Rage Reviews: Recent Releases, July 1st 2026

Things are really kicking off now: not only do we have the iconic 2000 Trees festival next week, but we've also had a solid slate of tours sweeping the UK. METALLICA, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, HAYLEY WILLIAMS, and so much more that the summer has to offer. In the off-time, though, we're taking in these recent singles from bands both big and small. Here's what we've been listening to lately:

156/Silence - Proxy Idols

Fresh off the back of a tour supporting THORNHILL as well as a huge upcoming US tour, 156/SILENCE have released a brand new single Proxy Idols. This is the second single released from their upcoming album From A Distance which is out in September this year - just before their US tour. The track is a violent transcript on the modern day celebrity culture and rains absolute devastation for 3 solid minutes. The atmospheric metalcore track features a multitude of vocals and distortion, each section switching the tone and keeping the listener engaged. This track sets the tone for what could be to come from the rest of their upcoming album.

Words: Amy Smyth

Bring Me The Horizon - Dehumanize

BRING ME THE HORIZON is going back to the beginning with Dehumanize! A brand new song for Count Your Blessings | Repented, the upcoming 20th anniversary re-recording of the band's landmark debut album, releasing on July 10th. It dives headfirst into a dystopian soundscape where crushing heaviness meets glitchy electronics and cinematic atmospheres. The track thrives on contrast, shifting from eerie, industrial verses into explosive choruses without losing momentum. Oli Sykes delivers venomous screams alongside haunting melodies, reinforcing the song's themes of technological dependence and the erosion of humanity. The visible gore is a vessel for a meticulously constructed piece, balancing aggression with memorable hooks and futuristic textures. Another reminder that BRING ME THE HORIZON continues to redefine modern heavy music, seamlessly blending influences into something both unsettling and irresistibly addictive. 

Words: Lysandre Pons

Beabadoobee - Sun Has Set

BEABADOOBEE has a brand new album Pylon coming your way in September and for this one, she’s completely switched her vibe. As an artist that dabbled in various genres, she's no stranger to grunge or shoegaze but this track shows a completely new side to her. Her light and airy voice decorates the track while distorted melodies ring through the guitars. With small melodic additions coming at the listener from all angles it’s a track that was clearly made with intent and attention to detail. Her new album is coming with a tour that's taking her all the way to the O2 arena in London as well as many other huge venues across the UK. 

Words: Amy Smyth

Crawlers - AFRAID TO DIE

Born from an uncertain period of not knowing who CRAWLERS wanted to be, AFRAID TO DIE is an introspective reawakening for the now-established trio of best friends and how they choose to approach their musical journey. For anyone who saw them support PIERCE THE VEIL in 2025, AFRAID TO DIE isn't a surprise drop, having been introduced exclusively to live shows before the band decided it was time for the masses to hear this emotive track of losing one's sense of self and trying to claw it back, lowered vocals rising in power over steady beats and blasting post-rock riffs. AFRAID TO DIE isn't just a tale of caution, but the re-introduction of a more seamless, confident CRAWLERS.

Words: Julia Stark

Dear Youth - Illusion (Feat. As December Falls)

DEAR YOUTH take their featured artists seriously, their previous with BROADSIDE’s Oliver Baxxter was a hit across the scene and catapulted to the top of their most listened to track list. Could their latest venture with Bethany Curtis of AS DECEMBER FALLS do the same for the Canadian alt pop rock outfit? For fans of The Home Team and Honey Revenge this synth heavy track will not only scratch that itch but have you reaching for more. Bethany Curtis is a proven powerhouse feature (see her recent track with THE HARA for further proof), going toe-to-toe with Jared Zuckerman and holding her own. A better choice to accompany DEAR YOUTH on their latest venture could not be found.

Words: Jade du Preez

Evil Island - Melted Heart (ft. Sleigh Bells)

The frenetic energy and unrestrained pace of EVIL ISLAND's Melted Heart can't be easily put into words - it's the scald of a room on fire and nobody wanting to leave, the itch in your brain of a million fun ideas that need to be done in that moment or else, the embodiment of being in a crowd and someone in an incomprehensible costume is juggling beside you. It's feral and exhilarating, the pulsing drums and brutal riffs rocketing forward and expecting you to keep up, screams savagely blasting at you from all angles as SLEIGH BELLS's Alexis Krauss repeatedly hollers "we're melting to the ground". EVIL ISLAND bring a wild fury and heat that simply can't be contained.

