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Over the past few weeks it's been a bit quiet here at The Soundcheck with some personal things to tend to behind the scenes. So in lieu of the regular weekly new releases article we've been featuring of late, this week we're spotlighting five of the best new releases since we've been gone to carry you into the weekend - and beyond!
This week we dive into the new track from beloved Sydney genre mutants RedHook, plus we check out the spicy new track from metalcore mavericks Make Them Suffer, the stunning new album from Sydney alternative luminaries Yours Truly, the blistering new single from Melbourne's Void Of Vision, and the powerhouse standalone new track from Ukrainian progressive metal icons Jinjer.
RedHook - Pyromaniac (Single)
If you thought 2023 was a huge year for Sydney heavy shapeshifters RedHook (because let's face it...it was), the past week alone has been huge for the quartet; and things sure as hell ain't quieting down any time soon.
Last week, RedHook ticked off a hotly-anticipated appearance on triple j's Like A Version, spinning some horn-soaked goodness on Tate McCrae's track Greedy, also coinciding with the announcement of their sophomore album Mutation which will officially drop on Friday 22 November. Currently also on the road as part of their Breaking Up With Australian Tour, RedHook have also recently gone and dropped a brand new pearler. Joining previous singles Tourist, Breaking Up With and the spicy Cannibal feat. Alpha Wolf, RedHook unleashed the brand newie Pyromaniac; a hip-hop-meets-soaring-stadium earworm that brings some gleefully macabre hues to some sparkling metalcore, all dexterously helmed as per usual by RedHook's vibrant and curated sonic pandemonium.
"'Pyromaniac' is a song about making an urgent decision to get professional help with your mental health. It soundtracks this brutally catalytic moment - standing alone in the wreckage of your past mistakes and desperately resolving to change before it kills you. To figure out the root of your self-destructive patterns so you can finally break them. It's about reflecting on every bridge you've ever burnt and asking for help to figure out how to not burn anymore." - Emmy Mack, RedHook vocalist.
Pyromaniac is out now. Watch the music video here.
Mutation is due out November 22 via Adventure Cat Records.
For more RedHook info, head here.
Make Them Suffer - Oscillator (Single) It's been a wild couple of years for Perth-hailing metalcore act Make Them Suffer. But in the ultimate act of turning lemons into some extremely sharp and searing lemonade, the group are now primed to release their new self-titled album on November 8, and this very hotly-anticipated album is already shaping up to be something genuinely spectacular.
Having showcased what's to come via previous singles Doomswitch, Ghost Of Me and Epitaph, MTS most recently flexed their insatiable creative muscles via the single Oscillator, with the latest offering showcasing Make Them Suffer's focused evolution without sacrificing the sonic road that led to their current successes. Also filled with the group's trademark thought-provoking lyricism and a riff also reminiscent of their first track released with new member Alex Reade, 2022's Doomswitch, all metalcore ears and Make Them Suffer fans across the globe are undeniably primed and eagerly awaiting the final full album come early November. Make Them Suffer are abundantly ready to announce themselves to the world once again, and Oscillator is a fantastic addition as we play the waiting game until the self-titled full length is finally unveiled.
"Oscillator is more than just a song about screen addiction; it delves into the profound impact this addiction has on mental health," the band shares of their latest single. "As we become more reliant on this constant source of stimulation, our baseline joy and excitement for life in general becomes lowered. I believe we are currently facing a mental health crisis, largely attributable to screen addiction." - Make Them Suffer
Oscillator is out now. Watch the music video here.
Make Them Suffer is due out November 8 via Greyscale Records & SharpTone Records.
For more Make Them Suffer info, head here.
Yours Truly - TOXIC (Album)
Yours Truly have always been a band easy to love. From their ARIA Award-nominated 2020 debut album Self Care through to their evolutionary 2022 EP is this what i look like?, the trio have become in exceedingly hot demand internationally thanks largely to their effervescent live performances and the compelling vulnerability and power of vocalist Mikaila Delgado. And in 2024, the band's star has risen to even greater heights via their recent sophomore album release: the lethal yet endlessly endearing TOXIC which dropped on August 16.
