Single Slam: King 810, Strange Company, Crystal Ball, FLOYA, Glass Bridges, Molarbear, After Elmer, Distant, Tropic Gold, Death Pill, The Local Romance, and Hatebreed!

Today’s single slam features King 810, Strange Company, Crystal Ball, FLOYA, Glass Bridges, Molarbear, After Elmer, Distant, Tropic Gold, Death Pill, The Local Romance, and Hatebreed. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

King 810 – I Know You Heard of Me

American metal force King 810 have released their brand-new single ‘I Know You Heard of Me’. The track is opening number of their forthcoming new album ‘La Grande Mort or Silence of God’, out on 27th November.

Speaking on the single, Vocalist David Gunn comments:

I Know You Heard of Me is a transmission I got a long time ago — a channeling whose origin I can’t even be sure of myself.

This one’s about the idea that we’re not the first to notice something’s off about reality — that people have been trying to warn each other for thousands of years, and getting burned for it. Figuratively and literally.

I do find modern King 810 to be a very creative band, and because of that, I find myself drawn more to them. This new track continues a side to the band that I really like, the cinematic side, twisted and transformed in a dark and epic way. It’s very cool and downright poetic sounding. More of this please!

Strange Company – Waves

Following the success of their return with ‘Do You Feel Numb?’, South Wales alt-rock quintet Strange Company are following it up with another brand-new single, ‘Waves’.

Strange Company guitarist Owen Weston says:

Sonically, ‘Waves’ ended up on the darker and more atmospheric side of our spectrum. When I first wrote the bare bones of the song, I was listening to a lot of Citizen, which definitely came through in the emo-leaning feel of the original demo. Once I took it to the boys, though, every element of the song seemed to get heavier. We added delayed guitars, swelling textures and echoed vocals, which transformed it into a much denser, more evolving soundscape. Alef and I have always had a real love for shoegaze, and I think that comes through pretty clearly in the final mix. It’s been really interesting hearing that version alongside the original demo and seeing how far the song evolved.

Lyrically, the song continues the themes we started exploring with our previous release, ‘Do You Feel Numb?’. ‘Waves’ is about those points in life where you suddenly find yourself somewhere — good or bad — without really understanding how you got there, or where you’re supposed to go next. I originally wrote the chorus lyric, “Where are we going? Where have we been?” as a placeholder, fully intending to come back to it and replace it with something more poetic or clever. But we all loved the simplicity of those lines, and the more we lived with them, the more we realised they said exactly what we wanted them to.

Sometimes there’s no need to overcomplicate it.

A weighty listen that takes alternative rock in a post-like direction, Strange Company have crafted a deep and meaningful track that is layered with melody and atmosphere. The kind that seeps into the soul and stays with you long afterwards. It’s an excellent effort.

Crystal Ball – I Wanna Know

The Swiss metallers, Crystal Ball, presents their latest music video and single, a song titled ‘I Wanna Know’. It’s the second single from band’s latest album, which will be released on October 23rd.

Vocalist Steven Mageney says:

For me, ‘I Wanna Know’ has that big melodic arena-rock feeling — powerful, emotional, catchy and full of huge sing-along choirs. It is definitely one of those songs that grabs you very quickly, and I am really happy that it will be our first single.

During the studio work, the song changed quite a lot, especially through the big choir parts, which gave it even more energy and made the hook much stronger. I spent around three and a half hours recording the vocals, including all the backing vocals and choirs.

The lyrics were written by my English friend Ricky, based on an idea I had. The song is about two people who love each other, but for different reasons still cannot find their way together. It is emotional, melodic and powerful at the same time – and thirty years ago, I probably would have said: this song has real hit potential.

A catchy and vibrant rock tune with comes with big sounding melodies and harmonised vocals. Crystal Ball keep it simple here, but in doing so create something with universal appeal. It’s a singalong that everyone can enjoy.

FLOYA – Juneau

More than a year has passed since FLOYA last offered a glimpse into their world. Now, the German modern rock duo finally breaks the silence with ‘Juneau’.

Says the band:

More than a year has passed since the last new music from FLOYA. No explanation has followed their absence, and “Juneau” arrives with few answers. What has surfaced feels recognisably FLOYA, though it carries considerably more weight than before. Whether ‘Juneau’ marks the beginning of a new album cycle remains to be seen.

Has it really been so long!? It’s great to have FLOYA back with new music and Juneau shows that they’ve not been sitting still since we last heard from them. Undeniably them thanks to the potent modern melodic twist on the rock formula, but coming with more dramatic weight that suggests the future of the band might be darker and heavier.

Glass Bridges – Rage

Alternative rock band Glass Bridges recently signed with Year of the Rat Records and have dropped their new single ‘Rage’. Coming from their upcoming EP ‘In Reverence to All That We Are’, out on 13th November 2026.

One of the hottest UK bands in the alternative rock and metal scene right now, Glass Bridges are back and back with a banger. An energised effort that has underground club dance vibes, while also managing to sound big enough to fit in arenas thanks to the very cool sounding chorus.

