So, did anything big happen this weekend? We had a pretty chill one, all things considered – not counting that once-in-a-generation live show which bade farewell to heavy metal’s foundational band, followed one day later by thrash’s returning hallraisers leading an all-dayer of biblical proportions.
Apart from that, things have been quiet, but we can’t laze about all the time. Over the past week, another throng of metal superstars and up-and-comers have released new tunes for us to dive into. But, first, let’s look at the results of last week’s poll.
Goth metal darlings High Parasite and old-school metal legends Judas Priest both fared well, but nothing – not even the latter covering a classic by fellow Brummie icons Black Sabbath – could stop German goth/glam lot Lord Of The Lost from claiming the top spot with Ghosts. Congrats!
Now, though, we turn our gaze to the present, with new offerings from Deftones, Babymetal, Tom Morello, Halestorm and many, many more to be spoiled by. Onwards!
Babymetal (feat. Bloodywood) – Kon! Kon!
Babymetal’s second collaboration with Indian nu metal trio Bloodywood is just as quirky yet kick-ass as the first. Following on from the song Bekhauf, which appeared on Bloodywood’s latest album Nu Delhi, the tandem have reunited for Kon! Kon!, preceding the release of Babymetal’s Metal Forth in August. The Japanese band’s sugary J-metal gives way to the thudding, folk-influenced stomp of their New Delhi collaborators – a mixture that sounds like it shouldn’t work but absolutely does.
Deftones – My Mind Is A Mountain
Hot off playing one of their biggest-ever shows at Crystal Palace Park, Deftones have announced their first album in five years. Private Music will come out on August 22, with lead single My Mind Is A Mountain offering a promising snapshot. The bulging chords instantly announce that Deftones are no less heavy than usual, before frontman Chino Moreno serenades the listener with his ever-sensual vocals. Expect to hear it again when the band’s American tour gets started in the autumn.
![deftones - my mind is a mountain [official audio] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/cgh_jEm5twE/maxresdefault.jpg)
Halestorm – Rain Your Blood On Me
Cheekily debuted during Halestorm’s killer appearance at Black Sabbath’s farewell gig, Rain Your Blood On Me – described by Lzzy Hale as “an ode to women” – is a nailed-on banger. From the heads-down riffing and Lzzy’s force-of-nature vocals to that fist-pumping We Will Rock You-style chorus, this is the sound of a band with stadiums squarely in their sights. It’s surely only a matter of time.
Tom Morello – Pretend You Remember Me
He deserves a medal for pulling off the greatest day in the history of metal as musical director on the Back To The Beginning show, but Tom Morello is back in political mode here. Released in support of immigrant rights in the US and elsewhere, it’s surprisingly restrained next to his work with Rage Against The Machine, but it’s clearly lit by the flames of injustice – and the all-to-brief bursts of Morello-patented blazing guitar show he’s not mellowing out.
Ice Nine Kills – The Great Unknown
Ice Nine Kills are entering the Matrix with their brand-new song. In typical fashion for the Massachusetts metalcore force, The Great Unknown comes with a lush, cinematic video, even if it sees the band stray from their usual horror territory in favour of 90s sci-fi. No news of a full-length album yet, but given the single A Grave Mistake dropped late last year and preparation for a summer US tour is underway, there may be a big announcement sooner rather than later.
Paradise Lost – Serpent On The Cross
Can we officially call Paradise Lost “elder statesmen” these days? Maybe, but the second single from their upcoming seventeenth album Ascension suggests the Halifax warhorses aren’t showing any signs of age. Serpent On The Cross is a tar-black slab of metal that combines the deathly intensity of their early 90s sound with a modern grandiosity. Long may their whippets continue to run.
Of Mice & Men – Wake Up
On Wake Up, Of Mice & Men shed their metalcore skin, adopting a spacier sound that’s equal parts nu metal and shoegaze. It paints a dynamic picture of newly announced upcoming album Another Miracle, given that the title track, which came out in May, was a snarling rampage akin to the Americans’ roots. The album will be released on November 14 via Century Media, and the band have both US and European dates in place for the rest of the year.
Mammoth – The Spell
Wolfgang Van Halen might have thankfully ditched the WVH from his band’s name, but everything else remains intact. The soaring first single from Mammoth’s upcoming, if ominously titled third album, The End, sees Wolfie playing all the instruments once more, which would be annoying if the song weren’t so anthemic.
Amorphis – Bones
The Finnish prog metal adventurers continue their blend of the earthy and the celestial with this second single from upcoming album Borderline. Tomi Joutsen serves up growls and clean vocals against some vaguely Middle Eastern-inspired strings, throwing in a great walloping chorus as he reflects on the hardships faced by Finland’s centuries-old inhabitants. Like running out of mooseburgers, presumably.
Mawiza (feat. Joe Duplantier) – Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan
Representing South America’s Indigenous Mapuche Nation, Mawiza bring a tribal groove and their native tongue to extreme metal. Ti Inan Paw-Pawkan is a collaboration with Gojira frontman and fellow anti-colonialist crusader Joe Duplantier, who lays down the cataclysmic roar/chant towards the end of the song. It’s one of the highlights of the four-piece’s upcoming album Ül, out on July 18 via Season Of Mist, and comes with an intense, high-production music video.
Green Carnation – In Your Paradise
Green Carnation continue to cement their place as one of prog metal’s classiest bands. If the title of the Norwegians’ forthcoming seventh studio album, A Dark Poem, Part I: The Shores of Melancholia, wasn’t enough an indicator of what to expect, then this sweeping but melodic seven-minute mini-epic lays on the grandeur. Big riffs, some evocative keyboards and a punchy chorus – like we said, classy.
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