Single Slam: Butcher Babies, THE DARK.FM, Thy Catafalque, Beyond Extinction, Stay for Tomorrow, Waterlines, King Kraken, The Bitter Pills, Desire Lines, Mirrortalk, Bad Earth, Ignea, Art of Shock, and Trivium!

Today’s single slam features Butcher Babies, THE DARK.FM, Thy Catafalque, Beyond Extinction, Stay for Tomorrow, Waterlines, King Kraken, The Bitter Pills, Desire Lines, Mirrortalk, Bad Earth, Ignea, Art of Shock, and Trivium. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Butcher Babies – Leaving California

Butcher Babies, who have evolved from underground favourites into an internationally recognised force in modern metal, have unleashed their new single and official music video, ‘Leaving California’, available now via Judge & Jury Records. Produced by acclaimed hitmaker Howard Benson, the track marks the fifth single from the band’s highly anticipated new album, ‘Nightbloom’, due out 2nd October.

‘Leaving California’ captures the emotional conflict of leaving behind a life that once felt permanent in pursuit of an uncertain future. The song is both deeply personal and universally relatable, reflecting on the courage it takes to embrace change.

Heidi Shepherd shares:

The writing of this song began in July of 2020 as I saw my industry, family, and friends all one-by-one leaving California; a place I truly believed would be my forever home. I built my life there. I traded in my 20 year comfort of sandy beaches, ocean air, and the walk of fame for the big unknown. During that time, I wasn’t only breaking up with California, I was moving on from a life that I am so grateful to have experienced, but needed a change. I was leaving a relationship that gave me so much for so many years, but had run dry. On the drive out of town, I found myself humming this chorus melody into my voice notes, documenting in real time, my shedding of that skin. ‘Leaving California’ is about that bittersweet moment where new beginnings seem daunting, yet, oh so, exciting.

The Butcher Babies transformation is almost complete, and tracks like this don’t just show how far the band has come, but how far Heidi has come. She’s not the same person and this track perfectly encapsulates the change with its open and honest lyrical content. It’s a poppy track that showcases the strength in Heidi’s singing, but it does have metal fire too. A roaring switch up, guitar solo, and grand chorus help make it a special listen.

THE DARK.FM – Thai Angel

Los Angeles-based THE DARK.FM today released their new single ‘Thai Angel’, out now on all platforms via Arising Empire.

Speaking of the new single, vocalist Craig Johns Jr. shares:

Thai Angel was the name of an (alleged) after-hours in Koreatown that I would frequent after getting off work at the nightclub around the corner. It was very much a “if you know, you know” type spot. The door was locked, it was hot, crowded, and the DJ was loud as hell. Lyrically, the song is about a particular night I had there. Rather not dive into that too deep. Sonically anyway, I wanted it to feel like the highs and lows of being in a place like that at 6am in Los Angeles. It starts with this 80’s-esque octave chorus guitar, almost sounds like a synth, followed by an absolutely stacked riff – simple as ever but it’s like “Oh hell yeah, we’re finally here”. You’ve entered the club, you made it. The verses come in as this beat-driven moment of intimacy and scene-setting, the vocals are soft like we’re right next to each other, and then the pre-chorus rises into a familiar feeling of adrenaline. The chorus feels like a moment you’ve been waiting for, that hit of dopamine, and then it all cycles around again until the end of the song becomes this unrelenting wave of intoxicating intensity that you didn’t expect, only to close out with a classic DJ exit transition, leading seamlessly into ‘epoch.exe’.

A sleazy and fun blend of EDM and metal, THE DARK.FM have unleashed a track that grows and transforms in so many ways, but never loses its anthemic factor. It’s creative and appealing, the kind of track that will pick up even more listeners outside of the metal spectrum.

Thy Catafalque – Búcsú a piros madártól

Thy Catafalque, the Hungarian avant-garde metal project of Tamás Kátai, have released the new single and music video ‘Búcsú a piros madártól’ (A Farewell to the Red Bird). Opening XIII: Sárga erdő, the band’s thirteenth album, out November 20th via Season of Mist.

I continue to be amazed by the music that Thy Catafalque creates even though I can never be sure of what I am about to hear. The one thing I can be sure about is that it’s going to be unique. An avant-garde masterpiece that is filled with energetic rhythms, complex structures, bursts of heavy, and an incredible array of twists and turns. It’s a staggering piece of music.

Beyond Extinction – A Dark Sickness (Three Swords)

Essex deathcore natives Beyond Extinction will release their brand-new EP, ‘Three Swords’ on October 23rd, 2026. An EP that encompasses the essence of what it means to have Essex blood running through your veins, retelling the dark history of Essex’s streets. After releasing ‘Witchfinder’ a couple weeks’ back, they are back with ‘A Dark Sickness (Three Swords)’.