Molarbear – War Porn

Sitting somewhere around the post-metal, sludge, noise rock and alternative side of heavy music, Molarbear is an independent band from Belfast, Northern Ireland who have released their new single, ‘War Porn’.

According to the band:

The track deals with the increasingly detached way violence is consumed, circulated and commodified though modern media.

The meaty instrumental sound of this track is so addictive, but when coupled with vocals that get right up in the face, we’re given something quite special here. Something that feels fresh and interesting, but also delivers tons of reasons to bang the head hard. It’s dirty, groovy, energetic, heavy, and most importantly, creative. I dig it.

After Elmer – Tightrope (feat. Bianca Vrind of IVYVOX)

After Elmer, the pop-punk band, have their brand-new track ‘Tightrope’, The song addresses the expectations others may place on you, allowing yourself to get rid of the pressure to perform. In addition to the band, the track features vocals from Bianca Vrind from power-pop band IVYVOX.

Like ‘Are You…’, ‘Tightrope’ will appear on the album ‘Are You Happy Yet?’, set for release on November 13th. In September, the band announced that the album’s release would also mark the end of After Elmer, who have been around since 2018. The album launch – and the band’s final show – will take place on December 17th at Rotown in Rotterdam.

It is such a shame that we’re losing After Elmer, but the pop-punkers are going out with a bang. What we have is another strong, smile-inducing, peppy effort that nails the feel of a pop-punk track that combines the best of the past and the best of now. Bianca really fits the tone too.

Distant – The Shallow Gaze (feat. Darius Tehrani of Spite)

Dutch/Slovakian deathcore outfit Distant have released ‘The Shallow Gaze’ (feat. Darius Tehrani), their brand-new single. It comes from the upcoming album, ‘Into Despair’, that will be released on 6th November 2026.

The band shares:

When vulnerability becomes a competition, even honesty starts to feel like a weapon. ‘The Shallow Gaze’ featuring Darius Tehrani of Spite dives into the paranoia and self-doubt that come with living through trauma while constantly questioning who can truly be trusted.

The track confronts impostor syndrome and the exhausting need to validate your own suffering in environments where trauma dumping has become a form of one-upmanship. Instead of creating connection, every confession becomes another opportunity to compare scars, measure pain, and prove who has suffered more.

With its confrontational intensity and deeply personal subject matter, ‘The Shallow Gaze’ captures the psychological toll of constantly questioning the intentions of those around you—and the realisation that sometimes, the hardest person to trust is yourself.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but this new Distant track goes hard. If there is one thing we can guarantee about this band is that everything they release has the potential to bloody noses, bust lips, and crack skulls, and this new single doesn’t change that. In fact, it’s even wilder, more feral, and more dangerous because it features Darius of Spite.

Tropic Gold – sodium

South East England trio, Tropic Gold, have released a brand-new single, ‘sodium’, their second for new label partner, BLKIIBLK, following the release of ‘WITCH HOUSE’ (feat. Harpy) in June.

Shares the band:

‘sodium’ is a story of two things being drawn together despite the destruction— two people, or one and something they can’t let go of. The element of sodium itself is in tears and sweat, what you can taste and feel in exhausting and painful situations. “Will you take that freak in me?” is the vulnerability at the centre of it — asking whether the unfiltered parts of you can be accepted. ‘sodium’ is knowing you’re falling, but craving the feeling enough to give in anyway.

Tropic Gold have clearly been evolving, but I think this new track is going to surprise a few people by just how heavy the band have gotten. It’s a bit of beast, with a hefty breakdown to boot, but retains much of their poppy, alternative style too. They’ve just become so good at getting the balance right.

Death Pill – Silver Butterfly

A year on from ‘Sologamy’, their second album, Ukrainian riot grrrl trio Death Pill return with a new single, ‘Silver Butterfly’.

Welcome back Death Pill and in classic punk rock fashion, this new track is lively, vibrant, and biting. Yet, in classic Death Pill fashion it comes with so much more. A fantastic layer of pop that makes it catchier, rocking twists and turns, and tons of fiery flashes. It’s great to have them back!

The Local Romance – Ecdysis

Brisbane alternative metal outfit The Local Romance are back with their new single, ‘Ecdysis’. The new track digs into the uglier side of heartbreak; resentment, obsession, withdrawal and the emptiness that comes with finally accepting that someone you wanted to keep is no longer yours to hold onto.

Oof. How about that start? The Local Romance coming out of the blocks with intent here, and even though there’s a moody and atmospheric drop, the intensity is kept high. Especially as things transitions nicely into a very powerful chorus. It’s a cleverly structured track that shows off so much of their talent that you’ll be desperate to hear more from them.

Hatebreed – The Carrion Choir

Grammy-nominated hardcore legends Hatebreed will drop their long-awaited studio album ‘Fatal Paradox’ on 6th November via new label BLKIIBLK. They have now shared the new single, ‘The Carrion Choir’.

Another day, another Hatebreed banger. The hardcore icons are keeping it very simple, it seems, on this album and playing to their strengths. There’s nothing wrong with that because even though a track like this isn’t going to light the world on fire, it is delivering joyous speed, heaviness, hardcore intensity, and head banging groove. I’m more than happy with that!