Content Breakdown
Employed To Serve – Fallen Star
Landmvrks – The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been
Heart Attack Man – Joyride The Pale Horse
Himalayas – Bad Star
What is out on this #NewMusicFriday?
Take me to the Playlist
Anyway, today sees…
- Ghost follow up their impressive (and phone-free) UK dates with their sixth album, ‘Skeletá’.
- Long-running Californian metallers Machine Head add to their legacy with ‘Unatøned’.
- Employed To Serve continue to be a glowing beacon of UK metal as they return with ‘Fallen Star‘.
- French metalcore mob Landmvrks look to break out with fourth album, ‘The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been’.
- Heart Attack Man maintain their consistency with another collection of self-deprecating punk in the form of ‘Joyride The Pale Horse’.
- ‘Bad Star’ from emerging Cardiff rockers Himalayas sees them aim for anthemic highs.
- EYES deliver their Prosthetic Records debut. ‘Spinner’ sees the chaotic Danish hardcore return with raw ferocity.
- Defiance, queerness, and resilience are themes that thread through ‘Junior’, the new album from Rodeo Boys.
- There are also new releases from Wednesday 13, DeathbyRomy, Beddy Rays, Caliban, Luke Spiller, and much more.
Employed To Serve – Fallen Star
With each album, Employed To Serve‘s status as one of the UK’s most vital metal bands continues to grow. It’s a trend that is guaranteed to continue with their latest album – ‘Fallen Star’.
‘Treachery‘ launches the album at full throttle thanks to Casey McHale’s dense drum fills and Sammy Urwin’s distant Wilhelm scream, before settling into a tasty metallic groove. It’s rapid, heavy and absolutely thrilling, setting the bar high for the following 10 tracks. The title track soon follows, highlighting ETS‘s heavy-to-melodic dynamic. Justine Jones’ barbed screams, along with a thick musical backdrop, are countered by Urwin’s soaring melodies and gentle shoegaze-esque keys. Likewise, ‘Atonement’ is a hulking metalcore beast with Lorna Shore’s Will Ramos vocals and a riveting guitar solo from Sammy adding to its sheer impact. It also includes one of the album’s strongest hooks.
Pulling off memorable melodies that bridge ‘Fallen Star’ to 2021’s ‘Conquering’. Tracks such as ‘Familiar Pain’ and ‘The Renegades’ exemplify ETS‘s melodic might without sacrificing their savage intent. On the latter, Urwin and David Porter provide a blazing, duel guitar onslaught as the pairing of McHale and bassist Nathan Pryor creates a solid rhythmic foundation. Furthermore, there are moments such as ‘Whose Side Are You On?’, featuring Killswitch Engage’s Jesse Leach, which simply adds to the relentless energy that thrives through ‘Fallen Star’.
Read the full review here.
Landmvrks – The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been
It’s common knowledge that the modern metalcore scene is full of bands imitating the genre’s leaders. However, French outfit Landmvrks look to stand out as they deliver their fourth album, ‘The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been’. They make a good go of it, throwing elements of hip-hop, hardcore, and Linkin Park-sized choruses (see ‘The Great Unknown’) into the mix. On the surface, it ticks all the right boxes for modern metalcore.
Undoubtedly, Florent Salfati has versatility, singing and rapping in English and French throughout the 11 tracks on offer. He’s backed a mix of heavy blasts and towering passages that make Landmvrks sound as big as ever. Tracks such as ‘Sulfur’ and ‘Requiem’ thrive with brutality, yet are countered by soaring moments like ‘Creature’. While ‘Deep Inferno’ is dominated by Kévin D’Agostino’s rapid drumming.
As its title suggests, ‘The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been’ is thematically strung together by raw introspection. Obviously, it adds consistency, yet with a sound that often restricts itself to modern metalcore, only a handful of tracks truly stand out. It’s here where Landmvrks and ‘The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been’ falter. For every noteworthy track, there are too many forgettable moments which fail to achieve Landmvrks‘ aim of standing out from the pack.
Heart Attack Man – Joyride The Pale Horse
There has always been something quite likeable about Heart Attack Man‘s brand of emo-punk. The Cleveland, OH trio of Eric Egan (vocals/guitar), Adam Paduch (drums), and Ty Sickels (guitar) have proven to be fairly reliable in delivering tongue-in-cheek songs about existential dread, wrapped in scrappy pop-punk hooks.