Words: Julia Stark

Fiddlehead - Baby I’ll Change

Melodic post-hardcore supergroup FIDDLEHEAD continue to blur the lines on heartfelt new single Baby I'll Change, the title track from their new three track EP of the same name. Bolstered by a huge main stage Outbreak Festival appearance on release weekend, Patrick Flynn and co have proven once again that they remain one of the genre’s most captivating bands. Expertly channelling grief into something profoundly uplifting and personal. Shimmering guitars and Flynn’s impassioned voice giving every word genuine weight, whilst the artwork mirrors the title track’s reflective mood. 

Words: Andrew Nile

Green Lung - Necropolitan Line

“MIND THE DOORS!” screams Tom Templar in an inversion of Crazy Train’s iconic opening scream before the Lung burst forth in another Brit-folk encomium, this time lauding the trains that carried the dead on London’s Underground network. The new title-ish track from their upcoming release is a decided departure from their previous sound, instead embracing the campier and synthier trappings of 70s British rock but keeping things chugging along. The real highlight of this track is the mega long solo where the synths of John Kong dual with Scott Black’s virtuoso playing in a display of Deep Purple-ness not seen since the days of the band themself. The production may be more raw than some fans are used to, but rest assured the Lunglings are in for another absolute belter at the band’s next live gig. Choo choo motherfuckers!

Words: Kiarash Golshani

Ice Nine Kills - Play Dead

ICE NINE KILLS once again prove they can turn horror into anthemic metal with Play Dead, a track that captures the tension and brutality of Dead by Daylight for the game’s 10th anniversary. The song balances faithful homage with INK’s signature cinematic style. Marching drums are arming a singalong chorus, while the heartbeat sound creates an eerie immersion and suspense. One that will also translate into gameplay as characters gain INK-themed in-game merch and the Silence's mask joins the cosmetic roster. The hellish screams feel like the gates of the Entity’s realm bursting open, unleashing chaos fit for the pit. ICE NINE KILLS keeps building milestones in the merging of horror and metal ahead of their headlining show at The O2 on 27 March 2027.

Words: Lysandre Pons

I Prevail - Paradise (ft. Amira Elfeky)

I PREVAIL returns from the Australian leg of their Violent Nature tour with a haunting track featuring alt goth x grunge singer AMIRA ELFEKY. Clearly infused with the sound of converging genres, the piece is laced with dark electronics, ethereal notes turning into scalded growls from both singers. In its 3 minutes, everyone gets a turn into the light including a smashing display of instrumentals from a drum heavy breakdown to a heavenly guitar solo, all standing side by side with the leads rather than supporting them. Paradise stands as the perfect anthem to perform together on stage during the upcoming EU/UK tour where ELFEKY will join I PREVAIL amongst other notable openers such as POLARIS and GORE.

Words: Lysandre Pons

Loathe - Fangs

In the lead up to the release of their new album, A Stranger To You, Merseyside’s finest LOATHE have graced us with another single. Opening with a thick riff, Fangs gets the blood flowing immediately before leading into a more melodic verse that allows the angelic vocals of Kadeem France to create an ethereal atmosphere. The chorus stands out as one that will be sung in full voice by crowds at all their shows going forward. In typical LOATHE style, there are heavy moments that will definitely have moshers flying across the room. This album is going to be monumental and this single is a perfect way to hype up what LOATHE have in store.

Words: Alex Long

The Menzingers - Better Angels

Those eagerly awaiting THE MENZINGERS’ tenth album will be relieved to hear the core elements that make a MENZINGERS album great condensed into this three track single. Chance Encounters is the opening track of their upcoming album, and although it sets a bleak scene with that emotive chorus of “no one’s coming to save us”, this track walks a fine line between depressive and optimistic, something THE MENZINGERS do so well. Better Angels is a high energy track that could easily be a summer defining song for those that enjoy a melancholic bite to their dog days. Ultimately rounding things off with Nobody’s Heroes, a final gut punch of emo punk brilliance. Three tracks made for the summer, released just in time too. 

Words: Jade du Preez

Motionless In White - R.I.P. (ft. Skylar Grey)

Holding hands with SKYLAR GREY, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE delivers a haunting ballad summoning “the power of a lover's lament inscribed on a headstone". Built on space and yearning, the stripped-down instrumental relies on drums for pacing, allowing every emotion to breathe and come back at full force when the chorus hits. GREY's rising and falling vocals emphasize beautifully everything the silence cannot, carrying grief in a register completing Chris Motionless’ perfectly. Together, they don't simply harmonise; they haunt each other with a gothic flair undeniably characteristic of the band. With its instantly catchy chorus, R.I.P. stands as a deeply emotional third single from Decades, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE’s upcoming album, dropping on July 17th via Roadrunner Records.

