Single Slam: Ghosts of Atlantis, Reside, Polaris, State of Deceit, 3TEETH, Walwin, Marc Hudson, Blodet, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, Defying Decay, Evergreener, Profanatica, Godeth, and Heart of a Coward!

This week’s single slam features Ghosts of Atlantis, Reside, Polaris, State of Deceit, 3TEETH, Walwin, Marc Hudson, Blodet, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, Defying Decay, Evergreener, Profanatica, Godeth, and Heart of a Coward. You can read our thoughts about the latest singles from these bands below.

Ghosts of Atlantis – Lands of Snow

Ghosts of Atlantis have premiered a new video and single ‘Lands of Snow’, taken from their upcoming brand-new album ‘Riddles Of The Sycophants’. It will be available as digipack CD, gatefold LP and on digital and is set for a release date on 27th October 2023.

One of the most hotly anticipated album releases of 2023, Ghosts of Atlantis return with a single that freezes the blood in your veins. Lands of Snow is simply incredible. A brilliant continuation of what they achieved on their debut 3.6.2.4, but also a massive step-forward in sound and scope. It is a massive track, layered with so much symphonic and cinematic detail, haunting and heavy, aggressively intense, but always with that insane level of grandiosity.

We expect great things from this band, but this is something else. That chorus is gob-smacking.

Reside – Leave You for Dead

Priding themselves on their ability to deliver uniquely eclectic moments through their music, Melbourne alternative rock band Reside return after over a year with their swirling new single Leave You For Dead.

Explains the band:

Thematically the track draws from the experience of feeling unwelcome in a social situation, but finding comfort in the person you’re with. “Leave You For Dead is about feeling uneasy in a crowded room and catching judgement from unsettling gazes, yet still finding solace in the companion that you’re with, assuring that neither person will leave the other behind.

A little groovy, a little funky, a little weird, but with plenty of alternative energy, Reside certainly take the listener on a bit of a ride here. Being anthemic enough to have wide-spread appeal, especially with the chorus, while also being excitingly experimental. It sits comfortably in the brain matter, urging you to give it another go, then another go, and so on. Check it out here.

Polaris – Nightmare

Sydney melodic metalcore outfit Polaris return armed with a ferocious new single and video Nightmare.

Nightmare is taken from the group’s impending new album Fatalism, due out on September 1 via Resist Records in Australia and SharpTone Records for the rest of the world.

Featuring an equally ominous music video capturing the track’s dystopian themes, Nightmare also pays tribute to the recent devastating loss in the Polaris family, as drummer and lyricist Daniel Furnari explains:

We created this video with our friend Ben Wrigley, AKA Third Eye Visuals, who found some amazing locations and imagery to help us convey the track when paired with his brilliant editing skills. This was the second of three music videos we filmed with Ryan earlier this year. It has been a challenging and very emotional task to complete these videos in light of what has happened, but after careful discussion with his family we collectively felt that we wanted to share with the world the final things that Ryan created with us. We will proudly cherish the memories of him contained in this footage and hope you will too.

An out and our banger that has so much emotion in it, Polaris are pulling out all the stops here and delivering a powerful metalcore anthem. One with crunchy heaviness and intense speed, alongside huge melodies and an infectious chorus. It hits you right in the soul, while also being extremely memorable. Rest in peace, Ryan. Check it out here.

State of Deceit – At What Cost?

British metalcore, thrash & groove metal band State of Deceit have premiered a new music video and single entitled “At What Cost?”. This is the second music video & single taken from their upcoming LP album Stalked by Daemons which will be released on October 13, 2023, via Eclipse Records.

Says lead vocalist Pete Scammell:

This is a song written closely from the heart, about people and organizations exploiting the health system for profit or political agendas. As a person with diabetes, I’ve followed the stories in the United States about massively inflated insulin prices and how that is literally killing people. Here in the United Kingdom the situation is similar because services have been taken away from my local hospital and relocated an hour away. For many people this increases the cost and ability to receive care so for many it is unacceptable. Why do they do these things? For most of us, the answer seems like it is because we live in a different political area. This is why we depicted the Plague Doctor as the villain in the video. It represents the nefarious entities I mentioned above. During the shoot, we had some funny looks during the scenes od The Plague Doctor coming out of the van… with all the smoke coming out people must’ve thought we were hotboxing in there!