Their latest offering, ‘Joyride The Pale Horse’, finds them at their most self-deprecating, accompanied by a thoroughly energetic approach. Tracks like the crunching ‘Spit’ and ‘Lay Down And Die’ whizz by with an abundance of vigour. No track exceeds the three-minute mark, making ‘Joyride The Pale Horse’ an easily digestible record. It allows the three-piece to cut the fat off yet maintain their variety. ‘Laughing Without Smiling’ monotone verses segue into 90s pop-punk. ‘Can’t Slow Down’ serves as a plea to be home from life on the road, while Paduch bashes away at double time. ‘One Good Reason’ is carried by “ooh”s and a light grunge tone. Furthermore, there’s a hint of ’90s alt-rock fuzz that subtly anchors itself throughout.
When combined with Egan’s smart, witty, and unpretentious songwriting, you’re left with an enjoyable album that doesn’t outstay its welcome. It offers plenty of replay value, partly thanks to its short and sharp delivery. Heart Attack Man‘s tendency to deliver catchy, punk-fueled choruses is thoroughly effective. They’ve also had a DIY approach, refusing to follow genre trends, and ‘Joyride The Pale Horse’ does just that.
Himalayas – Bad Star
Citing Queens Of The Stone Age, Radiohead, Royal Blood and Foo Fighters as influences for their second album, it’s clear where Himalayas’ intentions lie; riff-heavy rock anthems. ‘Bad Star’ seems the Cardiff group step away from the comfortable indie-rock, allowing them to expand to a far denser (and dynamic) sound.
Take the opening track, ‘Beneath The Barrel’, for example. Its slow-burning build broods with intensity, drawing you in before hitting with a fuzzy groove that saunters with confidence. ‘Hung Up’ and ‘Cave Paintings’ soon follow up, serving their purpose; anthemic and bulked up by thick riffs. ‘What If…?’ rides on a wave of momentum, pairing modern-day anxieties with a towering chorus. It’s clear that big guitars, dense basslines, and bold drum work are where Himalayas thrive. Just see how ‘Nothing Higher’ is elevated by walls of distortion and groove.
It’s clear Himalayas don’t need any gimmick, they’re simply a rock band. While that might not make them stand out from similar bands on their level, their courageous and often direct approach can be appreciated. Admittedly, there are moments where you question if the quartet have missed the boat by a few years. Their influences are occasionally worn too proudly, yet you can forgive them as they’re able to build an immersive world littered by man-made disasters with little optimism. Later cuts such as ‘Afterlife’ and ‘Twisted Reflections’ exemplify this. The former is a rigid tale of existential hope with sweltering guitars bubbling underneath, before the latter sees atmosphere utilised again, proving to be restrained and raw.
‘Bad Star’ may not take them to be headlining arenas and stadiums, yet it does put Himalayas on the right path they aspire to.
What is out on #NewMusicFriday?
Ghost – Skeletá
Machine Head – Unatøned
Employed To Serve – Fallen Star
Landmvrks – The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been
Heart Attack Man – Joyride The Pale Horse
Himalayas – Bad Star
Wednesday 13 – Mid Death Crisis
EYES – Spinner
DeathbyRomy – Hollywood Forever
Youth Fountain – Stuck in My Own Hell
Beddy Rays – Do What Ya Wanna
Luke Spiller – Love Will Probably Kill Me Before Cigarettes and Wine
Rodeo Boys – Junior
Sumac and Moor Mother – The Film
Kardashev – Alunea
James and The Cold Gun – Face In The Mirror
Caliban – Back In Hell
Teeth – I Am The Way To Oblivion
Laura Reznek – The Sewing Room
Couch Slut – Live at Roadburn 2024 the Couch Slut Brunch Hour
Lives Lost – HOME
Another Damn Disappointment (A.D.D.) – Bedlam
Society Of Villains – Good & Evil
Eluveitie – ÀNV
Inhuman Nature – Greater Than Death
Klaus Schulze – Bon Voyage (Live Audimax Hamburg 1981)
Higher Walls – No End
Mano de Piedra – Tales From The Burnt House
Deerhoof – Noble and Godlike in Ruin
Broncho – Natural Pleasure
Los Pepes – Out of the Void
Soapbox – Lock In
Family Garden – Dreams Beyond Contro
Muck and the Mires – Beat Generation
Floral Image – Gone Down Meadowland
Point Mort – Le point de non-retour
If you think I’ve missed something or have a new album/EP/song to tell us about, tell us about it here.
If you’re looking for the latest tracks focusing on rock, punk, hardcore, metal, emo, and everything in between, then check out our ‘Newish Music’ playlist on Spotify or Apple Music.
