Autumn is almost upon us! As summer breathes its last dying breaths, we enter the final stretch of the year with a whole heap of new albums to explore, and naturally, that means a hell of a lot more singles to enjoy too.
But first, the results of our last vote! Rising tech metal heroes Unprocessed took an admirable third place with their Paleface Swiss collab Solara, but were beat to silver by returning extreme metal darlings Conjurer. Neither could topple the grand-daddies of goth metal however, Paradise Lost once again taking gold with the exceptional Tyrants Serenade, proof that the Yorkshiremen are only growing better with age.
As ever, we’ve got a diverse selection for you this week, including a double dose of the Cavaleras (albeit separately with Max back on Soulfly duty and Iggor picking up sticks for Lord Spikeheart), new music from Avatar and the first Mudvayne single in 16 years. Don’t forget to cast your vote in the poll below to let us know which tracks excite you most – and have an excellent weekend!
Mudvayne – Hurt People Hurt People
Four years since they first announced their reunion and 16 since they last released new material, Mudvayne are officially back. Given the band are about to tour in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their debut L.D. 50, it’s perhaps not a massive surprise that Hurt People Hurt People feels like a very root Mudvayne track, all staccato riffing and gravel-throated snarls with a head-smacking simplicity that will delight old school fans.
Soulfly – Storm The Gates
Speaking of brilliant simplicity, Soulfly are also digging back into their roots with new single Storm The Gates. Max might’ve spent the summer touring with the resurrected Nailbomb, but it’s clearly not affected the direction he’s going with new album Chama, due October 24. Storm… feels like classic Soulfly; thick, muscular groove riffs, barked vocals and just a hint of tribal percussion to really tie the package together.
Avatar – Tonight We Must Be Warriors
Avatar are always at their best when indulging their most theatrical elements. There’s definitely no shortage of that in Tonight We Must Be Warriors, a track that takes a Revolutionary War-style military drum beat and flute to create a stompy metal anthem. Coming with the announcement that the band’s new album Don’t Go In The Forest will be out on Halloween – perfect timing – ahead of a massive US tour, itself leading to a European and UK trek next year.
Zetra – Charlotte (ft. Justine Jones)
Zetra’s take on goth has often erred more on the side of the twinkly, shimmering sides of the genre than its dark underbelly, but that all changes on new single Charlotte. Covering sometime-nu metallers Kittie is a big move in the first place, but doing so with additional vocals from Employed To Serve howler Justine Jones adds a visceral edge that perfectly accentuates the song’s thumping beats, while Zetra’s own shimmering sensibilities aren’t entirely left by the wayside either. Coming with the news they’ll be supporting Loathe in December – a band with their own nu metal allegiances – it’s a tantalising taste of what Zetra can do when they go hard.
Nine Treasures – Real Dream
The Hu might be the breakout stars of Mongolian metal, but they’re by no means the only band on the block. Nine Treasures have been kicking around since 2010 and have just announced their fourth full-length, Seeking The Absolute for an October 24 release. Lead single Real Dream captures the metal-meets-Mongolian-folk stylings they offer, blending traditional instrumentation with an undulating beat and grandiose melodies to create something epic.
Lord Spikeheart – Reign
Kenyan grindcore duo Duma might have folded in 2023, but frontman Lord Spikeheart is still indulging his sonic maverick tendencies. Latest single Reign blends industrial, grindcore and death metal into a furious, vicious ball of howling noise, even drafting in Sepultura legend Iggor Cavalera to help out with the blast-beating frenzy. The full Reign EP isn’t due until September 12, but this should be all the persuasion you need to hunt it down if you like your music blisteringly extreme.
Dying Wish – Revenge In Carnage
After what feels like half an eternity of core bands shifting to poppier territories, it’s gratifying as all hell to find bands going full goblin. Dying Wish are baring their fangs on new single Revenge In Carnage, the majority of the track stomping forward with the kind of dogged, violent energy of a horror movie serial killer, only to break out the melodics in the song’s closing minute as a show there’s more than lunk-headed heaviness to the band. Keep your eyes out for new album Flesh Stays Together on September 26.
Spite – Lights Out
At the risk of going full Oliver Twist, you want more brutish ‘core? Spite are definitely eager to oblige with Lights Out, their new single lumbering headfirst into deathcore territories with trudging riffs, excitable percussive breakouts and vocals like someone trying to talk through a throat filled with broken glass. New album New World Killer arrives on October 31, but the vibe here is decidedly more unsettlingly violent than mere spookiness.
Viserion – Reign Of Fire
If the frosty realms of black metal are more your speed, you’d do well to check out Viserion. Trading the Scandinavian fjords for the high-rises and urban sprawl of New York, Reign Of Fire nonetheless feels like classic black metal in its imperious, vicious assault on the senses, offering a taste of new album Fire And Blood ahead of its January 16, 2026 release date. If the name wasn’t a dead giveaway, the band also dive lyrically into the world of Game Of Thrones. Take that, Hobbits.
Rory – Degradation
With a sold out UK tour earlier this year, Rory had already established herself as a rising star of alternative. Now she’s entering her heavy era, new single Degradation taking a big stylistic leap into extremity in keeping with her genre-blurring tendencies. With another UK tour lined up for November, we’d guess there could well be more heaviness still to come.
Pupil Slicer – Fleshwork
Pupil Slicer have been defined by their sonic unpredictability. At points chaotic mathcore with lashings of grind, others melodically serene, their output reflects a love for extremes. So naturally Fleshwork, the title-track of their upcoming third album due November 7, would embrace that entirely, careening riffs giving way to a crunching, bone-splintering breakdown that feels worlds away from their more mathy past inclinations. It’s anyone’s guess how the rest of the album will turn out, but we can’t wait to hear it.
Author & Punisher – Thrush
Like the soundtrack to some dystopian apocalypse, Author & Punisher’s latest single Thrust is pure industrial metal hell. Lurching low-end, vocals that come out half-snarl, half-whisper and a synth line that sounds like a more mournful take on The Terminator theme, it’s a taste of new album Nocturnal Birding which arrives October 3.
The Hara – Easier To Die
Propulsive riffs and radio-ready choruses embody The Hara’s new single Easier To Die. The lead single of new album The Fallout, due January 23, it’s not a major departure from the band’s past material, but does mark a stylistic shift towards heavier sounds that takes them from being akin to the likes of Twin Atlantic or Biffy Clyro to Bring Me The Horizon and Nothing More.
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