Here at Revolver, we’re always on the hunt for new songs to bang our heads to — indeed, it’s a big part of our jobs. With that in mind, here are the tracks released this week in blackgaze, hardcore, extreme metal and more that have been on heavy rotation at Revolver HQ. For your listening pleasure, we’ve also compiled the songs in an ever-evolving Spotify playlist.
Deafheaven – “Magnolia”
On the one hand, the lyrics to Deafheaven’s latest single find vocalist George Clarke staring at a memorial photograph at a funeral, positively haunted by grief and wrecked with “suicidal mania.” On the other hand, Deafheaven’s first new track since 2021 marks a triumphant return for the beloved blackgazers, who just doled out their darkest and most damaging song in ages.
All told, we’re being pulled on an emotional rollercoaster with this first unveiling from Lonely People with Power, and we’re hoping the ride only gets more intense from here.
Jivebomb – “SURVIVAL AIN’T TAUGHT”
Baltimore’s Jivebomb took us to school this week with a ruthless lesson: “SURVIVAL AIN’T TAUGHT.”
The all-caps beatdown demonstrates Jivebomb’s innate understanding of how to handle an extra-ignorant hardcore riff, with the band mashing into the tune’s derelict rhythms with the greatest of ease.
Lead growler Kat Madeira stakes her claim on the piece as the new “big man” taking over the kingdom, and, honestly, who are we to challenge her bid for the hardcore throne?
Behemoth – “The Shit Ov God”
Nergal’s been festering in his blasphemous thoughts again, and extreme metal fans are benefitting from the mess inside his head.
The title track to Behemoth’s forthcoming The Shit Ov God runs just as scatological as you’d expect, with the group rumlbing through a slow-crush groove as the frontman weighs in on eternal filth and – wait for it – a “rage down south.”
Break out your raincoats: Behemoth will likely unload more heaviness on us before the album drops in full this May.
Vacuous – “Stress Positions”
UK death-metal devotees Vacuous are determined to make us wholly uncomfortable in the best and most brutal way possible.
The second preview from their forthcoming In His Blood album begins as a full-frontal assault of concussive beatwork and bone-chipping guitar trills, both of which absolutely bending our spines backwards. By the time they hit the mid-song thrash section, we’ve been beaten into bloody submission. The melodically downbeat finale is the knockout blow.
We can’t stress this enough, though: we’re here for the pain. The song’s a killer.
HANABIE. – “Tasty Survivor”
Even if you haven’t quite caught an episode of Momentary Lily, Harajuku-core combo HANABIE. say they’ve captured the spirit of the anime series perfectly with their fast-paced and freakishly-frenetic tie-in theme.
The band offered that they were inspired to write a song based on the flow of the anime’s vivid battle scenes. Given that HANABIE. are doling out whimsically savage metal riffs alongside cut-scene breakbeats and hypercolor guitar hooks – and likewise inject the piece with feral battle cries and mile-a-second raps – those fight scenes are probably pretty epic.
God Complex – “Depraved Idol”
You gotta hand it to UK metalcore outfit God Complex, they hit the nail on the head with the title of their “Depraved Idol.”
Top-to-bottom, the song runs expertly obscene with its noise-pummeled riffery and aorta-rupturing blasts. Harry Rules squeals on this thing like a man possessed. And yes, for all those reasons and more it’s got us dropping to our knees to worship at the altar of God Complex.