Marking both a new era sonically for the band as well as cementing their firm grip on their own sonic identities, TOXIC is Yours Truly bigger and better than ever, in every possible way. Sure, there's still moments of pop, rock and alternative flourishes lying in wait; but what truly stands out is the addition of darker punk stylings, dance-ready hooks, razor-sharp maturity and the undisputed paramount vocal turn from Delgado as she pours her heart across every lyrical facet, seamlessly threading themes of anger, desperation, sadness, exhaustion and, ultimately: acceptance.
“The music is darker. I think we have always been a band who has been about being fast and upbeat. The music on this record, even though it still is fast and fun at times, you can hear the challenges through the tone of the songs. It is about a bunch of toxic things and toxic relationships that we did endure during those times. It’s almost showing you what those relationships are like: one second, they’re really good, bouncy and fun. The next minute, they’re not good; they’re dark, they’re challenging. The chaos of a toxic-natured relationship or friendship, or situation in your life, I wanted to show that through the track listing as well.” - Mikaila Delgado, Yours Truly vocalist
TOXIC is out now via UNFD.
For more Yours Truly info, head here.
Void Of Vision - Blood For Blood (Single) For many, the music industry and life itself can indeed feel like one big bloodsport. And one artist who has certainly traversed his fair share of professional and personal struggles of late is none other than Void Of Vision vocalist Jack Bergin, with Bergin recently thrust into a harrowing near-death experience and resulting health journey following the discovery and rupturing of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in his brain.
Bergin's long road, persevering with Void Of Vision's commitments and rigorous schedule, would inevitably go on to shape the end result of the band's upcoming new album What I'll Leave Behind, due out on September 20. And, most recently, the specific uphill battle that Bergin and the band faced while losing support, friends and sanity as Bergin went off the map to face his health issues was captured in the single Blood For Blood; a raging heavy masterpiece that welds electronic influences alongside metalcore savagery.
"I entered a phase viewing music as a literal bloodsport. We were losing close friends to suicide, dealing with our own mental health struggles internally, and losing support from those around us all as I was completely off the map dealing with my own health issues. Everything was an uphill battle and I had to tackle it while navigating through the criticism and unwanted feedback from an overprivileged 'fanbase' who seem to care more about the drama than they ever did about the music alone. The modern-day pressures of sustaining a career in music while honouring our creative processes and maintaining our well-being practices are becoming harder and harder as how we consume art continuously shifts, but I really don't think people who DON'T create will ever understand that." - Jack Bergin, Void Of Vision vocalist.
Blood For Blood is out now. Watch the visualiser here.
What I'll Leave Behind is due out September 20 via UNFD.
For more Void Of Vision info, head here.
Jinjer - Someone's Daughter (Single) Quick non-music fact before we dive in here: Jinjer actually hail from the same city in the Ukraine that my own maternal family does, an industrial Eastern city called Donetsk. Plus, my namesake is Tatiana but my mum thought that might be a bit too much for Australian's in the late 80s, so we switched to the shortened "Tiana". Fortunately, Jinjer vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk is doing the original name extremely proud, and most recently the progressive metal quartet swung in with a surprise battering ram, sneak dropping a brand new track Someone's Daughter.
One of the best things about Jinjer is the fact that you can't ever quite predict what you'll get when they unleash new material, and Someone's Daughter is further proof that this band have perfected their own unique pocket of the heavy world without sacrificing all the chugs, guttural vocals and creative intricacy that fans of the overarching genre know and love. But Someone's Daughter isn't just another blisterning slice from the Ukrainian group; it also brandishes an incredibly powerful feminist narrative, speaking on both those who have blazed the trails for the modern generation and the resilience of women as a whole, with the accompanying video featuring Shmayluk donning personas of various female historical icons including Cleopatra and Marie Curie.
"In a world where women are often underestimated and overlooked, they are still powerful heroes who navigate hardship with strength and resilience, unapologetically becoming themselves and breaking barriers in the face of the challenges that face them. Someone's Daughter' celebrates transition from naivety into wisdom, weakness into force, unwavering determination and fearlessness as our mothers, sisters, daughters and wives walk through adversity and fight for better change. These women are often forgotten but they have earned respect. They've earned mine, that's for sure!" - Jinjer
Someone's Daughter is out now. Watch the music video here.
For more Jinjer info, head here.
BY TIANA SPETER