Words by Mark McConville / Photo by Ed Mason

Architects – “Animals.” Architects have become pioneers of heaviness. Since their start the band has thrown down the gauntlet, becoming a mainstay in the hearts of demanding but eclectic metal fans. With eight albums under their belts, they’ve shown longevity can reap rewards too. Now, as this pandemic roars on, the act has released “Animals,” which is a new single from the band’s forthcoming album For Those Wish To Exist, and it’s another pile-driver, a raucous and emotive song which raises the game. When it hits, it hits. It also pulls at everything the band has worked for, the balance, that guitar sound that epitomizes quality metal music which doesn’t falter. And Architects are a natural force in the scene, a staple within the community, and on “Animals” they join the dots convincingly, conjuring up unorthodox creativity at every turn.

Less Than Jake – “Dear Me.” The gloves are off. This is a push for clarity from Less Than Jake. The ska/punk legends release Dear Me, and there’s fluidity and a measure of diversity. This doesn’t mean the act doesn’t enforce eclecticism on their tracks, but “Dear Me” pushes the boundaries and serves up emotion and signified rage. Throughout the track, the band plays their instruments cohesively, and the ska sound isn’t a priority with punk taking the center stage. It is yet another earworm from a staple, a band on the warpath, a unit of musicians, trying to escape the ruins, a world on its knees. This commentary is interwoved in those hard-hitting lyrics.

The Burnt Tapes – “Dynasty, Die With Me.” First, the lyrics that run through the new song from London band The Burnt Tapes are emotive and imaginative, coursing through the veins of imagery. This band create pictures and snapshots that force the listener to connect and to admire the work shown. Yes, this band won’t make it as a mainstream moniker, but they don’t give a damn about fame and grotesque fortune. They’re in the ascendency in the punk scene, a scene rippled in talent. Underground music has some of the most capable musicians, and The Burnt Tapes are a great example. “Dynasty, Die With Me” starts commandingly. The riff pleases, and those vocals are grit laced and unapologetic. It’s a song to savor.

Holding Absence – “Beyond Belief”. Holding Absence are a desirable band in all their evocative darkness. The band acknowledges their pasts here, and there’re ripples of greatness present in their new single “Beyond Belief.” This atmospheric track has all the adeptness that the band is known for, that ever engrossing intelligence. It may sound a little spontaneous, but the track is a live-wire, pulsating in its entirety, with pace littered drumbeats and alluring vocals from front-man Lucas Woodland. Never to disappoint, Holding Absence will light up the world. This may sound audacious to some, but they have all the tools to be caught under the limelight.

Touche Amore – “Reminders“: The echoes are fundamental here. The pain and fear interlinked. “Reminders” by Touche Amore ramps up the pressure and showcases abrasive melodies. A band, used to blowing the roof off, Reminders sticks top this formula but raises hell. Lyrically pessimistic, the track highlights a stricken past. The instrumentals pull like claws; the vocals burst the seams; and the song depicts agony. And it’s truly chaotic but beautiful in an unconventional manner.