At the end of 2025, UK crossover act Premier Jester released ‘Slow Dance’, an absolutely crushing single that took a metalcore sound into more interesting places. The track’s hard edges really made a statement, and the choice of melodic chorus helped to make an insanely heavy number seem surprisingly catchy. With a perfect production value for the style and an overflowing of confidence on display, it was hard to believe the band could deliver such a well rounded, great sounding track considering they’d only formed just a few months together.

Kicking off 2026, ‘Pac-ed Out’, accentuates the electronica elements of the band a little more – firstly via an atmospheric, heavily filtered intro, and then with the help of a hard edged pre-chorus loaded with dance beats – and this time around, this sets the band a little further apart from their closest peers. Lovers of the band’s metalcore blasts aren’t short changed, of course, and there are some absolutely brutal breakdowns to be found here, with Premier Jester really pushing their pneumatic edges, coupled with an insane hardcore vocal courtesy of harsh vocalist Jimmy Martin, who sounds awesome when going head to head with Jonah Pritchard’s unrelenting guitar riffs.

In terms of something a touch more accessible, the chorus is huge. A brilliant showcase for the synths, beats and clean vocals from Joe Yates (“clean” but hidden under a world of filters), the melody calls back to early Linkin Park, but serves up something that isn’t just much bigger sounding, but also comes with a massive alt-pop hook that contrasts the band’s heavier excesses perfectly.

In short, this is a great track. For those who’ve been following Premier Jester’s early progress, ‘Pac-ed Out’ is likely to be an instant hit. It definitely takes the band’s crossover sound to the next level and confirms they’ll be an act that’ll make a mark on the alternative/metal underground during 2026.

Check out the new video below.