September is upon us, and with it the ultimate three months of 2025! We have had a wholesome trickle of new releases in current months with the likes of Deftones, Turnstile and Babymetal all dropping new albums over the summer time, however we’re removed from accomplished. There’s nonetheless new albums from Creeper, Avatar, Sabaton and extra to come back earlier than the tip of 2025, and that is to say nothing of emergent expertise.
Talking of! A lot as we did final month, we’re again with one other round-up of good new expertise from the world of rock, punk and metallic that you need to try. Whether or not it is the hardcore/dying metallic fusion of Kentucky’s Gates To Hell, shimmering synths of The Defect, Welsh riffers King Kraken, London-Hastings crossover thrashers Inhuman Nature or the nu metallic meets shoegaze of Cut up Chain, we have got a various choice so that you can get your ears round.
So stick ’em up, crank the amount up and have a incredible finish to the summer time!
Gates To Hell
Gates To Hell made fairly the influence with their self-titled debut in 2022. Their frenetic mixture of old-school dying metallic and stomping hardcore proved to be a potent mixture that elevated them from enjoying the small membership circuit of their native Kentucky to not too long ago supporting Kublai Khan on sold-out European and UK runs.
“We’ve been used to enjoying DIY exhibits in entrance of about 50 individuals, so to go from that to venues with over 1,000 capability was an insane step up,” explains guitarist and major songwriter Seth Lewis. “We had been additionally the one dying metallic band on the line-up, so to see crowds going nuts and having fun with our music was wonderful.”
Their current additions – guitarist Eli Hanson and drummer Trey Garris (brother of Knocked Free frontman Bryan) – solidified Gates To Hell’s ranks, they usually’ve recorded a brand new album, Loss of life Comes To All: 20 minutes of unrelenting brutality designed to propel them into the highlight.
“This was the primary time we sat down as a band and had a drummer write and flesh out their very own components, which we expect made a giant distinction,” admits Seth. “Having the ability to work with Randy LeBoeuf at Graphic Nature Audio additionally helped us really feel much more locked in.”
Impressed by myriad sources similar to Waking The Cadaver, Enemy Thoughts and Machine Head, Gates To Hell put on their influences on their collective sleeves.
“We’d all the time meet up and go to exhibits, so the hardcore scene grew to become very acquainted to us,” says Seth. “Eli introduced numerous concepts to the desk for the brand new album too, so meshing our kinds collectively assisted within the development of our sound. We wish individuals to listen to us and suppose, ‘Shit, this band goes arduous!’” Dan McHugh
Loss of life Comes To All is out now through Nuclear Blast. Gates To Hell play Louder Than Life and New England Steel & Hardcore pageant in September and tour the US from September 24. For the complete listing of dates, go to their official web site. The band additionally tour the UK with Sanguisugabogg, Celestial Sanctuary & Fulci in February 2026.
Sounds Like: An explosive mix of dying metallic and hardcore summoned straight from the Underworld
For Followers Of: Gatecreeper, Frozen Soul, Vomit Forth Pay attention To: Subsequent To Bleed
The Defect
Simply 18 months in the past, Moon McBee was a chef. Now, alongside her husband Jonny and drummer Brandon Funera (each members of electronicore outfit The Browning), she’s launched an album together with her industrial metallic band, The Defect, and toured the US.
Shaped final yr as Loss of life X Future – a reputation that’s been given to their debut album – The Defect had been born of Jonny’s want to separate The Browning’s heavier tracks from the extra melodic, synth-led music the band had dabbled in. As a debutant vocalist, Moon not solely needed to discover ways to sing, but additionally the right way to turn into an expert musician.
“Aside from singing within the automotive, I haven’t accomplished shit,” Moon admits with amusing. “I really feel like true musicians hear music in layers they usually hear completely different points of the music, whereas the typical client – which is what I got here into this as – hears it as an entire, so I’ve been having to discover ways to hear completely different components. It’s been sort of lots.”
On the trio’s debut album, Loss of life X Future, shimmering synths dance and intermingle with Moon’s alluring vocals, solely to present method to pounding riffs, guttural howls from Jonny and artillery-like drums. It’s an album of untamed extremes, undulating restlessly throughout 10 tracks. Songs like Damaged Minds and A Means Out are the yin to the yang of Immortal and Dreamwalker, highlighting The Defect’s potential to steadiness ethereal lightness with crushing darkness respectively.
However though the report was put collectively over the previous yr, The Defect aren’t taking it simpler now they’re established.
“I don’t know what number of beans I can spill but, however massive issues are coming,” Moon teases. “Excursions and festivals, some out of US stuff… Folks will probably be completely satisfied.” Jack Terry
Loss of life X Future is out now through Fixt.
Sounds Like: Androids dreaming of electrical sheep – with added neon
For Followers Of: The Browning, 9 Inch Nails, I See Stars
Pay attention To: Dreamwalker
King Kraken
“We used to rehearse in a music store, however we bought kicked out for being too loud,” laughs King Kraken singer Mark Donoghue. “I believe that’s a promising signal.”
King Kraken will not be a timid bunch. They’re a window-shaking, chest-thumping, riff-heavy metallic band and, for Mark, they’re a chance to forge a brand new profession. He’s bought many years of singing expertise, however apart from a short stint in an obscure rap metallic group known as Blackfly, he’s primarily carried out in cowl bands. With King Kraken, he can play his personal songs and, this time, there’s not a turntable scratch or outsized pair of denims in sight.
The brand new King Kraken album, March Of The Gods, showcases this fantastically. It’s a set of anthems steeped in heavy metallic custom however beefed up with trendy manufacturing. King Kraken have roots in stoner metallic however possess a vitality that their extra bleary-eyed contemporaries lack.
