#NewMusicFriday: March 28th 2025

To say this week’s #NewMusicFriday is stacked would be an understatement. While it’s been pretty stressful as an editor, as a music fan, it’s been somewhat joyous to hear a barrage of notable new releases. I wrote in detail about the new releases Deafheaven and Underoath, elsewhere on the site. The former is probably one of my favourite albums of the year so far. While Underoath‘s ‘The Place After This One’ is inconsistent.

There is a barrage of returns today. Lowestoft’s finest rockers, The Darkness, are somehow on their eighth album –‘Dreams On Toast’. As always, there’s an element of self-awareness to the quartet’s classic rock n’ roll style. New Zealand’s Māori groove metallers Alien Weaponry deliver ‘Te Rā’. As ever, they embrace their indigenous roots and combine it with a dynamic brand of metal. Sweden’s Arch Enemy add ‘Blood Dynasty’ to their catalogue, providing a routine mix of thunderous thrash metal. If you want something more upbeat, then there is the return of Orchards. ‘Bicker’ sees the Brighton-based trio vibrantly deliver a vulnerable but infectious collection of math-pop.

On the metalcore front, Memphis May Fire serve up ‘Shapeshifter. Despite nearing two decades of activity, the Texans’ energetic sound more often than not sounds formulaic and, at times, unoriginal. Meanwhile, Silent Planet and Invent Animate come together on their collaborative ‘Bloom In Heaven’ EP.

With so much to listen to, there are sure to be some releases that might fall by the wayside. However, I’d recommend new releases from Great Grandpa and Forlorn. You can learn more about both albums further down.

There’s also new music from drone/doom outfit Amenra, introspective post-rockers Telepathy, and Baltimore hardcore punks Jivebomb. You can also find new releases from The Warriors, Lauren Babic, False Heads, Masters of Reality, and much more.

Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power

In the 12 years since breaking through with ‘Sunbather’, Deafheaven have continued to evolve beyond their “blackgaze” roots. 2015’s ‘New Bermuda’ and 2018’s ‘Ordinary Corrupt Human Love’ stylistically maintained the post-black metal sound, yet allowed them to explore myriad ideas. However, when it came to 2021’s ‘Infinite Granite’, the abrasive intensity was replaced by often dreary shoegaze. Album number six, ‘Lonely People With Power,’ could be seen as either a sign of regression or an opportunity to get things back on track.

On the surface, it sees vocalist George Clarke, guitarists Kerry McCoy and Shiv Mehra, bassist Christopher Johnson, and drummer Daniel Tracy, return with feverish ferocity. Early cuts, ‘Doberman’ and ‘Magnolia’, are demanding and a vigorous reminder of Deafheaven‘s ability to destroy while preserving their layered nuance. The former sees a rambunctious Tracy pummel away as McCoy and Mehra’s relentless guitars go skywards. The latter chugs away as Clarke’s piercing screams erupt amongst the chaos.

Read the full review here.

Underoath – The Place After This One

If you’re like me, you probably discovered Underoath through their mid-2000s classic ‘They’re Only Chasing Safety’. A quick browse through the band’s subreddit megathread for their new album, ‘The Place After This One’, suggests that every album since has left some fans yearning for the past. That’s not to say everything the Florida group put out over the last 20 years – despite an eight-year gap – has been a total misfire. After all, Underoath are still going strong, albeit at times inconsistent. However, 2022’s ‘Voyeurist’ was praised for its versatility, but can its follow-up build on that momentum, or does it fall victim to their more erratic tendencies?

‘The Place After This One’ captures Underoath at their most industrious. ‘Generation No Surrender’ bursts out the gate, serving as a rallying cry against discontent before Timothy McTague’s guitar unleashes a crushing breakdown. ‘Devil’ is equally bombastic, yet it highlights one of ‘TPATO’s nagging issues as it rears its head. While on the surface, Underoath‘s delivery is energetic and driven, their tendency to throw layer upon layer into the mix can feel overwhelming rather than refined.

Read the full review here.

Great Grandpa – Patience, Moonbeam

There was a period when the members of Great Grandpa were uncertain if the band would continue. Nevertheless, with members now scattered between Denmark and California via Seattle, ‘Patience, Moonbeam’ sees the indie rock outfit return after six years. Its 12 tracks have an intimate warmth. Songs such as ‘Junior’ and ‘Top Gun’ comfortably hush with alt-country delivery. However, this is just one shade of Great Grandpa‘s musical palette.

