New Music Friday – January 9th, 2026

Welcome to New Music Friday where we round-up all the week’s releases from metalcore, hardcore, alternative and indie. For a full view of what’s coming up, check out our release calendar a look to see what other releases are coming up. The NMF playlist can be found here or at the bottom of the page.

STAFF PICKS

josh – Forty Thousand Brothers… (EP)
Label – Teensie Records
(Spotify/Apple Music)

Jack recommends: Cali metalcore newcomers, josh, surprised us all last year with a fantastic debut EP, and Forty Thousand Brothers… looks to pick up exactly where that left off. Classical in every aspect of its approach, there’s nothing not to love; riffy guitars, bin-lid drums, a barrage of emotionally-charged screams, and even the odd spoken word. Yet another incredible entry to the ongoing metalcore revival, there’s undoubtedly plenty more where this came from.

mydiarytoyou! – You Have A Way With Last Words (EP)
Label – Independent
(Spotify/Apple Music)

Jack recommends: mydiaryofyou! surprise dropped their stellar debut EP, You Have A Way With Last Words this week, and it’s nothing short of jaw-dropping. Five tracks spanning all areas of early 2000s emocore, they’re poised to take the scene by storm. A tried and true combination of whined cleans and pitched screams weave between one another above instrumentals akin to early Underoath and The Used, forming something that feels like 2006 all over again. With upcoming shows with the likes of I Promised The World and Rosasharin, they’ll undoubtedly find the right crowd quickly.

Trauma Bonds – Static Sleep (Single)
Label – Independent
(Spotify/Apple)

Joe recommends: After dropping one of our favourite singles of 2025 “We Become Nothing“, Trauma Bonds are quick out of the gates in the new year with new single “Static Sleep“. It’s showcasing their most impressive performance date, with soaring cleans that are reminiscent of 00s metalcore acts such as Killswitch Engage, contrasted with a venomous snarl that grabs the ear with a force.

Matador – The House Always Wins (Single)
Label – Church Road Records
(Spotify/Apple)

Dobbin recommends: As the Northern Hemisphere slowly thaws out at the dawn of 2026, a new outcrop of heaviness has been sighted in the Vancouver region. A new signing to Church Road Records, Matador showcase all the sparks of doom, post, sludge, and heavy rock. “The House Always Wins” is the first track from their LP coming in February. My favourite aspects are the clean vocals, contrasting the immense weight of the rest of the track, and the tasty grooves that the band locks into towards its end.

METAL/CORE RELEASES

Alter Bridge – Alter Bridge
Label – Napalm Records Handels GmbH

Bite Down – Violent Playground
Label – Heavy Collective

Calm and Secure – Glass In The Mouth Of The Sun
Label – Wax Vessel

Lionheart – Valley of Death II
Label – Arising Empire

sonia is dead – like figs from a tree
Label – Independent

MIDDLING – This I Know for Certain
Label – Mostly Records

REDGRAVE – Vol. 2: Reset (EP)
Label – Independent

Awaiting Eschiel – Awaiting Eschiel (EP)
Label – 4Ephyra

DEATHMASK – Pancho Diablo (Single)
Label – SABROK RECORDS

Federal Death Alliance – No One Will Save You Here (Single)
Label – Independent

Fire From The Gods – Human (Single)
Label – Pluto Flux

Glass Crown – Hold On For Dear Life (Single)
Label – Independent

HANABIE. – ICONIC (Single)
Label – Sony Music Labels Inc.