There are bowel-loosening basslines, chunky energy chords, and sufficient swagger to make this a vital gymnasium soundtrack for traditional metallic devotees. There’s a stunning quantity of variation within the lyrics, too. Berserker is an efficient previous Vikings-on-a-rampage rabble-rouser, however on the different finish of the spectrum there’s Hero, a tearjerking tribute to Mark’s father.
King Kraken have an emotional depth that stems from the data that life gained’t final ceaselessly.
“The older you get, you go to much less christenings and extra funerals,” Mark admits.
However this fatalistic outlook has a constructive aspect. Recognising that point was passing, he realised he wished to throw his vitality into King Kraken and, lastly, on the tender age of 52, it’s all coming collectively.
“For those who informed 20-year-old-me, ‘You’re going to play Stone Useless, you’re going to play Bloodstock…’ I’d have mentioned, ‘You’re joking!’ This can be a dream, and it’s completely insane. Tim Bolitho-Jones
March Of The Gods is out now. King Kraken help Phil Campbell And The Bastard Sons in Pontypridd and Narbeth in October.
Sounds Like: Axe-swinging, riff-heavy, massive refrain thunder metallic
For Followers Of: Clutch, Grand Magus, Metallica
Pay attention To: Berserker
Inhuman Nature
A denim-clad, Snake Plissken-like highway warrior slays the Grim Reaper with an enormous sword amid a Streets of Rage-style city riot on the duvet of Better Than Loss of life, the second album from UK thrashers Inhuman Nature.
It’s truthful to say the band’s tongues are planted firmly in-cheek. However like thrash forebears Nuclear Assault, the London-Hastings five-piece have critical undertones too, with themes on the ferocious 30-minute report protecting animal rights, Palestine, and the fascist risk.
“For those who don’t snort, you’ll cry,” says vocalist Chris Barling. On toeing that line between social ills and outrageous thrashing, Chris is eager to level out their music is enjoyable: “Servants of Annihilation — it is silly!” He says “I wished to jot down a dumb-but-good tune that is similar to: ‘Fuck yeah, we’re on tour.’”
Balancing mosh-friendly beer-soaked zeal with intricate musicianship and social consciousness, IN observe within the stomping boot-steps of bands like Energy Journey and Drain. Whereas crossover often hews within the route of high-energy hardcore or throwback thrash, Inhuman Nature dump their many influences – from dying to D-beat – in your head like a vat of acid.
They’ve been round since 2017 and launched their self-titled debut in 2019, however discovered themselves stored from the studio for almost 5 years because of tour affords with everybody from NY legends Cro-Mags to sludge pioneers Crowbar.
“It’s served us in the long term,” says bassist Daragh Markham. “After we bought to the studio, we had been so tight with one another, the influences actually coalesced – we’re assured and forceful now.”
Forceful is about proper. Album opener, Daybreak Of Inhuman Man, blasts out the gate with high-tempo violence. But each pitch and vibes shift instantly on Possessed To Die, with occasional squealing guitars and a lick that’s pure 80s Testomony. It’s chaotic, apocalyptic arse-kicking from starting to finish, worthy of the death-smashing mutant on the duvet. Tamlin Magee
Better Than Loss of life is out now through Church Highway
Sounds Like: A Put up-Armageddon pint-spilling circle pit
For Followers Of: Energy Journey, Morbid Saint, Nuclear Assault
Pay attention To: Possessed to Die
![Inhuman Nature - Possessed To Die [Official stream] - YouTube](https://img.youtube.com/vi/LTsTfGZnA0s/maxresdefault.jpg)
Cut up Chain
Bristolian ‘nu gaze’ quintet Cut up Chain shaped in 2023, when bassist Tom Davies was getting sober and located that he had much more free time on his fingers than he was snug with.
“Bert [Martinez-Cowles, vocalist] being the mate that he’s, determined he was going to assist me by it,” Tom remembers. “Bert and I had been simply watching skate movies, listening to music, and we determined to jot down a Superheaven tune for enjoyable. We wrote the 2 demos for Get Inside and Future and thought, ‘Fuck, that is really actually good!’”
Lyrically, their songs are deeply private. “I’m Not Dying To Be Right here is about coping with household, and being at such a poisonous and horrible level,” Bert says. “The purpose of the tune is that I’m not going to place myself by a lot to remain on this household… Do what it is advisable do to not be in dangerous locations.”
With its hazy bounce, I’m Not Dying… could be proper at dwelling on the Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater soundtrack, whereas Future injects extra nu metallic into washes of guitar. With their shimmering guitars and laconic vocals, Cut up Chain’s most blatant affect is undeniably Deftones, however there’s a definite grunge affect underpinning their music, and a canopy of Sort O Adverse’s I Don’t Wanna Be Me exhibits a love for wider cultural touchpoints of the 90s.
Following their preliminary clutch of singles, they’ve inked a cope with Epitaph Data for his or her debut album Motionblur, a report they describe as a “coming of age story”. Beginning as a approach to assist a pal keep sober, Cut up Chain have grown right into a ardour venture and homage to the end-of-the-century music and tradition they love. Will Marshall
Motionblur is out now through Epitaph. Cut up Chain tour the US with Thrown and 156/Silence from September 23 and help Landmvrks at The Roundhouse in London on December 7. For the complete listing of upcoming tour dates, go to their official web site.
Sounds Like: Booting up the PlayStation and being sucked into Tony Hawk’s Professional Skater
For Followers Of: Superheaven, Deftones, Detest
Pay attention To: I’m Not Dying To Be Right here
