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 power-metal, prog-metal, death-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.
Bruce Dickinson - "Afterglow of Ragnarok"
Bruce Dickinson is 65 years old and over 40 years into his career, and "Afterglow of Ragnarok" might be the heaviest song he's ever released. The lead single from his first solo album in 19 years features actual death-metal growls that sound more like Amon Amarth than Maiden.
The intro riff is so doomy and down-trodden that you might mistake it for an early Sword song. But never fear: The Air-Raid Siren's triumphant belts are still at the fore. Just don't mistake "solo" for namby-pamby singer-songwriter solitude. This is battlefield music.
Orbit Culture - "While We Serve"
At their best, Orbit Culture are one of the most gratifyingly heavy bands in modern metal. "While We Serve" finds them at the peak of their game.
The Swedish band just released their awesome new album, Descent, this past summer, and they've already followed it up with a decimating three-song EP that's highlighted by "While We Serve." Gigantic riffs, brutal vocals, grooves that make your head start banging uncontrollably — what more could you want?
Jarhead Fertilizer - "Mark of the Beast"
"Mark of the Beast" begins with an a capella gurgle that sounds like a possessed version of Gloppy, the chocolate puddle on the Candy Land board. A wet, sputtering, utterly foul grumble that's immediately trampled over by even nastier down-tuned guitars and knife-in-flesh drum stabs.
Jarhead Fertilizer are the death-grind band featuring half of Full of Hell, so naturally, like every project those prolific noise-makers are involved with, this shit is top-notch heaviness.
Alienist - "Prisoner of You"
It's rare that a djent band from Australia doesn't slap, and Alienist are keeping that trend alive. Their UNFD debut turns the turmoil of a "toxic and abusive relationship" into a dynamic metalcore knocker that rattles between bludgeoning chugga-chugga's and a serene, optimistic clean hook.
They slip nicely into the lineage that was forged by Northlane and The Amity Affliction, but also have their own unique flavor. Down-under 'core never disappoints.
Persefone - "One Word"
Andorran prog-metal vets Persefone deal a sound that can only be described as "epic" on "One Word." Their first single with new vocalist Daniel R. Flys contains several sections that sound like the song's climax, only for an even grander, heavier, more crushing section to arrive shortly after.
Whether you're a longtime Persefone fan or a total newbie, "One Word" is a great introduction to their sound, and a track that any prog-metal fan — whether you prefer Opeth or Periphery — could get behind.
Chelsea Wolfe - "Tunnel Lights"
In 2022, Chelsea Wolfe composed the score for the slasher film X. Clearly, the horror vibes are lingering with her, because the latest single from her forthcoming solo album is imbued with a suspenseful arc that could easily soundtrack a fateful shower scene.
At first ethereal and sparse, the track slowly grows louder and more abrasive until its shoots into hyperdrive for its last 30 seconds, every sound swelling to migraine-inducing levels of sonic pressure and then just popping into oblivion. This is aural cinema.
