The Daily Drop (February 25th)

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

In today’s round-up, there are details of new EP’s from Wage War and Bicurious, along with new music from Mallavora, Mizery, Autumn Fires, and Afterdrive.

Here’s everything you need to know from February 25th 2026.

Wage War Announce New EP (‘It Calls Me By Name’)

Florida natives Wage War have shared plans to release a new EP called ‘It Calls Me By Name’. It’s set to be released on April 17th via Fearless Records, and is preceded by a single, ‘Song of the Swamp’.

The savage track is described by the band as a “tone setter” for the EP and is rooted in the thick Florida swamps. “‘Song of the Swamp’ is rooted in where we’re from. Driven by Florida and the raw aggression of nature, it’s a heavy track built on tension and hostility,” Wage War explained.

Commenting on the upcoming five-track release, the band shared, “‘It Calls Me By Name’ is about being drawn to your roots. This isn’t a concept EP but is meant to live in its own world. Five tracks shaped by Florida, the swamp, and the relentless aggression of nature. Built heavy, but still driven by the hooks that have defined us. It’s our signature sound amplified and pushed further into metal than we’ve ever taken it.”

Fans can pre-save the EP here.

Mallavora Preview New Album with ‘Hopeless’

With just over a month until they release their debut album, ‘What If Better Never Comes?’ Mallavora have shared another track from the record. ‘Hopeless’ sees the Bristol-based band deliver a cinematic number, with Jessica Douek’s vocals having a hypnotic quality and her vulnerable tone.

“We wrote this song at a time when everything just felt too hard, and the challenges we face felt insurmountable. We learned that it’s ok to let your guard down, take off your brave face and accept that there really is no such thing as certainty,” Mallavora shared. “Staring down the possibility that things might not get better can be terrifying, and feels so hard to do. But it’s not about abandoning hope altogether. Rather, it’s about letting go of things that we don’t have any control over, and trying to find the balance between acceptance and hope. We know hopelessness can be incredibly lonely, so we hope this song provides some solace and connection for anyone who relates to its meaning.”

‘What If Better Never Comes?’ is scheduled to be released on March 27th via Church Road Records.

Autumn Fires Release New ‘Bloom’ EP

Up-and-coming pop-punkers Autumn Fires have released their latest EP, ‘Bloom’. Released through Marshall Records, it sees the Milton Keynes/North London quintet deliver an energetic set of bright and digestible pop-punk.

Last year, Autumn Fires won Kerrang! Radio’s ‘The Deal’ competition. It led the band to open the ‘Fresh Blood’ stage at last year’s Download Festival. ‘Bloom’ was recorded with producer/engineer Romesh Dodangoda (Bring Me The Horizon, Nova Twins, Funeral for a Friend) at The Marshall Studio in Milton Keynes.

Bicurious Share New Single and Detail New EP

Dublin/Leipzig-based rock duo Bicurious have returned with the first taster of their upcoming EP. ‘Papa’ is taken from ‘Afterthoughts’, which is due to be released on May 15th via Big Scary Monsters.

The track is a leftover b-side from their 2024 album, ‘Your Life is Over Now…’ Nevertheless, the track maintains the experimental and rollicking style that Gavin Purcell and Taran Plouzané are known for. It’s also the first track the band have released entirely in French.

“I was born in France and grew up there until I was 16, but I’ve always just sang in English,” explains vocalist/guitarist Taran Plouzané. “When we were demoing it with our manager Alex however, I randomly started singing bits of French over it and Alex really pushed me to keep going with it. I think it’s pretty cool, it’s a little nod to my childhood. Thematically, it very much fits with YLION, but musically I think it’s a bit removed from it. It’s more instrumental, one could see it as a bridge between our first album ‘(re)constructed’ and ‘YLION’, when we started adding lyrics to our songs.”

‘Afterthoughts’ will consist of 7 tracks, including four acoustic cuts. Commenting on the EP, Plouzané shared how the EP came into fruition. “We had thirteen songs ready to be recorded at the start of the ‘YLION’ sessions. Unfortunately we were unable to record guitars and vocals for three of them, we just ran out of time. But we had the drum tracks for them, all recorded in the Arch, an amazing studio in Southport, so we thought it would be a waste not to finish them. So last summer we went to Alex’s studio in Cork and bashed out all guitars and vocals in about 4 days. Afterthoughts is a compilation of those three B-sides alongside four acoustic versions of songs from YLION. I love playing acoustically, and I was looking forward to re-arranging those songs acoustically for ages, so it was really fun and satisfying to get to do it!”

Mizery Team Up with Drain’s Sammy Ciaramitaro on ‘Eulogy’

San Diego crossover band Mizery are preparing to release their self-titled EP next month (March 20th) via Flatspot Records. Today they released its latest single, ‘Eulogy’. It sees Drain’s Sammy Ciaramitaro lend his vocals to the track, adding an extra punch to its hardcore groove.

Additionally, ‘Eulogy’ is the only track on which late drummer Cayle Sain, who passed in December 2023, programmed drums for instead of studio recordings. David Stalsworth (Militarie Gun, Torena) stepped in to record the track and will join the band for future live dates.

Afterdrive Release New Single (‘Fashion’)

Emerging pop-rockers Afterdrive have released their latest single, ‘Fashion’. The slick track expands the quartet’s sound, utilising subtle synth electronics alongside an assured melodic indie rock sound.

To celebrate the release, the band will play a headline London show at The Social on 9th March.

Today’s New Songs

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

UnityTX – STFU
Frank Turner – Nashville Tennessee (Live 2006)
Wage War – Song of the Swamp
Social Distortion – Born To Kill
Scene Queen – Manicure
Des Rocs – When The Love Is Gone
Mallavora – Hopeless
Bicurious – Papa
Autumn Fires – Closure
Cheekface – Hostile Street
Flesh Planet – Big Machine
Afterdrive – Fashion
Mizery – Eulogy
Myrath – Breathing Near The Roar
S8NT ELEKTRIC – How 2 Feel
Bucket – DNB
Norna – Norna 3
Closed City – Closed City
madfolk – Older Now
Fall of Messiah – Meadows

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

Find the playlist on Spotify and Apple Music.