Recapping a busy week in the way of fresh releases, the Mandatory Jams shortlist spans hardcore, various corners of metal and even a bit of darkwave to ensure some variety and balance. All killer however, no filler.
Get a convenient recap of the week's freshest slabs below.
BODY COUNT - "PSYCHOPATH" (Century Media Records)
Photo by Alessandro Solca
Thee OGs, Body Count have made their long-awaited return dropping the first new single since their 2020 Grammy Award-winning effort, "Bum-Rush" off the band's full length, Carnivore. Again teaming with longtime producer and collaborator Will Putney, the hostile track adds extra heft with Fit For An Autopsy vocalist Joe Bad joining the legend Ice-T in a tandem vocal assault. Body Count are back in a big way.
WAGE WAR - "TOMBSTONE" (Fearless Records)
En route to deliver their fifth full length, Stigma, next month, Wage War continue to challenge the confines of their metalcore category. On their latest, "Tombstone" unloads weighty riffs and a walloping performance from Briton Bond that showcases one of the band's most assaultive, aggressive entries to date. Combined with the added style points of that Old West Showdown flair - this single slaps.
COLD CAVE - "BLACKBERRIES" (Heartworm Press)
Photo by Cold Cave
The latest in a trio of singles, Cold Cave further asserts their mastery of darkwave and synthpop with the kind of musical throb that purely captivating. A combination of eerie, atmospheric synth with frosty, brooding vocals all set to an infectious backbeat make for a track manages to tap into something sinister and seductive.
THE GLOOM IN THE CORNER - "THE JERICHO PROTOCOL" (Sharptone Records)
Photo by Sam Kriesel
For the kind of musical chaos the latest from the Melbourne unit achieves, there is something especially impressive about a song that can balance the occasional blast beat and screaming verse with a choral accompaniment and a piano melody. This is the range that makes The Gloom In the Corner such a promising prospect. Combined with the overarching vision of frontman Mikey Arthur, who has created a brilliant narrative for the band's music, the true potential of this outfit far surpasses their cinematic metalcore stamp.
MISSING LINK Feat. GRIDIRON - "NUMBERS ON THE BOARD" (Triple B Records)
Photo by Kevin OBryant
Staying true to their Northeast hardcore lineage, Missing Link run it up with a special assist from the heavy-hitting Gridion with latest preview from their Watch Me Bleed debut due out next month. Gang vocals, lumbering, meaty riffs and that signature ride cymbal bell that signals all hell is about to break loose - the new wave of East Coast clobbercore is on deck.
POWERWOLF - "1589" (Napalm Records)
Photo by VDPictures
The German power metal unit have commenced their next full length campaign, Wake Up the Wicked, in especially grandiose fashion - even for a band synonymous with spectacle. The introductory single "1589" recounts the horrifying tale of Peter Stump, the 16th Century German farmer better known as the "Werewolf of Bedburg". Along with a cinematic visual that depicts the murderous events, Powerwolf's colossal sound creates a enthralling metal musical befitting a Broadway production.
GET THE SHOT Feat. ZELLI of PALEFACE SWISS - "DOMINANT PREDATION" (Arising Empire)
Photo by Maxime Maltais
Quebec City's metallic hardcore unit Get The Shot make their intentions clear with their latest, "Dominant Predation" - eviscerate everything and everyone. Utilizing dynamic breakdowns, hostile vocals and an unhinged performance - the band marks their arrival on Arising Empire in emphatic fashion. Paired with a powerful assist from Zelli of Paleface Swiss, Get the Shot assert they are hellbent for destruction as they embark on their next era.