Words: Lysandre Pons

Muti - Blood

Brand new underground shoegaze artist MUTI has released yet another track, Blood. With an embellishing b-side track - Blue Nothing - to go along with it, they are building and architecture with their releases in the same way an established musician would. Blood is a conversation about the feeling of falling in love, comparing it to your veins being drained like vampirism. MUTI’s vocals drag and echo through the track accompanied by various layers of guitars and crashing upbeat drums, really portraying those conflicting feelings in the lyrics. The track is well made and polished and we sit with baited breath to hear what they’ll make next. 

Words: Amy Smyth

Noahfinnce - Mr Overwhelm

NOAHFINNCE hasn't just translated his vulnerability into lyrics on new track Mr Overwhelm, he's created a sound that portrays the chaos, claustrophobia, and build of emotionally drowning in a blend of Y2K and pop-rock. Released ahead of his support slot for TWENTY ONE PILOTS at All Points East, NOAHFINNCE continues to draw inspiration from the pop-rock bands that guided him through his adolescence and helped him shape his feelings into words. Mr Overwhelm is a stark inner look at trying to break out of the mould cast by others wrapped in fluctuating instrumentals and jarring rhythms, digital elements breaking through to keep you second guessing what NOAHFINNCE might do next. 

Words: Julia Stark 

PUP - If This Is It

If This Is It may be new to listeners, but for Toronto punks PUP this burst into life during their 2025 Who Will Look After The Dogs? sessions, it was merely waiting for the right moment to unleash this gritty track full of strained feeling that erupts into desperately human shouts. Heavily fuzzed bass races through the intro as if spelling impending doom, before the accompanying guitar and drums strip away some of the danger and spin it into a track of furious merriment, a searing guitar solo on the breakdown backing vocalist Stephen Babcock as he calls out everyone around him, including himself in the cutting, self-deprecating words "you're still full of shit but so am I".

Words: Julia Stark 

Sesame Girl - Kick In The Teeth

SESAME GIRL have captured the feeling of not feeling "enough" in a relationship and turning the fault inward on hard-hitting Kick In The Teeth, the latest single from their upcoming EP Butterfly Wing In A Silver Locket. Loaded with hazy guitar riffs and chords, singer Heather Duncan vocalises in a dreamy fashion as the instruments complement her without being overpowering. The rhythm and power behind the track don't soar too high, instead SESAME GIRL have embodied that almost disquieting, uncertain feeling that you must be the problem when someone doesn't want to take pride in your presence. Kick In The Teeth is a balm for a vulnerable, cracking heart and a caution to not give pieces of yourself away.

Words: Julia Stark 

Snayx - Brain Cellz

SNAYX have made their mark with inflammatory tracks that hold up a mirror to society and smash their face into it - new single Brain Cellz is no exception to their rule that all bets are off and everyone should watch their backs. From a glitchy synth intro that drops into cutting lyrics, a twitchy drum beat with crispy cymbals, and distorted guitar and bass that rips into your bones, SNAYX refuse to hold back on tracks like Brain Cellz with their rebellious sound and catchy rhythms that have seen them pack out festival grounds and headline slots, their venomous, punk spirit stirring at their sound's core ready to strike.

Words: Julia Stark

The XCERTS - Bury You

Eclectic Scottish alt-rockers THE XCERTS share bury you, the fourth and final preview of their forthcoming sixth album i think i want to go home now. Electric guitar drives the track from a gritty basement rock sound into an explosive arena rock chorus: catchy, colourful and far from vapid. Sitting towards the end of the album's emotional arc, the single is a reflective conversation about managing pain and facing oneself; what frontman Murray Macleod calls "a sobering conversation" of tough love. The music video carries echoes of the 2000s, with photographs and on-screen lyrics, transporting the listener to simpler times - very much in tune with the theme of the record. Catch them at 2000 Trees, the day after release, on July 11th.

Words: Lorena Hurtado

Waterparks - BETTER THAN THERAPY

With just weeks to go until the release of their fifth studio album, JINX, WATERPARKS have dropped their fifth single, BETTER THAN THERAPY. A bubblegum-rock infused earworm that follows the whirlwind of a relationship while remaining self-aware of one's own toxic traits. With an addictive chorus, Awsten Knight is engulfed by their love for the other person.  The playful contrast of the lyric, "Draw you like Titanic. Worship you, Satanic," hints that the relationship is ultimately doomed. Yet the intoxicating highs keep the narrator hopelessly infatuated, unable to let go. With distorted guitars and layered melodies, this track clearly radiates lively production of Entertainment and Fandom. Do you relate to this song too much? Maybe it’s time to catch up on some therapy. 

Words: Theviya R Karunaharan

Editor: Naomi Colliar Duff

Photos: Various Artists