HATE COMPLEX – FRACTURED (Single)
Label – Teamwrk Records

PassCode – Liberator (Single)
Label – MoooD Records

Intoxicated – Shifted Cross (Single)
Label – Redefining Darkness Records

Lantlôs – Daisies (Single)
Label – Prophecy Productions

Shields – Miss Me (Single)
Label – Long Branch Records

Blackwater Holylight – Bodies (Single)
Label – Suicide Squeeze Records

Bleeding Through – We Want the Truth (Single)
Label – New Trustkill Records

Distant – Nothing Left to Hate (Single)
Label – Century Media

SILKSPINE – Glass (feat. Greysight) (Single)
Label – Independent

Suneater – Wounds (Single)
Label – Independent

Sylosis – Erased (Single)
Label – Nuclear Blast

TUMOUR – Serotonin Debt (Single)
Label – B.I.G Records

Captive State – SYMBIOTE (Single)
Label – CS Records

ZERRE – Pigs Will Be Pigs (Single)
Label – Dying Victims Productions

Decipher – Return to Naught (Single)
Label – Transcending Obscurity Records

HARDCORE RELEASES

Chopping Block – Nowhere To Run
Label – Indecision Records

Push! – Plowing Ahead
Label – Useless Pride Records

CORRODE & Slewfoot – Split (EP)
Label – Independent

Days Spent – I Will Die on This Hill (EP)
Label – Independent

DESECRATE – Old Ghosts (EP)
Label – Independent

Emaciated – Praise Be, The Iron Apostle (EP)
Label – Iron Fortress Records

From One Hell – From One Hell (EP)
Label – Big Bite Records

The Big Hurt – U.N.I.T.Y. Demo (EP)
Label – Independent

False Alarm – Demolition Time (EP)
Label – Independent

Step 2 This – The First Step Demo (EP)
Label – Armageddon Records

Existence of Hate – Demo (Single)
Label – Independent

Backlash – Forever Indebted (Single)
Label – Independent

Laid Out – Lights Out (Single)
Label – Independent

Minus Youth – Underachieving (Single)
Label – Teenage Duty Records

Immortal Blade – Watch Yourself Disappear (Single)
Label – Independent

Vale Tudo – Ain’t Slowing Down (Single)
Label – Independent

Bitter Branches – Cave Dwellers (Single)
Label – Equal Vision Records

HATESPEECH – No Man’s Land (Single)
Label – Sith Posse Records

Torment – Muladhara Promo II (Single)
Label – CATEGORY III

POST-HARDCORE/ROCK RELEASES

GAI 荄 – YOU LIE (Extended Truth)
Label – Independent

Calling All Captains – The Things That I’ve Lost (EP)
Label – New Damage Records

Sherane – sherane (EP)
Label – Independent

EVERGREEN MARS – Demisentience (Single)
Label – Independent

Gold Souls – Lay Me Aside (Single)
Label – YSBRYD

rosecoloredworld – too far gone (Single)
Label – Nettwerk Music Group

Slope – Same Blues (Single)
Label – FURY FUNK Rec.

Angel Du$t – I’m The Outside (Single)
Label – Run For Cover

AS IT IS – Ruin My Life (feat. Murray Macleod) (Single)
Label – FLG

BIG SPECIAL – SLUGLIFE (Single)
Label – SO Recordings / Silva Screen Records Limited

EVERBLOOM – The Day We Said Goodbye (Reggie) (Single)
Label – Theoria Records

Matador – The House Always Wins (Single)
Label – Church Road Records

Mother Vulture – Knuckles (Single)
Label – Independent

red sun – Let It Rip! (Single)
Label – Many Hats Distribution

Shoreline – Sweet Spot (Single)
Label – Pure Noise Records

Sweet Pill – Glow (Single)
Label – Hopeless Records

Youth Fountain – Dearly Beloved (Single)
Label – Independent

Final Gasp – The Apparition (Single)
Label – Relapse Records

Lakes – HNY (Single)
Label – Big Scary Monsters

ALTERNATIVE/INDIE/SHOEGAZE RELEASES

Erythh – Yuon no Zankyo
Label – Independent

DIIV – Boiled Alive
Label – Fantasy

bleach.bath – eden
Label – Independent

i.liedtomyself – Winter Demos (EP)
Label – Morality Police Records

Maria BC – Marathon (Single)
Label – Sacred Bones Records

DJ Kuroneko – stolen heart (Single)
Label – LUC Records

Danz CM – Over the Ocean (Single)
Label – Computer Magic Music

ifellinlovewiththeforest – another winter (Single)
Label – Independent

Vines – I saw your face today (Single)
Label – Independent

Mandy & Indiana – Cursive (Single)
Label – Sacred Bones Records