The Daily Drop: May 6th 2026

Welcome to The Daily Drop, your roundup of the latest news from the rock, metal, punk, emo, hardcore, and alternative scenes.

Today’s round-up sees Cancer Bats and Mimi Barks share details of new releases. Converge and Dance Gavin Dance continue to preview their respective upcoming releases with new tracks. There is also new music from  Adelaide punk-pop duo Teenage Joans.

There are also 14 new additions to the ‘Newish Music’ playlist.

Here’s everything you need to know for May 6th.

Converge Drop New Single ‘Doom in Bloom’

Last month, Converge announced plans to release ‘Hum of Hurt’, their second album of the year. Due to arrive on June 5th via Deathwish/Epitaph, it follows February’s ‘Love Is Not Enough.’ The hardcore greats have shared a second preview of the album in the form of Doom in Bloom’.

The album’s central concept draws from The Hum: a real, unexplained low-frequency sound heard in locations including Ipswich, Massachusetts, Auckland, and Taos, New Mexico, where it has haunted residents for decades with no confirmed source. Vocalist Jacob Bannon reimagines it as something more elemental. “What if ‘The Hum’ is the culmination of all the pain in the world, creating an audible signal across the universe? Something noticeable to others operating on a similar emotional plane,” he asks.

‘Doom in Bloom’ makes that premise physical: Kurt Ballou’s guitars scrape against Nate Newton’s bass, and Ben Koller’s drums, and Bannon’s voice sounds like it’s being torn apart on the way out. “It’s dark and pointed right at you. Lyrically, I’m exploring how my own middle-aged introspection doesn’t always bring a brighter light. I see my own trappings reflected in those around me. Here I am imploring them to slip the noose to see another day,” he says.

‘Hum of Hurt’ was recorded and mixed by Ballou at God City in Salem, Massachusetts, and is available to pre-order now. Converge will play Outbreak Festival in Manchester on June 27th as part of a run of European dates.

Cancer Bats Announce New Album (‘Give Me Dirt’)

Cancer Bats have announced their eighth studio album, ‘Give Me Dirt’. It will be released on August 7th through Bat Skull/Marshall Records. The announcement confirms the band’s signing to Marshall Records, with lead single ‘Stay Stuck’ out now following its World Exclusive premiere on the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show.

“We are beyond excited to be joining the Marshall Records Roster! From the amps that helped define the sound of our favourite bands, to their support of independent venues and their absolute punk rock approach to everything they do, we feel like this is the perfect home for Cancer Bats,” the band say.

Produced by Kurt Ballou and Zach Weeks at God City Studios in Salem, Massachusetts, ‘Give Me Dirt’ is the follow-up to 2022’s JUNO-nominated ‘Psychic Jailbreak’. It came together with all four members writing in the same room, with vocalist Liam Cormier then taking the arrangements to rural Nova Scotia to develop the lyrics: shaped on dirt roads, motorbike trails, and beside campfires on North Shore beaches. Travel runs throughout the record as a theme, with a journey through the Canadian Rockies and a trip to Nepal in the mountains immediately before recording, both leaving their mark.

“The lyrics explore the idea that, at any age or moment in life, we all reach a point where we realise something has to change. Maybe it’s the path we’re on, or just the way we see things, but there’s that instant where we say to ourselves, I’M NOT WASTING ANY MORE TIME! We’re all moving towards something bigger, chasing goals and dreams that the world can’t take away from us. That’s what keeps us going,” says Cormier on ‘Stay Stuck’.

The band will spend time in the UK throughout the summer, playing major festivals and a headline Bat Sabbath tour.

Dance Gavin Dance Share New Version of ‘The Robot With Human Hair, Pt. 3’

Dance Gavin Dance have shared a new version of ‘The Robot With Human Hair, Pt. 3’. It’s the latest preview of ‘Tree City Sessions 3’, which was announced last month. It’s set to be released digitally on May 22nd via Rise Records, with a physical retail release following on June 19th.