Bassist Davide Santini adds:

At What Cost is a mixture of punchy grooves and melody, so our director Aidan made a very dynamic video to reflect that. My concept of the plague doctor was a perfect fit to match the lyrics and the idea of having an old character to impersonate the modern national health system was an exciting contrast as well. We were very lucky with the location on the day of the shoot. Because the weather was so terrible that day, we were planning to reschedule but Aidan showed us another place that could work, and for us it ended up even better than what we expected! The day was full of surprises, and Pete almost ended up in emergency care due to smoke inhalation because the van scenes were filmed using so much smoke, thankfully he survived the shoot!

This one freaking goes hard. Which is hilarious, as State of Deceit always go hard. Even still, this one has a more abrasive intensity that gives the band a rawer edge. All while being bouncy, animated, and with a chorus that gets under the skin. There’s an interesting nu-metal edge to the track overall, but it’s not done in a distracting way.

3TEETH – Drift

Continuing with the series of monthly singles ahead of the release of new album EndEx in September, 3TEETH is sharing the brand-new track, ‘Drift.’ It’s paired with a music video that provides an intimate look at the five members in the studio.

Vocalist Alexis Mincolla explains:

Resignation is a testament to a life well-lived, a life unrestrained by fear or regret. It’s the final triumphant flicker in the lantern, the last traces of a wild, fiery spirit burning brilliantly against the encroaching darkness as we drift from the mundane reality of flesh and bone, to the spectral void where consciousness floats freely, unencumbered by the constraints of our physical existence.

The 3TEETH train keeps on rolling, picking up more and more speed as the band showcases more and more variety with each new single. This might be the most intriguing and challenging track yet from this upcoming new album as it’s all about dark melody and moodiness. The equivalent of electronica-focused grunge that gets more and more intense as it goes on. 3TEETH love to upend expectations and they’ve certainly done that here. Check it out here.

Walwin – Famous

Pop-punk/alt-rock artist Walwin releases his latest single ‘Famous’ via AntiFragile Music. As a self- proclaimed ‘elder emo’, Walwin has been a staple of the UK’s alternative scene for the past decade as both an artist, writer and producer working with the likes of Emma Blackery, Charlie Simpson (Busted, Fightstar) and As December Falls.

His latest single ‘Famous’ offers listeners an insight into the music industry, outlining the glamorous exterior while diving into the struggles and pressures artists face when trying to make it in such a competitive field.

Walwin describes the meaning behind ‘Famous’ further:

It’s about struggling as a musician and content creator in today’s world. Everyone around you thinks you’re a rockstar, but in reality, you’re struggling to get by.

This is an amazing track. Pure pop-punk and alternative rock gold from an artist who has the talent to cut through the miasma of cynicism and go right to the heart. His voice is wonderful, the melodies are massive, the chorus is such a singalong, and it caps all of that of with great lyrics. Just an amazing track. Check it out here.

Marc Hudson – The Siren

Marc Hudson (DragonForce) reveals his second solo single, ‘The Siren’, together with an official music video. Napalm Records will release his innovative first solo full-length, Starbound Stories, on 25th August 2023. Starbound Stories is an uplifting journey through Marc Hudson’s universe of power metal, anime, Japanese music and video game soundtrack influences, and features many great guest appearances.

Marc Hudson comments about the new single:

With soaring melodies, an electronic pulse and a chorus bursting to life with J-pop sensibilities, ‘The Siren’ serves as a love letter to the nightlife of Japan, lighting up the sky with endless colours and possibilities.

If there is one guarantee with this track, it is that the vocals are going to sound immense. Which, of course, they do, but around that we have a peppy, J-pop inspired head-banger that is so much fun to listen too. Extremely catchy and fun, this is the first of the solo stuff that doesn’t sound like it could have been a Dragonforce track too!

Blodet – Death Mother

With a sound that embraces the darkness and light that coexist within the human experience, Blodet return with the single ‘Death Mother’! It’s the title track taken from their forthcoming album, out 29th September via Church Road Records.

