Album Review: Fox Lake – New Wave Heat (MNRK Heavy)

Genre blurring wrecking crew, Fox Lake are back with their brand-new album, ‘New World Heat’, out August 1st, 2025, via MNRK Heavy. A twelve-track manifesto of self-destruction and reinvention.

Impressively blurring the lines between metalcore, hardcore, hip-hop and nu-metal, Fox Lake are an addictively dynamic band with imagination. Delivering a record that pulses with life, pointedly aggressive and memorably anthemic throughout. New World Heat is heavy, savage and raw, but accessibly so.

This results in an album that delivers punchy hit after hit, with a mixture of twists and turns, some of which work and some of which don’t.

The first of several guests appears on the opening track, For the Love of the Game. Featuring Mugshot, this opener is a robust and raucous start that embodies the dynamic genre-blending ways of the band. Alongside Freestyle, which features Avoid and has a strong nu-metal flavour, showcases Fox Lake’s collaborative side.

Although the core three-piece are more than capable of creating plenty of noise without anyone’s help. As evident by the two-stepping ferocity of Tough Luck, the destructive Go 4 the Throat (live – this one is going to go off), the anthemic hardcore stomp of Cold Hard Truth, and the heart-racing and intensity of Real Fast. The latter of which shares equal billing with h a l f t i m e as the album’s shortest efforts (slightly over a minute). Although there is a notable difference between the two, with the latter being more of an experimental intermission, and a bit pointless if I’m being honest.

It’s a strong first half though, filled with infectious rhythms, wild heaviness, and genre-bending creativity and happily Fox Lake keep the good (and heavy) times rolling in the second half. Firstly, delivering an absolute metallised heart pounding rager called Pure Adrenaline. Followed by an inspired team up with Silent Planet on the feral Headshot. Before Fox Lake’s addictive hip hop and metal combination gets even more potent on the excellent Savior.

Some of the album’s best tracks are in the second half and to further prove that point, Gut Check absolutely slams and features the final guest, Eyes of Salt. Fox Lake keep the bar high right to the end too as Excessive Damage brings us old-school hardcore fire blended with metal intensity. It’s a beastly finish and a great way to finish off a beastly album.

Fox Lake’s genre-bending ways ensure that the album has more unique parts, but not to the extent that experimentation overshadows everything else. If you like stompy, aggressive, and addictive modern hardcore heaviness with twists to the formula then you’re going to like this.

Fox Lake – New World Heat Track Listing:

1. For The Love of the Game (ft Mugshot)
2. Tough Luck
3. Freestyle (ft Avoid)
4. Go 4 The Throat
5. Cold Hard Truth
6. Real Fast
7. h a l f t i m e
8. Pure Adrenaline
9. Headshot (ft Silent Planet)
10. Savior
11. Gut Check (ft Eyes of Salt)
12. Excessive Damage

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