Let there be metal! Have a look to see who made Metal Mix Tape 18:
Canberra rock heavyweights Hands Like Houses have teamed up with post-hardcore icons Dream on Dreamer on new single Warning Signs, out now via Civilians. The new track arrives as both bands get ready to hit the road together on The Lótus Tour this April – tickets on sale now.
Warning Signs is about recognising emotional burnout before it becomes impossible to ignore, and captures the feeling of drifting through life on autopilot, missing the signals that something is wrong while anxiety bubbles beneath the surface. It’s about appearing okay on the outside and quietly suffering on the inside, where exhaustion, numbness and overthinking take hold.
“We were stoked to work on this track with Dream on Dreamer,” says Hands Like Houses bassist Joel Tyrell. “Their guitarist, Callan, is a very close friend of ours and he has produced a lot of our music. And we have known the guys since they took us on our first tour of Australia in 2011… crazy. It felt like a great time to celebrate our upcoming tour and the fact we are still touring, creating and loving music.”
Everyone’s favourite punk agitators, Drug Church, have returned with a brand new single Pynch out now via Pure Noise Records. The song is the first taste of new music from the band since the release of their acclaimed 2024 full-length PRUDE (which drew praise from the likes of The New York Times, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, Stereogum, NPR, BrooklynVegan, Revolver Magazine, and many more) and it’s well worth the wait.
Pynch is a tremendous dose of the anthemic hardcore-infused alt rock that Drug Church truly excel at, building off the muscular musicality of PRUDE as well as vocalist Patrick Kindlon’s signature tightrope walk between irreverence and profundity. “It’s as close as we’ve ever come to a love song,” he says, “This one is about meeting someone who won’t allow you to be a loser forever.”
Hollywood Undead release new single 1×1 via Sumerian Records. The track is built around a sample of the legendary riff from Slayer’s Raining Blood and arrives as the band carries the momentum of a massive 2025 straight into a spring and summer festival circuit spanning North America and Europe.
1×1 makes no apology for what it is. Built on hard-pounding beats and the unmistakable bones of one of metal’s most revered tracks, it finds Hollywood Undead in full victory-lap mode, the chorus landing like a verdict: one by one they fall, let the reaper take them all. The band has spent seventeen years earning the right to talk like this, and the numbers back it up. With over 3.2 billion cross-platform streams and 4.1 million monthly Spotify listeners, 1×1 is the natural evolution of a band that knows exactly where they stand.
Matt Good (Skrillex and The Haunt), handles production. The nu-metalesque beats lay the foundation, the slowed down Raining Blood riff builds the vibe and the punchy rap verses build to a huge chorus to create an undeniable banger, the likes of which Hollywood Undead have spent nearly two decades perfecting.
Speaking on the release, Hollywood Undead share
“This song is about resilience. People are always going to doubt you or try to bring you down, but the point is getting back up every time and reminding them you’re still here, and that you can’t be replaced.”
Metal outfit Melting, self-described as sonic aggression made in Melbourne, make their return with their violent new single Glare, out everywhere via Greyscale Records.
Glare is a full-throttle onslaught, underpinned by a driving groove that keeps it locked in for the live setting. Every part of the track is built to pack a punch, creating a constant barrage of momentum that’s undeniably designed to land in rooms packed with energy and people. The song will be launched live on Saturday 17th April, supporting Starve at The Workers Club in Melbourne. Tickets are free via RSVP here.
Lyrically written prior to the band’s formation, Glare stands as one of their most visceral releases to date. The track explores the long-lasting psychological impact of abuse, tracing the lingering trauma and paranoia that can persist even after distancing. “I’ve witnessed it in the lives of those closest to me, and I’ve experienced it myself,” says vocalist Xavier Morris. “An all consuming fear that can be instilled by the most heinous of acts, down to a simple glare.”
The release of Glare follows a breakout year for the band, whose debut EP You Exist Because We Allow It marked an impressive introduction. “This first year of You Exist Because We Allow It has been absolutely nuts,” says the band. “It’s hard to put into words how full on it has been. All we know is that we are so grateful to have done all the things we have already done in such a short period of time. Camp Melting is firing on all cylinders, and that’s a nice feeling, especially with so much coming up!”
Alt-metal powerhouse BLVD OF EYES are proud to announce the release of their latest music video for the hard-hitting single, We Are Human.
Bringing together a raw, industrial grit with soaring melodic hooks, the track serves as a visceral anthem for a world seeking connection.
More than just a performance piece, the video for We Are Human is a tribute to the band’s growing global community. It features a curated collection of fan-submitted photographs, weaving a tapestry of faces and stories from around the world into the song’s narrative fabric.
To complement the personal fan imagery, the video showcases explosive live footage captured during the band’s recent tour of Australia, capturing the high-energy stage presence that has become their trademark.
Boundaries return with Skies cast amber black, their first new music since 2024’s Death Is Little More, and a track that channels the current cultural climate into a crushing, cinematic storm. “I have a deep desire in the pit of my making to surround and suffocate the growing plague of people’s self-interest,” vocalist Matthew McDougal says of the Drew Fulk produced track.
“Given the chance, I’d remove every ego from the music landscape and burn it off for fuel to power blood hungry behemoths whose only goal is to crush and disable. This song is my plea to cleanse a community I adore of people who see it only as an opportunity or a stepping stone.”
