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!
Sleep Token - Vore
With fan worship more intense than ever, and worldwide interest and intrigue growing at runaway speed, Sleep Token are set to reach bold new heights with their third album Take Me Back To Eden. Set for release on May 19 via Spinefarm. The album announcement was this week accompanied by the new single Vore. The heaviest of the three tracks we've heard from the album so far, Vore showcases another side of Sleep Token and has intensified the already wild anticipation of the arrival of Vessel's latest creation.
Enter Shikari- It Hurts
The second single to be taken from their highly-anticipated forthcoming album A Kiss For The Whole World, which will be released on 21 April via SO Recordings / Ambush Reality. It Hurts sees Enter Shikari continue to push the boundaries of their artistry. Lead vocalist and producer Rou Reynolds revealing It Hurts "came to me in a dream" and is "about perseverance, and the importance of reframing failure as a fruitful and, in fact, pivotal route to progress."
The accompanying video, directed by Reynolds, brings the songs lyrical narrative to life. Speaking about the process of shooting the video, Reynolds shares "it was an incredibly intense experience, but we had a super-talented, passionate, focused team, and were able to get a great result. Personally, I found it rewarding to see my ideas brought to life and create a narrative connecting the two videos. I love the attention to detail that directing allowed, and the ability to bring some of the song’s themes to life in more depth”.
The Beautiful Monument - Hellbound
Australian alt-orckers The Beautiful Monument make a bold return with Hellbound. Produced by Callan Orr and released via Greyscale Records, Hellbound is a big, modern alt-rock anthem with metalcore and industrial elements that showcases a significant amount of growth from the group since we last heard from them on 2019's I'm The Reaper. Vocalist Liz Blanco's vocals and lyrics are genuine showstoppers on this one.
On the meaning of Hellbound, Blanco shares "This track is about perseverance through self doubt. A personal case for me was writing music after being harshly criticized about my writing style and strongly believing that nothing I brought to the table ever did the instruments justice. That doubt started spreading to some people close to me too. But it’s so much more than just music, it was everything in life; my job, relationships, business ventures, e.v.e.r.y.thing. I hadn’t felt this defeated in such a long time - it’s like a disease. No matter how much you try to convince yourself otherwise, you just keep pushing forward, even when others around you also doubt your ability."
Bury Tomorrow - Heretic feat Loz Taylor
Two of the best in British metalcore come together on Bury Tomorrow's latest single Heretic with While She Sleeps vocalist Loz Taylor lending his unique, snarling voice to an absolutely banging soundscape. Lifted from Bury Tomorrow's upcoming full-length Seventh Sun, due March 31 via Music For Nations, Heretic is a big blast of everything good about modern metalcore, spliced with some very tasty lead guitar work for good measure. Bury Tomorrow vocalist Dani Winter-Bates comments "Heretic is here, and we knew from day one of recording that this song was something we wanted the world to hear immediately. It’s right up there with the most aggressive and visceral tracks on the album, with an inherently dark feel, both lyrically and musically, which allowed us to delve into some of the more brutal elements of The Seventh Sun. All in all, we’re extremely proud to showcase this track and can’t wait to see what people think.”
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.
Shop For Amity Affliction Merch
Still spinning from last week
Linkin Park - Lost
The highlight of the newly announced Meteora 20th Anniversary Edition. Lost harnesses the uncontainable energy of Linkin Park into an anthemic catharsis catapulted by Chester Bennington’s simultaneously vulnerable and vital vocals. Moments of intimacy bleed into an irresistible refrain, backed by a robust riff under the glow of neon keys. Upon release Mike Shinoda shared what it means to be able to share Chester's gift again with the world. “Finding this track was like finding a favourite photo you had forgotten you’d taken like it was waiting for the right moment to reveal itself. For years, fans have been asking us to release something with Chester’s voice, and I’m thrilled we’ve been able to make that happen in such a special way. I think they’re going to be floored when they hear and see all the incredible unreleased songs and video footage in METEORA|20."
Pre-order the Limited Edition Super Deluxe Box Set of Meteora 20th Anniversary Edition
Listen to the best new heavy tracks via the Metal Maniacs playlist.