On the inspiration of the new track, vocalist Jasper Harmer explains:

‘A Dark Sickness (Three Swords)’ is one of the most exciting and intense tracks we’ve ever put together. By layering our heaviest influences on top of each other, I feel we’ve shown a different weapon in our arsenal and in a live setting this one whips the crowds into gear and then lets the classic low and slow speak for itself. The uncompromising and in-your-face core of this track mirrors its story, watching the black death plague scythe through the medieval populations of Colchester, Chelmsford and Maldon leaving half of all the men, women and children dead in the Essex dirt.

The creative direction that Beyond Extinction have gone in on this EP has allowed them to explore a different side to their deathcore sound. A side that just feels and sounds more potent. The short and sharp nature of this track does not stop it being a track that bludgeons too. You’ll come away feeling like you smell and taste death in the air, even if you’re nowhere near Essex.

Stay for Tomorrow – The Fallout

Scottish alt-rock crew Stay for Tomorrow have released their new single, ‘The Fallout’, accompanied by a brand-new video. The track is taken from their forthcoming album, ‘When Hope’s Gone’, due Friday 25th September.

A track that will get stuck in the head for hours after it has finished, Stay for Tomorrow have effortlessly crafted something relentlessly catchy here. A track with foot tapping and finger snapping alternative vibes that puts the exclamation mark on the belief that the album is going to be pretty darn good.

Waterlines – Giant Killers

Northern UK EDM metalcore powerhouses Waterlines are back with their first new music in over a year. The brand new single ‘Giant Killers’ is out now.

Waterlines frontman Benji Mars explains:

I wrote Giant Killers as a love letter to my friends and equals in the scene. I’ve seen blood and sweat poured into shows at 100 cap venues that would knock the teeth out of most arena bands.

On any given day there is an unknown band out there, giving their tiny fan population everything they’ve fucking got, and every now and then one of us might get the opportunity to prove it, and prove that we are more than the sum of our parts.

It’s an ode to the underground, the bands who graft and never get the break, the countless hours behind the scenes for a shot at the one social post that goes viral. I live and breathe that scene, I am and always will be a part of it.

There is a group of bands just below the shimmering surface of metal, who have been ready for a chance they’re not going to get, for years, but they keep going and keep giving it everything.

The bottom line of the festival poster, the last track on the playlist, number 101 in the 100 hottest tracks.

It has been a while but it has been worth the wait. Waterlines are back with an absolute anthem. One that will fill floors, cause carnage in the pit, and see a whole room full of people dancing to EDM. Waterlines have always been great at the combination, but the balance here is like nothing else they’ve done. Pure energy and fun, the breakdown ‘fake outs’ at the end are so clever.

King Kraken – Shadows Fall

King Kraken unleash their third single of 2026 with ‘Shadows Fall’. A dark and unnerving tale of getting lost in the woods only to be met by malevolence and evil wrongdoing.

A heavy head banging metal song inspired by the likes of The Blair Witch Project? Yes, bloody, please. It’s King Kraken and the group continue to drive forward with grit and determination. It’s a punchy track with big riffs, powerful vocals, and a memorable chorus. Exactly what we expect from these guys and they don’t disappoint.

The Bitter Pills – Bad Monday

UK alt-rock crew The Bitter Pills are set to release their self-titled debut album on Friday 25th September. Ahead of the album, the band have released the single ‘Bad Monday’, alongside a brand-new official video.

Displaying a rawness that gives them a garage and noise-inspired flavour, The Bitter Pills get dirty with this one and I’m all in on it. Especially as it comes with tons of live-infused energy. It’s an infectious ditty ensuring that if you weren’t excited for the album before, you will be now.

Desire Lines – Atlas

Kent based alt-rockers Desire Lines have released their new single ‘Atlas’.

Speaking on the song’s creation, lead vocalist/guitarist James Drouot stated that he was:

Listening to a lot of Porridge Radio at the time when I was writing ‘Atlas’, and some of Dana Margolin’s lyricism found its way in for sure. It felt different for us to start with the bass leading the song. There’s something post punk about those elements together, the drums and the bass, that makes it stand out against other Desire Lines songs.

Theme-wise I find myself pretty often turning to nature. It’s this shifting thing. It can feel like it moves separately from us when really we’re part of it. Right now it feels like a tipping point where we are watching a lot of nature’s destruction, and there’s an existential sadness to that, when really it’s nature staring back at us as we destroy ourselves.

With a strong retro alternative rock, grunge, and post-hardcore feel, Desire Lines tap into a thick vein of nostalgia with this track. Delivering a boisterous example of old-school alternative music that doesn’t sound dated. It has got groove, it’s a little dirty in places, and delivers a memorable chorus.

