All things must end, and heavy metal's old guard are no exception. But while the news that Megadeth are calling it a day in 2026 has come as a massive shock, there's no need to mourn when so much fantastic new music still makes our world a vibrant and exciting place to discover new things.
That in mind, here are the results of last week's vote! It might've seemed a risk for doom metallers Frayle to take on Lana Del Rey, but it bagged them a very healthy third spot in our poll. Just ahead of them were Trivium, whose Bury Me With My Screams arrived just in time for a spectacular Bloodstock headline performance. But there was no competing with our gold medallist, the team-up between Babymetal and Spiritbox earning My Queen the crown.
It's all to play for this week as we bring you a fine selection of both veteran talent - The Acacia Strain, I Prevail, Paradise Lost and rising stars - Gaerea, Conjurer, Lorna Shore - alike. As ever, we need you to tell us which songs excite you most, so don't forget to cast your vote in the poll below - and check out our massive playlist to hear last week's winners plus everything else you've deemed Worthy in 2025 so far. Happy listening!
Lorna Shore - Prison Of Flesh
Make no mistake: Lorna Shore might be helping deathcore breach the mainstream and reach ever-grander heights, but that doesn't mean they're turning their back on the rabid nastiness that made the genre so beloved in the first place. So goes Prison Of Flesh, an almighty outpouring of howling, growling nastiness that leans hard on the vocal prowess of Will Ramos and captures an undeniable sense of magic.
I Prevail - Annihilate Me
I Prevail have come a long way since their Taylor Swift-covering, pop-punk baiting debut EP in 2015. Annihilate Me is the marker of a band who've stepped into a more mature era, the track's sleek production and massive vocal hooks betraying arena-sized ambitions with new album Violent Nature, due September 19.
Bambie Thug - Redrum
They might've popularised ouija-pop with their Eurovision 2024 appearance, but Bambie Thug's latest single has more than a whiff of nu metal. Whether it's the Limp Bizkit like looped guitar, or Bambie's flow, the track somehow balances 2000s throwback vibes with a more modern ferocity, Bambie's howling breakouts pure electricity.
Paradise Lost - Tyrants Serenade
Anyone else aching for the cool release of Autumn? Paradise Lost certainly seem ill-at-ease amidst the summer sun, but that doesn't make their brand of oh-so-dark goth metal/doom any less potent, Tyrants Serenade tapping into the timeless magic that has helped the OGs remain in the game for over 30 years. New album Ascension is due September 19, and we can't wait.
Conjurer - Hang Them In Your Head
Cult extreme metal heroes Conjurer are back with a new album! Titled Unself, lead single Hang Them In Your Head carries forth their potent mix of progressive death metal, sludge and post-metal that made them critical darlings previously, bleak yet alluring in their abyssal thunder. Due out October 24, we reckon this is a must for anyone looking for something hard n heavy to end the year.
Gaerea - Submerged
They might share a "masks and black body paint" aesthetic with Sleep Token (and some piano/water-vid theming), but Portugal's Gaerea couldn't be more sonically different. There are still shades of the band's early black metal inclinations in new single Submerged, but the death metal bluster that took over on 2024's Coma is now firmly established as part of their sound, while hints of melodicism and clean vocals suggest ever-greater ambitions. Keep an eye out for them supporting Orbit Culture in the UK this Autumn.
Daedric - Sand Tiger
More nu metal worship, but this time by Texans Daedric. Sand Tiger is all pulsing electronica and downtuned riffs over shimmying beats, vocalist Kristyn Hope showing off her range as she switches between breathy, fairy-like melodies, guttural snarls and full-throated powerhouse hooks. Taken from new album As The Light Left, due October 17, it's a tantalising glimpse at where the genre-blurring group are headed next.
The Acacia Strain - Holy Moonlight
Deathcore was barely even an utterance when The Acacia Strain formed in 2001, but with almost 25 years' experience in the field of punishing beatdowns and guttural snarls they've become OG champions of the genre. Holy Moonlight is no major departure; thuggish and vicious in the best way, it suggests new album You Are Safe From God Here - due October 24 - is a back-to-basics approach after the more experimental bent of double-release Step Into The Light and Failure Will Follow in May 2023.
Unprocessed - Solara (ft. Paleface Swiss)
Tech metal, deathcore and nu metal collide in Unprocessed's new single Solara. The German tech metallers have recruited Paleface Swiss vocalist Marc "Zelli" Zellweger to add more flavour to an already bountiful offering, the track swinging from thumping, clanging riffing to ascendant choruses, quickfire flows and even a shade of Slipknot's Eyeless. It's a heady mix, and a great taste of new album Angel, due October 31.
Waterlines - Sinister
Fresh (well, relatively speaking) from their appearance at Bloodstock Festival last week, UK metalcore troupe Waterlines have released new single Sinister. Underpinned by electronica, the track sounds like Hatebreed getting 30,000 volts and hits with feral intensity, swinging hard. Keep your eyes on this lot.
Anti Ritual - 80 Years
Crusty and furious, there's a hint of the bilious rage and politicism of Napalm Death to Anti Ritual's new single 80 Years. The title track of the Copenhagen hardcore group's new EP, due September 5, it's a short and to-the-point blast of spiky fury that takes an unabashed stance against the rise of fascism. "80 years, that's all it took."
Tribal Gaze - Beyond Recognition
Everything's bigger in Texas, and that goes doubly-so for the riffs. Whether it's Power Trip, Creeping Death or Frozen Soul, the Lone Star state has had great form for producing some top-tier rising talent in recent years, and newcomers Tribal Gaze look to be the latest addition to that list. Beyond Recognition is sweaty, claustrophobic death metal, all grinding beats and spine-tingling pickscrapes that'll set your nerves on edge. Second album Inveighing Brilliance is due October 17.
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