Photo by Bethan Miller
EMPLOYED TO SERVE - "ATONEMENT" (Spinefarm Records)
Having recently announced a new headlining tour, in addition to their hotly-anticipated album Fallen Star, UK metalcore firebrand Employed to Serve is setting themselves up for a career year. As if the momentum wasn't already well in their favor, the latest single "Atonement" features vocalist Justine Jones trading guttural growls with Lorna Shore's Will Ramos on a track that is as devastating as it is dynamic. Employed to Serve has more than leveled up and this track serves as resounding proof.
LANDMVRKS - "A LINE IN THE DUST" (Arising Empire)
Massive riffs, impactful hooks and an emotive tone that is core to the music, French metalcore unit Landmvrks continue their streak of wins with their latest preview from their pending full length, The Darkest Place I've Ever Been. On "A Line In the Dust", the addition of Mat Welsh from While She Sleeps evokes an element of urgency on the track that amps up the energy and loans itself well to the intended explosiveness of the song. The band does well in balancing melody and mayhem, making for a well-executed show of metalcore done right.
BURY TOMORROW - "LET GO" (Music For Nations)
Coming off some of the band's biggest shows to date last year, Bury Tomorrow goes arena-sized on their third preview from their new album, Will You Haunt Me, With That Same Patience. With an electronic beat build up that leads to a bombastic chorus, there is an energetic ebb and flow makes the single so effective. Culminating with a towering breakdown that serves as the song's payoff, the band lay waste to everything as the track evolves from slow burn to raging inferno.
AVOID "IF IT HURTS" (UNFD)
Toeing a fine line between groove heavy and tastefully glitch, AVOID showcase their songwriting evolution as one of metalcore's unexpected darlings. On "If It Hurts" the band's fiery delivery and songwriting punch are still very much evident. However, sourcing added style elements that borrow from industrial guitar tones to groove metal percussion patterns, AVOID 2.0 has gone from infectiously fun to not one to fuck with. And yet for as hefty as "If It Hurts" hits, they hints of melody are there to remind you the band knows how to cover all bases. Well rounded songwriting on full display.
ONI - "ERASE" (Ironshore)
Canadian tour de force Oni punctuated the lead up to his Genesis EP release with the drop of the emotionally charged, "Erase". Produced by Josh Gilbert, soaring vocals, sturdy guitars and a locomotive pace result in a track that commands full attention. Setting out to produce an EP of "all killer, no filler", the latest single is arguably the best assertion, with a 3-minute jaunt that hits hard and sticks long after the last note.
