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 hardcore, deathcore, post-punk 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.
Drain - "FTS (KYS)"
Hardcore is littered with straight-edge salvos that preach the message of abstinence that's been ground into our brains since grade-school. Drain's "FTS (KYS)" offers a more nuanced take on sobriety, as Sam Ciaramitaro writes from the perspective of someone who battled with problematic drinking before he made the pledge to X up. "I'd poison myself/Like a sport, competitively," he barks over a springy hardcore instrumental. "Find thе strength/and kill all the parts/that you don't love," he concludes amid a spin-kicking breakdown.
Project: Vengeance - "CUT. BLEED. REPEAT"
Deathcore supergroup Project:Vengeance features the frontmen of Lorna Shore, Left to Suffer, Spite, Infant Annihilator and Traitors. In other words, there was no way that the "boy band"'s first single would be anything less than devastatingly heavy. "CUT. BLEED. REPEAT." delivers in spades, as each growler takes a turn shredding their vocal cords over savage deathcore chugs.
Poison Ruïn - "Resurrection II"
Recent Artists You Need to Know Poison Ruïn are one of the most exciting new bands in all of punk music. Their retro-but-not-redundant style fuses scraggly post-punk with Motörhead-ish punk-metal, and new single "Resurrection II" is a perfect encapsulation of what makes them such a kick-ass act. With production that evokes the feeling of brushing against someone's spike-y battle vest in the pit, the band churn and grunt through a propulsive riff that's catchy as hell but also roughshod and downright nasty.
Dave Lombardo - "Journey of the Host"
Having served time in Slayer, Mr. Bungle, Testament, Misfits, Suicidal Tendencies and countless other bands and studio projects, Dave Lombardo is hands down one of the most prolific drummers in heavy-music history. But after all these years of kickass collaborations, Lombardo is finally ready to show the world what a solo record would sound like. "Journey of the Host" is the first taste of Rites of Percussion (out May 5th), and it's a dazzling display of rhythmic prowess that's skilled yet not indulgent; groovy as hell but never grating. We're ready for more.
Employed to Serve - "Take Back Control"
Back in 2021, Employed to Serve went big on their fourth album, Conquering, buffing up their small-club metalcore rippers with extra-muscular riffs and more anthemic, fist-raising vocal parts, recalling old-school Lamb of God and Machine Head in a way that felt refreshing. Now, the English troupe are back with a deluxe edition of the record, and "Take Back Control" is one of four new bonus tracks that got added to the mix. It sounds like a bridge between what they did on Conquering and their slightly older stuff, which is to say really fucking heavy metalcore that you can also chant to.
Skourge - "Visions in the Mist"
Pro tip: If a crossover hardcore band calls Texas their home, give them your ears. Something about the Lone Star State is just a breeding ground for hardcore bands who love merging giant metal riffs with haggard breakdowns; Power Trip, Bitter End, Iron Age, Judiciary, Dirty Rotten Imbeciles (the genre's pioneers!) and motherfucking Skourge. The group's new LP is called Torrential Torment, and that's exactly what standout track "Visions in the Mist" will do to your ears if you play it loud enough. This is one for the knuckle-dragging moshers who want to see bloodshed in the pit.
