October! Finally! With Aftershock closing out the festival calendar (for outdoor events, at least - we see you Damnation!), our eyes are cast ahead to the autumnal and winter months where we can get stuck into tours and new albums aplenty. That in mind, we're once again rounding up some of the best metal songs around.
But first, the results of last week's vote! It was a tight race for a podium position with all three bands coming within 15 votes of each other, but ultimately Clutch won out with the swagering Wasted Lands over Dragonforce and Apocalyptica, whose own fine efforts landed them in second and third respectively.
We've got a diverse spread again for you this week, from medidative alt. metal to deathcore, metalcore and even some Brazilian thrash and Japanese nu metal. As ever don't forget to cast your vote in the poll below - and enjoy some loud music this weekend!
Hatebreed - The Carrion Choir
You'll never guess what Hatebreed have done: made another wicked Hatebreed record! Consistency has always been key for the hardcore bruisers, and their contributions to the field of metalcore can never be overestimated. Fatal Paradox won't be out till November 6, but The Carrion Choir shows their music is as thuggishly unstoppable as ever, Slayer riffs meeting chugging breakdowns and NYHC style barks.
Distant - The Shallow Gaze (feat. Darius Tehrani)
Oh you want heavy heavy? Distant aren't exactly known for their restraint, the Dutch/Slovakian deathcore mob delighting in some punishing breakdowns on The Shallow Gaze. With an appearance from Spite's Darius Tehrani, it's a proper beatdown of a track that'll surely have crowds crabwalking and crushing invisible oranges in no time.
A Perfect Circle - To Whom It May Concern
Nothing can keep Maynard James Keenan down. Not content with releasing a Pusicfer album earlier this year and headlining festivals with Tool, the multi-hyphenate has also unveiled a new single for A Perfect Circle in To Whom It May Concern. Gentle and driven largely by Maynard's distinctive melodic tones, it's a nice taster for where the band may be headed on a follow-up to 2018's Eat The Elephant.
EMNW - Party Loud
Lets pick up the pace, shall we? It's been 25 years since Andrew W.K. declared we should Party Hard, now Japanese newcomers EMNW are telling us to Party Loud too. Riffing on nu metal but with a distinctive sense of Japanese bubblegum melody, it's an energetic first showing we've heard from the group and might be a tad late for summer anthems of 2026, but could be a nice early forerunner for next year...
Tony Iommi - Stormwatcher
If you're in the mood for something more classically heavy metal, it doesn't come more classic than Tony Iommi. The Brummie boster's new solo album From The Dark is coming later this month on October 23, and new single Stormwatcher is some primo trad metal glory, right down to its choppy, trudging riff while Jørn Lande belts out his best NWOBHM impression.
Pryti - Corner Of Midnight
Speaking of Brummies, Pryti also has a new single out. Corner Of Midnight shows her continued growth as an artist, each new release finding a sleeker sound and somehow even bigger hooks than before, definite echoes of the likes of Evanescence or Linkin Park in her sound whilst never sounding derivative of those acts. She's not released an album since 2022, but this influx of new music suggests we might not be waiting much longer for a new record...
Feuerschwanz - In Extremo
Legs up - it's time for the heavy metal can-can. It wouldn't be the weirdest thing you'd see at a Feuerschwanz show - not by a long mile. The German folk metallers clearly delight in having a massive knees-up with their medieval-themed folk party anthem In Extremo, fist-pumping anthemia that was born for festival fields the world over even if you don't speak a lick of German.
Annicke Shireen - Loud Hag
T'is the season for self-styled Dutch witch rocker Annicke Shireen. A contributor to Heilung and several other projects besides, she's gearing up for her solo debut Delirium on November 13. Loud Hag finds her in the foreboding tones of occult rock, doomy riffs and light melodies proving a powerful combination.
To The Grave - Limb From Limb
Dark, suffocating and more brutal than a game of blindfolded-whack-a-mole in a slaughterhouse, To The Grave's Limb From Limb is a great demonstration of Aussie deathcore. There's no courting arena anthemia here: this is mired in 90s death metal, the only concession to not beating you to death with your own ears in the widdly guitar line that pops up before they drop a nasty, sub-dropping breakdown. New album Liberation Front is out today.
The Local Romance - Ecdysis
Sticking in Down Under, alt metallers The Local Romance are tickling the Architects/BMTH radio-metal senses nicely on new single Ecdysis. Granted, the song goes a lot heavier than either of those bands are likely to these days, but it only adds to the satisfying clatter of styles the band offers.
Critical Fear - Age of Darkness
Hailing from Brazil, Critical Fear have been kicking out high-speed thrash riffs for almost 20 years now. That said, upcoming album Dark Fate is only their third and arrives on December 11. Age Of Darkness shows what the band are all about - evil 80s-style thrash with echoes of Slayer and Kreator, as well as a few of their own countrymen. It's solid, satisfying and exactly what the doctor ordered if you're looking for classic-style speed.
Inherited - Wasted Space
If you're tired of hearing hardcore that sounds like its been produced like Drake, Inherited have your back. The New Zealand crew are scrappy and feral on Wasted Space, chucking in death metal growls to drive home the fact they aren't planning on doing sportswear ads anytime soon. Their new EP All 4 One is out today.
