CrowsAlive – Higher
Release Date: 21st December 2023
Alt-rock entering its 8th year as a band is what greets us with CrowsAlive and their latest single ‘Higher’, released at the back end of 2023. The Japanese band bring dramatic vocals and powerful soundscapes that blend what now feels like signature sounds of their homeland, at least when it comes to more traditionally Western music types. Genres are pushed and pulled together here and it creates a thoroughly modern alt-rock finish.
Venues – Radiate Me
Release Date: 21st December 2023
German metalcore mob Venues dropped new track ‘Radiate Me’ just before Christmas ’23, their final of three songs released throughout the year and one that signals just how big 2024 could be for them. Combining male growls and female cleans, ‘Radiate Me’ has hallmarks of older styles of metalcore but the clean vocals certainly give the track a more symphonic vibe despite the heaviness elsewhere.
SYFF – Broken Record
Release Date: 28th December 2023
Dropping in that awful little gap between Christmas and New Year 2023, ‘Broken Record’ is the flash-in-the-pan debut song from German hardcore punks SYFF. Packed into just 81 seconds is enough energy to fill any live show and this is a delightfully filthy look into the future of an exciting band, seemingly hellbent on chaos.
War Bear – Don’t Be Afraid
Release Date: 28th December 2023
Another track from 2023’s black hole. Australia’s War Bear originally released ‘Dont Be Afraid’ just before Christmas as part of the Wrecked ’em EP, but then put out as a single too shortly after. Melodic in all the right places, ‘Don’t Be Afraid’ still batters and bruises as much as anything and is a great incentive to visit the EP if you haven’t yet.
NAILED SHUT MA – TEETH
Release Date: 9th December 2023
‘Teeth’ is the huge closing track taken from the band’s early December ’23 album, Lust In The End. From the very first second, ‘Teeth’ is as unforgiving as it is somehow catchy. One thing is for sure though, this track is going to make you want to smash some shit up.