I didn’t set out to create a heavy Five Songs You Must Hear list for this week. It’s just sorta…happened.
1. Gorillaz feat. IDLES, The God of Lying
The Mountain (Kong)
Recommended If You Like: Getting way ahead of everyone
We’ll start slowly. As 2025 winds down, word of 2026 releases is ramping up. Gorillaz are already laying the groundwork for their next album, which is set for release on March 20. This is the second advance single. Nice job by IDLES’ Joe Talbot on vocals. Sparks, Johnny Marr, and Paul Simonon will also appear on the record.
2. BAND-MAID, Present Perfect
SCOOOOOP EP (Pony Canyon)
RIYL: Awesome female-led metal
Taking it up a notch, there is an astounding scene in Japan featuring all-female metal bands. Yes, there’s BABYMETAL, but there are so many other terrific groups. BAND-MAID is one of them. Formed in 2013, they have seven full albums and a selection of EPs, this being the most recent. Damn, these women can play. Highly recommended.
3. Pupil Slicer, Nomad
Fleshwork (Prosthetic Records)
RIYL: Mathcore done really, really well
Here we go. Now that you’ve warned up with some Japanese metal, let’s try some British mathcore. Pupil Slicer (how’s that for an evocative name?) is a trio from London who have been turning heads for the last four years. Q: How many distortion pedals does a band need? A: More. Always more.
4. Reckless Eden, Toxic
Single (Hopeless Records)
RIYL: Cooking competitions. Stay with me on this.
My, but this is a heavy edition of this column, isn’t it? Next up with have this American band with a lead singer—his name is Alex Belew–who is also a professional chef. In fact, he was the winner of season 21 Hell’s Kitchen and also owns a group of restaurants. If you love bands like Three Days Grace, Shinedown, and tough-to-execute fine dining recipes, you need to get on board here. Hey, Matty Mattson! Call up these guys and arrange a tour with your hardcore band, Pigpen.
5. Penan Brae, It Ain’t Perfect But It’s Free
Paint (Independent)
RIYL: Modern Canadian classic rock (if that makes sense)
Okay, let’s bring it down just a bit. Vancouver’s Penan Brae loves his 70s and 80s hard rock. This new album features seven classic rock-influenced songs featuring drummer Steve Ferrone who was a member of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for decades. He also worked with Eric Clapton, Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Mick Jagger, and a ton of others. This is the first single off the album.
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