Last month, Sylosis released their career-defining record The New Flesh. The album is a towering testament to destructive riffing, incisive melody and refined brute force. The band’s seventh full-length offering is a powerful showcase for the state of Sylosis in 2026: lethal, uncompromising, and avowedly metal as all hell.
SYLOSIS Commented: “All Glory, No Valour is a collective favourite from The New Flesh. Since the early demos, the song always stood out as one of the most aggressive that the band has ever put together. Instead of a standard video, we agreed that releasing a live version of it at some point would be best so listeners could really connect with the energy of the track. Filmed at our biggest headline show to date at London’s O2 Forum in Kentish Town, this video really captures the essence of our live performance. Catch us live across North America over the next couple of months with Bleed From Within and across UK & Europe early next year with Whitechapel. We’ll see you soon.”
Hard rock band Catch Your Breath share their latest single Blood Money via Thriller Records. The track arrives with an official music video, streaming now on YouTube. Fueled by defiance and hard won clarity, Blood Money takes aim at people who try to claim ownership over someone else’s struggle.
Vocalist Josh Mowery shares: “You can’t take what was never yours. ‘Blood Money’ is for anyone who’s been pushed to the edge by the people who tried to own them. We’re done staying quiet while you profit off our pain. See you at the throne.”
Have you ever felt like everything you gave was taken for granted while someone else profited from your pain? With Blood Money, Catch Your Breath step into a darker and more confrontational space, built around the moment when you see that truth and decide you won’t let it happen again. From there comes the decision to stop shrinking, stand up for yourself, and refuse to let anyone keep benefiting from something that was never theirs to claim.
It’s a double dose of brand new music from Hunnu Rock pioneers The Hu.
The global phenomenon deliver The Men which is accompanied by an official music video, alongside Warrior Chant, both out now via Better Noise Music.
Traditional Mongolian strings herald the arrival of The Men. This organic swell gives way to a gritty and gruff groove-laden riff topped off with hypnotic vocals. The band’s signature hybrid of indigenous instrumentation, heavy-as-a-2×4 guitars, and transfixing tribal chanting makes for another essential anthem from The Hu. It’s tailor-made for an epic battle scene, climax of your favorite video game, or workout session. At the same time, it’s evocative of the musicians’ own tradition and heritage.
About The Men, Galaa commented, “‘The Men’ is written based on Mongolian philosophy of ‘Man’s Inner Spirit’ or ‘Хийморь’ and the importance of inner strength and kindness of a man to the world. Energy of men should always be reinforced with positiveness, strength and generosity, so this song try to encapsulate that ancient wisdom and share to the rest of humanity. Lyrics are chants that guides young and old men alike to be headstrong and to have dream that cultivate goodness. We only wanted to focus on the positives that can make a man ponder about who he is in this world and wonder about how he can have positive inner spirit when listening to it. Hope our fans will be able to capture every fiber of Mongolian Man’s way of living through this song.”
Then, there’s Warrior Chant. It lives up to its title with a hard-charging chorus and a tight and taut metallic soundscape. Between the horse head fiddle and instantly recognizable delivery, it immediately amplifies everything that fans have fallen in love with about the band in the first place.
Regarding Warrior Chant, Galaa added, “‘Warrior Chant’ has our signature rhythm that our fans fell in love with and everyone who will listen and know us will say that it is ‘our song.’ Our third album has bit of everything, rhythm-wise, and we see that as a progress of expanding the Hunnu Rock genre… Enkush and I focused on horse head fiddle solos by imitating the horse gait and you will hear the rhythm throughout the song.”
Melbourne-based progressive rock project Fleeting Joy has unveiled debut single, Unravel, featuring Amariah Cook of Future Static. The debut is an energetic and chugging introduction to the collaborative vision of songwriter, guitarist and creative mastermind Jordan Lalchand.
Blending progressive rock, metalcore and alternative influences into something cohesive, Unravel tackles the weight of carrying other people’s burdens and the messy process of detaching from unhealthy bonds. Mixed and mastered by Sam Bianco (divedown, Saving Face, Fever Shack), the new song is driven by dynamic shifts, punchy guitar riffs and showcases Amariah as a fierce collaborator.
Alongside Amariah, the track also features drums from London Hudson of Return To Dust and Scratchcard Inc., bringing together a group of musicians who elevate Lalchand’s expansive songwriting. The track comes equipped with a music video, watch it here.
Fleeting Joy is the brainchild of Melbourne guitar aficionado, Jordan Lalchand. Rather than operating as a traditional band with fixed members, the project is built around collaboration, bringing together a rotating cast of artists to explore the corners of alternative music with immersive soundscapes and wandering riffs. What began around 2019–2020 has grown into an evolving creative outlet centred on writing powerful music and connecting with like-minded artists.
Iconic Bay Area thrash band TESTAMENT has announced the upcoming remastered reissue of their coveted 1989 album, Practice What You Preach, on May 8th via Nuclear Blast Records.
The Practice What You Preach (2026 Remaster) reissue was remastered by Justin Shturtz at Sterling Sound. It will be available digitally and 180G vinyl on Yellow and Orange Swirl with Black Splatter (limited to 1250 worldwide) and is packaged with brand new artwork from Bill Benson (who also designed the original cover art), a 20pg booklet showcasing old photos and documents provided by Chuck Billy and Eric Peterson of the band and newly provided liner notes.
Commenting on the reissue, Chuck Billy says:
“I am stoked about the remastered Practice what you Preach release with Nuclear Blast. With new artwork and Bigger sound than the original. Drop the needle and bang your head!!”
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