Written By Kevin McSweeney
Seven Deadly Songs: The Best New Metal Tracks This Week
Welcome to Seven Deadly Songs, Metal Lair’s weekly feature in which we shine a light, or rather darkness visible (thank you, John Milton) on some of the week’s best new releases in the world of rock and metal, and highlight the songs that have us excited for them.
We have big news this week regarding notable new albums from high-profile artists, particularly in the form of Live in Tokyo, 2010, which captures the magic of prog icons Dream Theater in concert, and Into Oblivion, the tenth full-length studio album from groove metal gurus Lamb of God.
There’s also the return of Swiss rock royalty in the form of the legendary Gotthard, with their new EP More Stereo Crush, following on from last year’s album Stereo Crush.
The excitement for these releases among their faithful fans is palpable already, so as ever, we turn to the artists who might not be getting anywhere near as much exposure, but whose output is no less notable in our eyes, So, with that in mind, here’s this week’s list.
Bad Marriage – Match Made in Hell
We begin this week with a deafening crack of “thunderous rock ‘n’ roll swagger” courtesy of Boston band Bad Marriage.
Their brand of bluesy hard rock will “…come out of the gutter swinging” – I’m quoting from their website’s bio, by the way – on March 13th in the form of their third full-length album, Match Made in Hell, through RFK Media.
The title track is a bluesy, ballsy blast of old-school hard rock attitude that will delight fans of Buckcherry, The Darkness and the Backstreet Symphony of British legends Thunder. (Yes, I know The Darkness are also British. Don’t come at me!) I love how the title of the track and album ties in with the band’s name. I appreciate consistency from artists.
Bound in Fear – Headcase
We turn now to the leafy and palatial suburbs of South-East England for some of the most brutal deathcore you’ll hear all year.
British brutality merchants Bound in Fear are set to release A Mind Too Sick to Heal, which is their third full-length album, via Unique Leader on March 13th.
It’s an album that finds the fearsome fivesome from Farnham in Surrey in eviscerating form, judging by the ferocity of Headcase.
The accompanying video is like a mini horror movie, and is every bit as unsettling as the track itself, which perfectly represents the tempestuous psychological maladies it seeks to illustrate.
Make sure you subject yourself to the madness, and prepare to be thoroughly BIF-ed.
Fangus – Pyre of Love
It’s nearly St Patrick’s Day, so it’s the perfect time for an Emerald Dream.
As the luck of the Irish (or French Canadians, as the case may be) would have it, that happens to be the title of the forthcoming new full-length album by Montreal monsieurs Fangus, which is a band name that caused me to chuckle for longer than it probably should have.
The album, which I believe is their debut full-length effort, will be available from March 13th via From The Urn, and features some heavy psychedelic grooviness of the most gratifying kind.
Their aesthetic is certainly striking, with the band looking like they’ve teleported here from the 1970s, and their sound is every bit as vintage.
Black Sabbath might be an obvious comparison, though they’re perhaps more like Deep Purple or even Yes, with their casual disregard for conventional time signatures, and “Chub’s” impressive organ throbbing away beneath those bluesy riffs.
Mascara – Nerium
I’m going to assume this French “alt-gaze” outfit is named after the Deftones song of the same name and not the cosmetic product used to enhance eyelashes.
I’m not sure how I’d feel about bands being named after make up, and these guys definitely sound like they’re influenced by Chino Moreno and Co.
The Parisians are set to enthrall us all with the “reverb-drenched soundscapes” thus eulogised on their Instagram page on March 13th, when they release their debut full-length album, Going Postal, via Fever Ltd.
They evoke the same sense of darkened dreaminess as the Sacramento legends, with an added element of quintessentially French ennui. I can’t even say that word without sounding like Officer Crabtree. If you know, you know.
Monstrosity – The Colossal Rage
Ah! Floridian death metal! Don’t you just love it? This exhilarating blast of brutality comes lunging out of the muggy swamps to tear you face off, and its rage is colossal indeed!
The legendary Fort Lauderdale/Tampa-based band have been around since the early 1990s and deserve to be recognised alongside Obituary, Morbid Angel and Deicide as among the finest the dark side of the Sunshine State has ever produced.
