New Music Friday – August 4th, 2023

Welcome to this week’s New Music Friday, our wrap-up of all the releases ranging from metalcore, hardcore, alternative and indie. Have a look at our release calendar to monitor what upcoming releases are due soon. NMF playlist can be found here or at the bottom of the page. (Cover: CVLTE – scorpion.)

STAFF PICKS

Ragana – Desolation’s Flower (Single)
Label – The Flenser
(Spotify/Apple Music)

Dobbin recommends: Perhaps best known for participating in a strong Thou split, but with a large discography of their own, Ragana return after some years of slumber with a full length record releasing on The Flesner. “Desolation’s Flower” is a simply orchestrated no-overdub affair, capturing an authentically raw performance from the two piece. If this track is anything to go by, they’ll be reclaiming black metal on this record, forming another barb in their sludgey sound.

Exiled Hope – The Summoning (Single)
Label – Independent
(Bandcamp)

Joe recommends: Blackened power metal artist EXILED HOPE has dropped haunting new single “The Summoning”. Opening with an ethereal piano driven introduction, orchestral strings gently emerge along with Sofia’s ghostly vocals. Later exploding into an onslaught of high-speed guitar riffs, gothic backing and demonic harsh, “The Summoning” sees the light and the dark entwine and collide.

Great Falls – Old Words Worn Thin (Single)
Label – Neurot Recordings
(Spotify/Apple Music)

Harry recommends: Seattle sludge unit Great Falls are back with brand new “Old Words Worn Thin“, which will feature on their upcoming record Objects Without Pain. The narrative of a break-up and separating their lives gives a weighty topic that is accompanied by pummelling drums and performed with venomous vocals, providing a jarring and intense listen.

Tribe of Ghosts – HIVE (Single)
Label – Independent
(Spotify/Apple Music)

Max recommends: Brighton industrial unit Tribe Of Ghosts continue their run of dropping some of the best material coming out of the UK currently. Following from from, “Sunburner (Deny The Rot)“, comes furious and frenetic “HIVE“. A vicious track that sees Tribe Of Ghosts weave between sound and emotions to create an encompassing listening experience.

METAL/CORE RELEASES

Humanity’s Last Breath – Ashen [FULL REVIEW]
Label  Unique Leader Records

Сliffside – Deeper Water [FULL REVIEW]
Label – Independent

An Autumn for Crippled Children – Closure [FULL REVIEW]
Label – Prosthetic Records