The sound of beautiful misery. The sound that we all love to wallow in. Blodet are a revelation in experimental music. Where you can never predict what will come out of the entity, what direction the music will take, and if you’ll love it or loathe it. Most of the time, it’s the former, and that applies here. This track is the epitome of obsessive discomfort, where you just can’t turn away from what Blodet produce even if the poignant desolation is so disconcerting. Check it out here.

Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons – Hammer and Dance

Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons have released a video for their new single ‘Hammer And Dance’. The new track is the second song to be taken from their upcoming third album, Kings Of The Asylum, which will be released on 1st September via Nuclear Blast Records.

Phil Campbell comments:

Put on your dancing shoes and get ready for hammer and dance.

Nothing too special here but also nothing to complain about either. It’s a fast-paced, energetic, and riffy head-banger that is this band through and through. A track that will sound killer live, and will never fail to get the masses moving wherever it is played. Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons does exactly what they say they do on the tin, and that’s alright by us.

Defying Decay – Cloud

Boundary-breaking Thai alt-metal outfit Defying Decay have returned with the release of their new single ‘Cloud’, accompanied by a superbly-shot ethereal music video. The track is the third to be released from their new album, due later this year.

On the new single, vocalist and guitarist Jay Euarchukiati comments:

Like all cycles in life there is a zenith and a fallout. ‘Clouds’ portrays a man in the pinnacle of his success and his struggle to stay atop. In this new record, the band take an experimental approach together with Thai pop icon Violette Wautier. This song marks an official step in exploring pop music as a new direction for the band, akin to chasing the clouds – the seemingly impossible, but determined to achieve. Unapologetically so.

A pretty cool track with a big alternative rock sound, Defying Decays know anthems and this is another one that everyone can enjoy. It’s not quite as boundary pushing as we’re used too but that doesn’t matter as it’s so catchy, it will have a stupid amount of wide-spread appeal. Check it out here.

Evergreener – Incandescent

Melbourne grunge rock quartet Evergreener return with their mighty new single, Incandescent. A song of self-discovery, exploring the notion that old habits have to change in order to flourish again.

Nice and grungy, nice and rocky, Evergreener combine the dirty side of the former with the lighter, more energetic side of the latter. The end result is something that makes you want to move. It oozes passion, has a lovely chorus, and plenty of excitable melody. The latter part of the track strays into post territory too! Check it out here.

Profanatica – The First Fall

Blasphemous black metal legion Profanatica are back with a brand new album ‘Crux Simplex’! In celebration of the new satanic offering, the band has released the second single, The First Fall.

The new album will be out on 22 September 2023 via Season of Mist Underground Activists.

Taking the title for the most evil sounding track of the week, Profanatica dig into the glistening underbelly of hell to find their sound here. Pure and unadulterated hate and suffering, it’s some of the harshest black metal you will hear all year. Yet, like all things evil, it has an innate appeal that makes you want to experience it fully.

Godeth – Solace

Leeds based metal band Godeth have released their new single ‘Solace’, arriving quick on the heels of previous single Scald, and ahead of their much-anticipated Bloodstock 2023 appearance.

The find of 2023 at the moment, Godeth continue their ascension with another absolute banger. The pace of Solace is eye-watering, the intensity in the riffs, drums, and vocals is frightening, and the sheen of abrasiveness that covers the track is so delightful. This is going to sound insane live. Roll on their show at Bloodstock 2023. Check it out here.

Heart of a Coward – Devour Me

British heavyweights Heart Of a Coward have released their new single ‘Devour me’. The track is taken from the band’s upcoming album This place only brings death, due for release on 22nd September via Arising Empire.

Vocalist Kaan Tasan comments:

‘Devour me’ is written about tearing into open wounds to try and find answers, but only ending up exactly where you were before. The familiar feeling of being torn apart, getting nowhere and then being discarded.

Who’s excited for the new Heart of a Coward album? Of course you are, especially when we are getting bangers like this from it. While it takes a moment or two to get going, when it does, it absolutely goes off. Heart of A Coward reaching down deep to pull out something that growls, gurns, and soars. It’s always great to see this band putting in as much effort as they do, and Devour Me is one hell of a hit.