain extent. With the new year just around the corner, we can only hope it will be the time that Houses We Die In break through the ranks of the metalcore genre.
FFO: Long Goodbye, Delilah & asthelifeleavesyoureyes
Cober Mouth – PAIN PUSHER (Independent)
Big beefy metalcore is back on the menu when it comes to Cober Mouth, a bass line that rumbles like a tectonic plate and guitar riffs like a chainsaw. Blending in nu-core and British metalcore stylings from the early 00s, “PAIN PUSHER” will scratch that itch that many few bands do of metalcore these days. It’s hard as nails, with all the cuttings of why we indulge in the genre; gnarly vocals, big riffs, and moments to shout along to. With a run of shows on the horizon, it seems Cober Mouth could begin to etch their mark onto the UK scene.
FFO: Pulse, Break Fifty & Swarmed
Gylt – Weak (Get Better Records)
Ruthless aggression brims throughout the entirety of “Weak“, which sees Gylt continue to output new tracks at such a consistent quality, following on from last year’s I Will Commit: A Holy Crime and the bonus edition of sorts that released back in June. Punk sounds fill the track from the jangly, scratchy guitars, with neat pinches paced through the riffs, and vocals that would cause a crowd to stomp around the room in unison. Gylt are slowing building up something that will see them break through, which will hopefully come soon.
FFO: Second Impact, Dry Socket & Hour of Reprisal
Mémoire – VISIONS IN THE VOID. (Independent)
Everything about what Mémoire are cooking up on “VISIONS ONTO THE VOID.” is loud and shakes away both the mind and ear. Taking the hardcore-esque metalcore style that Knocked Loose have popularised, they adding their own violent edge to it with bigger and more daring breakdowns. Mémoire are a band that will make those who enjoy throwing hands in the pits and stage diving more than content.
FFO: Orthodox, Exitwounds & Varials
Showing Teeth – Labyrinth (Independent)
This is one that could be considered missed depending on which corner of the World Wide Web you reside in. While Showing Teeth are an act that have certainly gained traction from social media notoriety on TikTok, Instagram, and other such platforms; with their debut single “Labyrinth”, they are just touching the surface of how much of a name they could become in the metal genre. While many may roll their eyes at an act coming out of social media, “Labyrinth” is a deeply impressive track, with gnarly cat-esque screams at moments and a bark that grabs the scruff of the neck. Gorgeous cleans contrast all of this on the vocals, with one of the strongest drum performances this year from Matt Halpern, which all make for a track that many are seemingly returning to over and over again.
FFO: rozemary, Still In Love & Wasted Life
Mercy Girl – Closer (Descent Records)
It has been a very up-and-down few years for darkwave styles of electronic music, far from the dominant days of the previous decade which saw the likes of The Black Queen, Boy Harsher and Drab Majesty produce their best work. There have been openings of hope though, with Mercy Girl being the strongest of that beam, and further showcase why on “Closer“. Oozing with that swagger and sexiness that encompasses the likes of a Mareux track, it also boasts those classic synths of a French Police track. What Mercy Girl have produce is nothing short of addictive, as the vocal performance calls in the ear to indulge in its sound.
FFO: Ruin Of Romantics, Soft Kill & Choir Boy