Back in 2012, five years after forming, Belgian metal crew X-POZED finally released their debut album. ‘Essence of Hope’ shared some strong material. For those who’d missed their earlier self-released EP, it was the kind of record that provided a strong musical introduction, with a couple of tracks that could certainly be cherry picked to show their range.
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Check out ‘Grind’, the new video from Zygnema
When thinking of groove metal, it’s easy to think of the standard tropes: huge riffs and grinding tones, often coupled with a growled vocal. Often, the results fall into a sound that draws from ‘Far Beyond Driven’ era Pantera, and ‘Ashes of The Wake’ era Lamb of God. Whenever bands borrow from these sources, the results are always impressive – despite Phil Anselmo’s insistence on ruining Pantera’s legacy in a number of ways – but once in a while, a groove metal band will come along who are just a little more interesting.
Listen: Revolution Rabbit Deluxe share angry new single ‘Tim Gurner Says’
Revolution Rabbit Deluxe’s 2023 album ‘Control Freaks’ mixed rock, pop and politics in such a way it was impossible to ignore the influence of the younger Nicky Wire and Richey James Edwards. With sloganeering messages and a very 90s sound, tracks like ‘G7 Countdown’ blended the vitriol of the early Manics with the busy rhythms of the baggy movement; ‘Head In The Sand’ celebrated self-ignorance against a hefty indie rock groove, and – best of all – ‘Stuck On Stupid’ attacked the world with a Miles Hunt-ish sneer and a post-punk sound, pumping the heart of one of the band’s most pointed tracks to date.
Watch: The Rattlebacks return with new video ‘Waste’
Those who’ve been keeping a close eye on Brighton’s The Rattlebacks throughout 2024 will have witnessed a band seemingly going from strength to strength. Each of the singles released from their forthcoming album has found the band sounding much more confident than before. Blending elements of melodic hard rock and a pinch of grunginess, the band’s best songs have conveyed a broad sound, and with ‘Dementia Lounge’ especially, The Rattlebacks’ ability to combine absolutely killer late 80s/early 90s riffs with a vocal that celebrates a classic rock approach reached its peak.
Watch: Skye unveil new video for ‘Last Memory’
In 2022, British metal act Skye released their ‘Foundations’ EP, which shared three contemporary sounding tracks, blending a pleasingly heavy tone with a melodic core that advertised them as the kind of band who’d have a crossover appeal.