Mirrortalk – Forget My Name

Birmingham quartet Mirrortalk have announced their new EP, ‘Where Does Everyone Go When I Need Them Most’, due out November 27th via new label home Hassle Records. The EP announcement arrives alongside ‘Forget My Name’, a track that turns inward, exploring self-doubt, isolation and the instinct to push people away when you’re struggling with who you are.

Speaking of the new single Mirrortalk vocalist Mat Coffey shares:

Forget My Name talks to those who fight with themselves. When you don’t like who you are, the easiest mistake to make is to push people away, even if you know you need them. This song is about what it feels like when you want people to forget you.

The potency of Mirrortalk’s post-hardcore blended with shoegaze and grunge-twisted alternative rock can’t be understated. They have a very unique sound and this track exemplifies that in all its glory. Bright, but not blinding. Moody, but not mood-altering, and brash, but not hyper. It’s a fascinating and compelling listen.

Bad Earth – Trigger Point

Bad Earth, the three-piece rockcore band from North Wales, will release their new album, ‘Stitches’ at the end of 2026. The single, ‘Trigger Point’, comes from that album and is out now.

A major talent in the UK rock and metal scene, Bad Earth are back and delivering hefty and heavy metal goodness. The kind that comes with crunching riffs, fast-paced groove, and a chorus that encourages you to shout along. Be warned, you’re going to want to warm up the neck muscles before hitting play here. It’s head banging gold.

Ignea – Prefab (feat. Andy LaPlegua of Combichrist)

Leading the way for their upcoming studio album ‘Monumental’, out on 23rd October 2026, via Napalm Records, Ukrainian modern metal architects Ignea have unveil their third single, entitled ‘Prefab’. The track features aggrotech and electro-industrial icon Andy LaPlegua of Combichrist.

Vocalist Helle Bohdanova comments:

‘Prefab’ reflects on the darker side of nostalgia -prefabricated socialist buildings, originally meant to give everyone a roof over their heads. But like many socialist ideals, the concept was flawed at its core: uniform, industrial, stripping people of individuality and personal choice, making them feel like ants inside their own homes. Remnants of this architecture still stand across Europe – from Ukraine and Poland, from Germany to France – and while people may recall personal memories of them, that nostalgia is often bittersweet at best, rooted in poverty and authoritarian regime.

As Ukrainians from a post-Soviet country, we grew up surrounded by the physical remains of a system that promised a bright future and delivered the opposite. What’s stranger is that even knowing how flawed it was, many people still feel a pull toward certain parts of Soviet life. And it’s not just us – plenty of Westerners romanticize Soviet aesthetics too, nostalgic for a past they never lived.

In the ‘Prefab’ video, we wanted to convey the feeling of a confined, uniform space, a cramped room representing a typical Soviet apartment, where only the tenants ever change.

When we shaped the demo around ‘Prefab’, we were basically hearing Andy’s vocals in the back of our minds, and we’re so glad he agreed to lend his voice. Having Combichrist as part of the industrial metal banger on our upcoming album—what could be more iconic?

Tune into this ‘cementery for serial dreams’ and try not to headbang!

Ignea have become an absolute powerhouse, and this new album is shaping up to be their strongest yet. A single like this, one that features an unexpected, but welcome guest, is proof of their ambition and the thumping industrial-tinged track goes hard. The chorus will be shouted loud at shows all over.

Art of Shock – You Are the Plague

Art Of Shock is back and ‘You Are the Plague’ is the first statement of their new era. Out now through their own AOMFS Records.

A new era that comes with clear focus, Art of Shock welcome listeners to the future with a frenzy of thrashing heaviness, undeniable groove, and some flashes of more extreme sonics. It’s a very heavy track, given some levity courtesy of big, soaring vocals and creative twists to the instrumental formula. I dig it.

Trivium – Dead Inside of Me

GRAMMY-nominated heavyweights Trivium, are ushering in their new era with the single and video for ‘Dead Inside Of Me’.

Explains bassist Paolo Gregoletto:

‘Dead Inside Of Me’ was a song that came together at the end of a long day of writing new music last summer. It started with a riff I’d had kicking around for five or six years called ‘Slam,’ looping over a simple groove,” explains Gregoletto. “A lot of the most fun song ideas come from blending two contrasting ideas together. Take a death metal riff and play it like a stadium rock song. Let the screaming and singing weave together until they feel like one voice. Being able to explain the idea that simply as the song was coming together helped keep us laser-focused and on track to see the vision through to the end.

The song was loosely inspired by the Japanese concept of honne and tatemae — the tension between your true inner feelings and the mask you present to the outside world to hide them.

I can see why Paolo has taken the reigns as far as promotion goes for this track, it’s all about his bass here. The tone is thick, but this being Trivium, it’s far from the only star aspect of the track. There’s a stompy groove to the track, yet there’s an undercurrent of nu-metal too, an early metalcore feel, and plenty of classic Trivium harmony. It’s creative, and thanks to the chorus, likely to be a surefire hit live too.