It's Friday, Friday, got to get your fresh heavy fix on Friday. That's right Maniacs it is finally Friday which means it is time to kick off the weekend by lighting the Friday Fire
With so many new heavy releases dropping every week, it can be hard to know what to listen to, so we've taken it upon ourselves to do the heavy lifting, sorting the 'hell yeah' from the 'hell meh' you don't have to. Now, let's ignite the Friday Fire!
August Burns Red - Reckoning (feat. Spencer Chamberlain)
August Burns Red teamed up with Underoath vocalist Spencer Chamberlain to create this eight-minute musical journey. The finale of their upcoming album Death Below (due March 24 via SharpTone), Reckoning is August Burns Red evolved and is their pick for the best song on the album, as lead guitarist JB Brubaker explains. "It was one of the last songs we wrote for the album and is taken over the top by the haunting guest vocal appearance by our friend Spencer Chamberlain from Underoath. We don't typically like to share the album closer before our records come out but we're just so pumped on this track and had to make an exception this time."
Kim Dracula- Seventy Thorns (feat. Jonathan Davis)
Korn frontman Jonathan Davis has teamed up with Tasmanian genre-destroying TikTok sensation Kim Dracula on their chaotic new single Seventy Thorns. Arriving with a horror-themed video directed by Jensen Noen (Falling In Reverse, Ice Nine Kills) Seventy Thorns furthers Dracula's wild genre-bending instincts, combining elements of lounge jazz with trap, thrash, death, nu and black metal. Dracula's impressive instrumental and vocal talents are on full display on Seventy Thorns with their King Diamond-inspired high-shrieks and Davis-inspired scats, particularly standing out amidst the chaotic composition. When Davis joins in with his unique styling, he lifts the track to a whole 'nu' level.
Meet Me @ The Altar - Kool
Meet Me @ The Altar continue their recent hot-streak with the anthemic pop-punk jam Kool. shared new single. The second single from their upcoming debut album Past // Present // Future. The flirty track arrives alongside a Y2K-inspired music video. The group expands on the single: “‘Kool’ is the love child of everything we’re into musically. There’s rock ‘n roll guitars, heavy drums, and a crazy, catchy, pop-inspired vocal melody on top. It’s a fun, anthemic song about having a crush on someone, and wanting them to know how ‘kool’ you think they are.” Past // Present // Future arrives March 10th via Fueled By Ramen.
The Used - People are Vomit
The Used continue their recent creative resurgence with the pointed People are Vomit. An in-your-face explosion of Bert McCracken’s iconic angst-ridden vexation and snarling pop energy that doesn’t let up, People are Vomit is everything fans have come to expect from The Used over the last twenty years. Speaking on the new single, which is lifted off the forthcoming full-length Toxic Positivity, McCracken offers "We think this song is fun and cute, we hope you love it too.”
Heriot - Demure
Fast rising UK act Heriot continues their pummelling ways on Demure. Lifted off upcoming EP Profond Morality, Demure is a bleak and brooding affair with slow-churning riffs and atmospheric production creating a positively suffocating soundscape. Vocalist Debbie Gough owns this one, dishing up anguished screams and haunting cleans that make the hairs stand up on your arms. The chaotic final moments are sure to activate pits, worldwide. Commenting on Demure, Gough offers "Demure depicts the conflict of remaining integral in a world overwhelmed by scrutiny. It sheds light on the loss of being an individual while attempting the unattainable pursuit of neutrality.”
Still spinning from last week
The Amity Affliction - I See Dead People
The Amity Affliction have unleashed another belter of a track. The Aussie metalcore favourite have shared the relentless new single I See Dead People which features an appearance by their late friend, Kiwi rapper Louie Knuxx. Knuxx passed away in 2021 of a heart attack. Frontman Joel Birch details that the new single is deeply personal, with the lyrics delving into “the ongoing and nebulous struggle that comes with dealing with the pain of friends killing themselves, while myself dealing with passive suicidal ideation.” I See Dead People arrives accompanied by a video that features the band performing against a pitch black backdrop with occasional bursts of ligthing providing additional impact.
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Listen to the best new heavy tracks via the Metal Maniacs playlist.