The track is a re-recording of the song from the band’s 2008 self-titled album, delivered through the current lineup. Vocalist Andrew Wells says: “The entire Tree City Sessions series has given us the opportunity to showcase each lineup’s strengths on various songs throughout the entire catalog. Growing up I was a huge fan of the Deathstar album, so being able to emulate Kurt and bring my own passion to this version of Robot 3 was truly an honor.”

Dance Gavin Dance head to the UK in September for a run of headline dates.

September
6th O2 Academy, Birmingham
8th SWG3, Glasgow
9th Academy, Manchester
11th The Prospect Building, Bristol
12th O2 Forum Kentish Town, London

Mimi Barks Set to Release New EP (‘Dreamstate of Fear’)

“Doom Trap” specialists Mimi Barks will return on July 24th with a new EP called ‘Dreamstate of Fear’.

The follow-up to her debut album, ‘THIS IS DOOM TRAP,’ signals a darker, more focused direction for the Berlin-raised, London-based artist.

The announcement also sees its second single being released. The track titled ‘Jericho’ pushes her self-defined sound, implementing alt-metal and industrial textures among a dynamic voice and a big chorus.

Speaking on the track, Barks says: “What looks like collapse is really release, an undoing of everything that was never truly mine. There’s no real enemy unless you choose to become one to yourself. The shift happens when the self remembers itself, when the energy turns inward and transforms. The old world dissolves making space for something unknown. That’s where freedom begins. What will you choose? Heaven or Hell?”

Mimi Barks will be touring the UK in September.

September
9th The Bear Cave, Bournemouth
10th The Bunkhouse, Swansea
11th The Junction, Plymouth
12th Academy 2, London
13th Rough Trade, Nottingham
14th Star and Garter, Manchester
15th Garage Attic, Glasgow
16th Zerox, Newcastle
17th Corporation, Sheffield
18th Craufurd Arms, Milton Keynes

Teenage Joans Return With ‘Coming Up From Hell’

Emerging Adelaide, Australian duo Teenage Joans are kicking off a new era with ‘Coming Up From Hell’.

Currently on a UK tour, the track pushes the pairing of Cahli and Tahlia into new sonic territory, while retaining the raw energy and directness that have defined their rapid rise. Maintaining their emotionally charged songwriting, it’s paired with an infectious brand of punk-pop, delivered with an abundance of attitude.

“We wanted it to be fast, punchy, and most importantly, let everyone know we’re back and not playing around. We experimented quite a bit with the instrumentation in our newer sound, hoping to show our maturity a bit more through the compositions this time, alongside the lyrics,” Teenage Joans explain. “The song is about our journey as artists in the modern world, it’s quite tongue in cheek, but the concept of hell is all the battles we’ve been through to be where we are, and we’ll do whatever it takes, even speak to the devil himself!”

Having previously shared stages with the likes of Foo Fighters, Biffy Clyro, Sum 41, and Hot Mulligan, Teenage Joans continue their debut UK headline tour tonight in Leeds.

May
6th The Key Club, Leeds
8th The Sunflower Lounge, Birmingham
9th Rough Trade, Bristol
12th The Black Heart, London
14th The Great Escape, Brighton
16th The Great Escape, Brighton

Today’s New Songs

Here’s a rundown of the latest additions to our ‘Newish Music’ playlist.

Converge – Doom in Bloom
Cancer Bats – Stay Stuck
Dance Gavin Dance – The Robot With Human Hair, Pt. 3 (Tree City Sessions)
Mimi Barks – Jericho
Teenage Joans – Coming Up From Hell
Highdrive – Passing By
Aisles – Lobsters and Ants
Evergrey – Leaving The Emptiness
100 Demons – Häxan Hammer
GURT – No Limit
Lex Legion – Gypsy Tears
Wounded Touch – A Weapon In God’s Country
Arise From Worms – Forgotten Kings
Kidsmoke – I’m Always Getting Carried Away

Keep up to date with all the latest rock, metal, punk, and beyond, by following AlreadyHeard‘s ‘Newish Music’ Playlist.

Find the playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.