Blight House – Blight the Way
Label – Independent

Haar – Ouroboros
Label – Independent

Of Colours – Unless You Fight
Label – Redfield Records

DARKNET – [self-titled 2] [EP]
Label – Kontrolla Music Group

Left to Suffer / Judge & Jury – Noah (EP)
Label – Independent

Annisokay – Throne of the Sunset (Single)
Label – Arising Empire

Awakening Sun – Roses (Single)
Label Seek & Strike

Awaken I Am – Tightrope (Single)
Label – SBG Records

Cold Culture – Downfall (Single)
Label – Prime Collective

Glasswaves – Mistakes (Single)
Label – Tough Luck Music

Grief. – Unbridled by the Heaven’s Whispers (Single)
Label – Disaster Records

Flatline – Break The Cycle (Single)
Label – Flatline Records

Red Keep – Out for Blood (Single)
Label – Blood Blast Distribution

NTH RD – The Wake (Single)
Label – Independent

Shallowsky – Reap (Single)
Label – Independent

Tenside – Shadow to Shine (Single)
Label – Ivorytower Records

Creak – Hare in the Woods (Single)
Label – Prosthetic Records

The Hirsch Effekt – Otus (Single)
Label – Long Branch Records

coldrain – NEWDAWN (Single)
Label – Warner Music

UNITYTX – LOST IN DAYZ… (Single)
Label – Pure Noise Records

HARDCORE RELEASES

Wasted Space – Promo ’23 (EP)
Label – Independent

PISS ANT – Summer Promo ’23 (EP)
Label – Upstate Records

The Guilt D.C. – Fly the Flag Promo (EP)
Label – Independent

You Die First – YDF (EP)
Label – Collyde Records

With Honor – Open Hands (Single)
Label – Pure Noise Records

Cold Blood AU – Altars Of Madness (Single)
Label – Independent

Grove Street – Ulterior Motives (Single)
Label – UNFD

Guilt Trip – Broken Wings (Single)
Label – MLVLTD

Fangs Out – Sabbath Town (Single)
Label – Independent

Worn – Entity And Form (Single)
Label – From Within Records

Worth Nothing – Thunder Kiss ’95 (Single)
Label – Modern Grievance

Witness Chamber – By the Finger of God (feat. Jess Nyx) (Single)
Label – DAZE

VALUES HERE – Will Be Tomorrow (Single)
Label – End Hit Records

GUTTER – P.O.S. (Single)
Label Independent

POST-HARDCORE/ROCK RELEASES

Skindred – Smile [FULL REVIEW]
Label – Earache Records

Teenage Wrist – Still Love
Label – Epitaph Records

M.A.G.S. – Destroyer
Label – Smartpunk Records

Tokky Horror – HARD JOY (EP)
Label – Venn Records

BAND-MAID – Shambles (Single)
Label – Pony Canyon

Blanket – Ghost Note (Single)
Label – Church Road Records

Blood Command – The Plague on Both Your Houses / Single (Single)
Label – Loyal Blood Records

††† (Crosses) – Invisible Hand (Single)
Label –  Warner Records

CVLTE – scorpion. (Single)
Label – F.C.L.S.

Dark Divine – Terrifier (Single)
Label – Thriller Records

IMMERSE – All I Know Is You (Single)
Label – Adventure Cat Records

Led by Lanterns – Better Alone (Single)
Label – Independent

Lonely Spring – Sad Weather Kids (Single)
Label – Independent

Not Enough Space – Don’t Be Scared (Single)
Label – Independent

The Funeral Portrait – Generation Psycho (Single)
Label – Better Noise Music

The Word Alive – Hate Me (feat. Loveless) (Single)
Label – Century Media Records

Pinkshift – home (Single)
Label – Hopeless Records

Revaira – Vanta (Single)
Label – Easthaven Records

The Story So Far – Big Blind (Single)
Label – Pure Noise Records

Vermont – Regretting Me (Single)
Label – Independent

Among The Stars – Deify (Single)
Label – Independent

modernlove. – Shades of Blue (Single)
Label – Akira Records

Spanish Love Songs – Marvel (Single)
Label – Pure Noise Records

Delaire The Liar – angel number. (Single)
Label – Rude Records

Everlyne – The Inbetween (Single)
Label – Independent

Jobber – Summerslam (Single)
Label – Exploding In Sound Records

Normandie – Blood In The Water (Single)
Label – Easy Life Records

Shallowskky – Delete Me (Single)
Label – Independent

VUKOVI – CREEP HEAT (Single)
Label – Sharptone

Void of Vision – Angel Of Darkness (Single)
Label – UNFD

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE/SHOEGAZE RELEASES

Art School Girlfriend – Soft Landing
Label – Fiction

Night Drive – Position II (EP)
Label – Chicken Ranch Records

Bleach Lab – Nothing Left To Lose (Single)
Label – Nettwerk Music Group f

Blondshell – Kiss City (home demo) (Single)
Label – Partisan Records

CYPARISS – SO FAR BEHIND (feat. Scythermane & Lurk) (Single)
Label – Independent

Eric Sleeper – Tommy (Single)
Label – Independent

Former Hero – kindness in spite of it all (Single)
Label – birkham records

In Explosions – trash (Single)
Label – Independent

The Endearing – Picture Pefect (Single)
Label – Retroverse Records

K-POP RELEASES

ITZY – KILL MY DOUBT (EP) [FULL REVIEW]
Label – JYP Entertainment