‘Never Rest’ is sullen, gradually evolving with a grand richness. ‘Kiss The Dice’ dips its toes in indie-pop territory before ‘Doom’ breezily leans into grungy distortion amid a colourful rhythm. ‘Ladybug’ has a youthful innocence, as plucky instrumentation is complemented by gang vocals. ‘Ephemera’ provides a late foray into trip-hop with a pleasing chill-out delivery. It ends on a poignant, emotional note as bassist and guitarists Carrie and Pat Goodwin mourn a miscarriage on ‘Kid’. Its delicate narrative is complemented by sweeping strings and piano keys, before a stirring guitar solo and group vocals provide an optimistic finale.

‘Patience, Moonbeam’ is threaded by tender lyricism, emphasising the quintet’s care and trust for one another. It sees Great Grandpa succently indulge in a somber brand of indie rock that lyrically celebrates life’s complexities. As its title suggests, perseverance is needed to truly be shrouded by ‘Patience, Moonbeam’s beauty.

Forlorn – Aether

UK metal newcomers Forlorn tap into the four ritual elements of air, fire, water and earth on their debut album – ‘Aether’. Opening with ‘Mother of Moon’s cavernous chanting, ‘Creatress” metallic riffs, ethereal soundscapes, and Megan Jenkin’s acrobatic vocals set the tone for this all-too-brief outing.

Although it only consists of eight tracks, three of which come off as interludes, the Southern quintet are still able to demonstrate a versatile brand of metal. ‘The Wailing’ bunkers down with a dirty groove before rising with a spiritual quality. Likewise, ‘Funeral Pyre’ subtly weaves shoegaze into Forlorn‘s punchy heaviness. ‘Keeper of the Well’ is underpinned by atmospheric post-rock, countering the gritty, industrial stomps of its chorus. It thematically comes to a head on ‘Spirit’. Jenkin’s harmonious vocals and towering riffs glide before crashing down. Tribal drums and haunting vocals build to a djent-esque breakdown, before Jenkin’s final line of ‘I weave the web of life’ ominously hangs.

Conceptually assured, ‘Aether’ is a coherent introduction to Forlorn. Its five main songs showcase flexibility, embracing various shades of metal’s diverse sphere: prog, doom, black, and more. Its interludes, ‘Matrum Noctem’ and ‘Veiled One’, effectively world-build Forlorn‘s midsummer lore.

What is out on #NewMusicFriday?

Deafheaven – Lonely People With Power
Underoath – The Place After This One
The Darkness – Dreams On Toast
Arch Enemy – Blood Dynasty
Alien Weaponry – Te Rā
Memphis May Fire – Shapeshifter
Silent Planet and Invent Animate – Bloom In Heaven
Amenra – De Toorn
Amenra – With Fang and Claw
Telepathy – Transmissions
Great Grandpa – Patience, Moonbeam
Orchards – Bicker
Forlorn – Aether
Jivebomb – Ethereal
Sicksense – Cross Me Twice
Masters of Reality – The Archer
The Warriors – Burn Yourself Alive
False Heads – Labyrinths
Lauren Babic – Too Much and Never Enough
Adelitas Way – Deja Vu
Din Of Celestial Birds – Live At Dunk! Festival ’24 (vinyl only)
Teens in Trouble – Live in Phoenix!
Sam Akpro – Evenfall
Somebody’s Child – When Youth Fades Away
Torn From Oblivion – Transcend
Backxwash – Only Dust Remains
Sky_A – Labyrinths
The Slime – Crabwalk To Oblivion
Liliths Army – Doll
BRKN Love – The Program
Aeon Empire – Aeon Empire
Industrial Puke – Alive To No Avail
Galgeberg – Cerberus
Desert Smoke – Desert Smoke
Windowhead – Terrestrials
Street Stories – The Best Album In The World
David Judson Clemmons – Everything A War
This Time For Real – Fuck Heartbreak, I’m Over It
Varia – The Changing Of Tides
The Blue Stones – Metro
Dead Meadow – Voyager to Voyager

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.