It’s been another long week filled with nauseating political developments and beloved albums being removed from streaming services for several panic-inducing hours. Our loss is your gain, however. Because we couldn’t find our CD Wallet from 2007, we were forced to seek out new songs. Here are six new tracks we listened to while wondering if our collective memory of the ‘Chop Suey!’ riff would forever fade into the abyss.
The Beths ‘Metal’
Indie-punk quartet The Beths are continuing down the elusive path toward becoming New Zealand’s version of the Cure. This is obviously a compliment. The intertwined guitars of their latest ‘Metal’ – filled with constantly evolving melodic riffs – are some of the dreamiest of the band’s entire discography. It gives less ‘Friday, I’m In Love’ and more ‘Monday, I’m In Bed,’ which, again, is clearly a compliment. Feel free to put this on when you need an escape from the drudgery of reality. It will work wonders until you start thinking about how much you’d rather live in New Zealand.
Turnstile ‘BIRDS’/‘SEEIN’ STARS’
Just when you finally stopped sobbing and throwing up in response to Turnstile’s last single ‘Never Enough,’ they’ve decided to pummel you in the chest with not one, but two new tracks. ‘Birds’ is a signature future hardcore anthem that could only be improved by the band going full ham and delivering on the cover of Bobby Brown’s ‘My Prerogative’ they are clearly teasing during the breakdown. ‘Seein’ Stars’ is a complete 180 from ‘Birds’ – leaning into a Police-esque dancehall vibe, cementing Turnstile’s secret mission to make hardcore kids learn dance moves other than punching and kicking.
Full of Hell ‘Knight’s Oath’
Imagine plugging a blender into a Boss Heavy Metal distortion pedal, running it into a Line 6 Spider II, then cranking it into a modified setting past ‘Insane’ called ‘Involuntarily Committed’ and you’ll get pretty close to Full of Hell’s ethos. Their latest single, ‘Knight’s Oath,’ is such a disconcerting display of grindcore horror that you’ll probably wake up in a cold sweat screaming the verses for countless nights to come. Probably still a step up from your normal recurring nightmares, so you’re welcome.
Propaghandi ‘No Longer Young’
Propaghandi – who just recently had to cancel their entire US tour due to… ya know, the horrors – have finally released their long awaited LP ‘At Peace.’ It’s their first new record in nearly a decade, and it was well worth the wait for those who have missed being lectured over loud guitars as much as we have. The latest single to be released pre-full album drop ‘No Longer Young’ is a bit misleading as these guys are shredding faster than you ever dreamed of in even the height of your youth.
Chris Farren ‘Cause of Death’
In what we’re assuming was a desperate plea for attention, Chris Farren celebrated his birthday with the surprise release of his excellent, albeit disturbing, new single ‘Cause of Death.’ As you would guess, the lyrics fixate on attempting to discover how certain people have died while being simultaneously depressed and horrified of meeting the same fate. If this piques your curiosity, we won’t judge, you weird fuck. Even if you’re not a death-obsessed freak, you’ll still probably have this one stuck in your head for a while after the first listen.
Now that you have a taste for music that wasn’t released over two decades ago, we assume you’ll want to hear more. That’s why we took the time to compile these songs in a disorienting playlist that also features every other song we’ve listened to this year. We didn’t hear a ‘thanks,’ but you are welcome regardless. Check it out below and enjoy feeling modern for a change.