Written By Kevin McSweeney
Welcome to Metal Lair’s Seven Deadly Songs August 22 2025. Metal Lair’s weekly feature in which we bring the heavy, courtesy of your old pal Kevvy! (On a serious note, please don’t call me Kevvy.) This week, we’ve leaned distinctly in the direction of one particular subgenre; we’ve gone with a 4/3 split between Europe and America, and we’ve got a couple of Athenian bands in what might actually be the best Greek pairing since olives and feta cheese. We hope you enjoy our selections, and it’d be really helpful if you happen to like thrash!
Benefactor Decease – Archbishops of Death
We get things in motion this week, like an Aristotelian Prime Mover, with some classic thrash metal from Greece, courtesy of the oddly-named but amazing Benefactor Decease, who are to release their second full-length album via Xtreem Music on August 21st. The album is called Abnormal Attachments, and haven’t we all got some of those? No? Just me then? Moving on! Their philosophy is to keep it old-school, or even ancient academy if you will, serving up fast, abrasive metal featuring a solo to fry the sturdiest of facial features. I love the fact that the production sounds a bit ropey. It adds an air of authenticity to what might just be a modern classic.
Crowne – Timing is Right
This is Swedish power metal at its very best: bold, anthemic and lots of fun, with some serious technical chops on display. Also, it is infused with the melodic sensibilities that make that nation’s pop music so well loved around the world, but it still absolutely rocks. It deals in superb synth-led silliness and is absolutely unrepentant about the fact. The solo is spectacular too. Timing is Right is taken from Crowne’s third full-length album, Wonderland, which is available on August 22nd thanks to Frontiers Records. If the rest of the album is on par with this little beauty, it’ll be full of wonders indeed.
Gunslinger – Amped Up
Ipswich is known more for its tractor boys than its cowboys, if the truth be known, so it’s strange to find a band from there called Gunslinger. They share a hometown with The Darkness, so that’s a lot to live up to. Having said that, they also share a hometown with Ed Sheeran, so forget I spoke. Amped Up is the title track from the British trio’s forthcoming second album, released via Cleopatra Records on August 23rd. The previous album, Earthquake in E Minor, was released in 2008. On this track at least, they sound like Motorhead during their slower, more bluesy moments. Let’s hope they don’t leave it 17 years until they release their third album.
HÖG – Blackhole
Apparently, it’s a Swedish word meaning tall. There was me thinking they’d called themselves HÖG and stuck an umlaut over the O to make it look cool. Anyway, this is the title track from the debut album by the trio from Portland, Oregon, who play: “dark, heavy, grimy rock,” according to their Bandcamp page. It sounds like stoner metal to me, bearing a strong resemblance as it does to the legendary Kyuss. The album is available as of August 22nd, courtesy of RidingEasy Records, and according to founding member Daniel, it bears a sound that is representative of: “The dirty bleakness that Portland embodies most of the year.” How’s that for civic pride?
Medieval Demon – Archaic Sacrificial Rites
Here we have our second Greek offering this week, this time in the form of black metal from Athens courtesy of Medieval Demon. The Greeks seem to have a penchant for this particular subgenre that has its roots in the permafrost of Scandinavia, which puzzles me. How on Earth do they stop their corpse paint running in that intense Mediterranean heat? It must be dark magic. Speaking of which, Archaic Sacrificial Rites is taken from All Powers of Darkness, the fifth full-length album from the Athenians. Which is due to be released on August 22nd, courtesy of Hell’s Headbangers Records. One thing is for sure: they are certainly putting the Hell in Hellenic with this ungodly offering.
Sadistic Force – Strike After Strike
Ye Gods! That drum intro! As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a sucker for a song with good percussive preliminaries, and this is right up there with Sepultura’s Territory and Judas Priest’s Painkiller. It’s a beautiful barrage of crashes, bangs and wallops. Beyond that, what we have here is essentially old school thrash metal with blackened vocals and the occasional foray into tremolo picking and blast beats. And what is not to love? This track is taken from Morbid Odyssey (Greek again!) – the forthcoming EP from the Texan thrashers, which they will release independently on August 22nd. There’s quite a bit of thrash on this week’s list, for which I make no apologies. I’m even going to close with some!
Vindicator – Thirst For Violence
And we might just have saved the thrashiest stuff for last! Ohio’s Vindicator are due to release Whispers of Death, their fifth full-length album, independently on August 22nd, and it’s going to be an intense affair if Thirst For Violence is anything to go by. The intro reminds me a little of Indians by Anthrax, though the lead vocals are more John Tardy than Joey Belladonna. The gang-style chanting on the chorus is pure NYHC. That aside, it’s heads-down, balls-out, see-you-on-the-other-side thrash metal, and no remorse is shown for it, and nor should there be, hence the chant of “no remorse” at the end. Probably. And neither do I feel any remorse for making it such a thrash-heavy list this week. I’ll make it all pop music for you next week, folks!
FAQ – Seven Deadly Songs
Q: What is Seven Deadly Songs?
A: Seven Deadly Songs is Metal Lair’s weekly feature that highlights seven of the best new rock and metal tracks released each week.
Q: Which bands are featured in this week’s Seven Deadly Songs?
A: This edition of Seven Deadly Songs features Dewichor, Cruel Bomb, Hammer King, Haunt, Incite, Justice for The Damned, and Mono Inc.
Q: When were these songs released?
A: The songs in this week’s Seven Deadly Songs were released between August 11th and August 17th, 2025.
Q: How often is Seven Deadly Songs updated?
A: Seven Deadly Songs is updated every week with new tracks across metal’s many subgenres.
Q: Where can I find past editions of Seven Deadly Songs?
A: Past editions can be found in the Metal Lair archives or linked directly in each week’s feature.
Missed last weeks Seven Deadly Songs list? Find it here.