Their seventh full-length album, Screams From Beneath The Surface, will be released on March 13th via Metal Blade Records, and we strongly recommend that you check it out, otherwise you’ll be dragged kicking and screaming into the Everglades and fed to the alligators. You’ll be screaming beneath the surface then, right enough!
Tragos – Narcissus Vortex
It’s going to be difficult to explain the amusement that this particular entry has aroused in me.
It’s not the title of the forthcoming debut album from these death metal dudes that does it, though Beavis and Butthead would have made much mirth out of Bellicum, (which is available from March 13th via Fetzner Death Records.)
It’s also not the fact that their vocalist goes by the name of Kev Boomer, which actually causes me some consternation. (I myself am not a boomer! And it’s Kevin, not Kev!)
It’s the fact that “Tragos” as it’s colloquially known, is something of an institution in my neck of the woods, just across the water from the band’s Normandy home.
None of this should distract from the fact that this is an empathic opening statement from the mythology-fixated Frenchmen. Tragos means “he-goat” in Greek, apparently. One can only fear for the peacocks.
Wolfbastard – Satanic Scum Punks
Let’s wrap things up with some crusty black metal from Blighty, courtesy of Manchester’s men of mirth and menace, the mighty Wolfbastard.
We’ve gone with the title track of their forthcoming fourth full-length album, which is due to be released on March 13th via Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings, as it perfectly captures their enthralling blend of fury and frivolity.
They sound like an ungodly hybrid of Darkthrone and Discharge, with a more generous helping of the Macc Lads than is necessarily advisable.
If you don’t remember The Macc Lads, for God’s sake don’t Google them. Just know that there has seldom been a more tender and poignant love song than Sweaty Betty, and we’ll leave it at that. See you in seven for another seven.
Artwork for Metal Lair’s Seven Deadly Songs, where riffs fall like judgment.
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Seven Deadly Songs is A Metal Lair™ Original Series
SEVEN DEADLY SONGS Q&A
Q: What is Seven Deadly Songs?
A: Seven Deadly Songs is Metal Lair’s weekly roundup of the heaviest new releases across the full metal spectrum. Each week we spotlight seven standout tracks you shouldn’t miss.
Q: When does Seven Deadly Songs update?
A: We post a new edition every Friday, typically highlighting weekly new releases.
Q: Where can I find the best new metal songs?
A: Right here. Seven Deadly Songs is your go-to source for discovering the latest metal tracks including fresh black, death, thrash, doom, and speed metal releases, all curated in one place.
Q: How can I listen to the songs featured?
A: Every featured track links out to the artist’s official release, streaming platform, or label page so you can dive deeper and support the bands directly.
Q: Does Metal Lair have other weekly series?
A: Absolutely, Try:
- Deep Cuts – Hidden gems and lost recordings from rock and metal history.
- Metalhead Horoscopes – Weekly forecasts laced with riffs, attitude, and a lucky song for every sign.
- World Metal Weekly – A global passport through the underground, one country at a time.
- Women in Metal – A series celebrating the voices, pioneers, and rule-breakers reshaping heavy music’s DNA.
- Ministry of Metal – A satirical authority devoted to the laws, rituals, and unspoken rules of heavy music. Features proclamations, decrees, cultural edicts, metal lore, and an original comic book series, all delivered with humor and bite.
- Metal Legacy Profiles – Deep dive essays honoring artists who shaped metal’s sound, culture, and philosophy. These aren’t timelines or greatest-hits lists, but examinations of impact, conflict, evolution, and what each figure left behind.
- Road Riffs: Metal On The Map – We take metal beyond the speakers and onto the highway, exploring legendary venues, scene-defining cities, historic landmarks, local haunts, and travel stops tied to real
metal scenes around the world that every metalhead should experience.
About The Author
Kevin McSweeney is Metal Lair’s resident scribe of the underground, eternally rummaging through the global metal scene for riffs worth your time.
As the guiding hand behind Seven Deadly Songs every Friday, he has an uncanny knack for finding the track you didn’t know you needed, usually before finishing his pint.
Equal parts loyal, kind, and quietly razor-witted, Kevin brings deep knowledge, impeccable taste, and a steady, reliable presence to Metal Lair.
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