Rage Reviews: Recent Releases, May 6th 2026
- Out of Rage Team
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
Mayday, mayday - we're already in May; time really flies, doesn't it? While some are putting their heads down and getting through their exams, others are hastily shoving folded clothes into their suitcases for the holidays, and here at Out Of Rage, we're prepping for every metalhead's favourite time of year - festival season. What better soundtrack for that than all these new releases? Here's what we've been listening to lately:
Blood Dealer - Apologies
BLOOD DEALER have been branding their mark in the alt-metal scene with genre blends of metal and trap, and it seems they're building up to something bigger with new single Apologies, a track that defies expectations and shows their penchant for melding sounds. Starting with a lone, echoing vocal run, Apologies plummets into an alt-metal tearing guitar riff and pulsating drum beat, the bass descending to distorted lows as an undercurrent. Vocalist Billy Douglas drives emotion into his soaring vocals on the first chorus before closing out with a dangerous, low murmured "I want apologies". It holds back on the screams usually prevalent in a BLOOD DEALER track, but we forgive them.
Words: Julia Stark
Citizen - Highs and Lows
Gearing up for a world-spanning tour for their upcoming album Halcyon Blues, CITIZEN have exploded back onto our playlists with Highs and Lows, a song curated to be screamed back to them by fans. With a stripped back intro introducing effects and instruments individually, frontman Mat Kerekes shifts from soulful low-pitched vocals to higher-pitch, frustrated near-screams, the vocals layering over Nick Hamm and Mason Mercer's twanging guitar notes and yearning riffs. Ben Russin shifts between funk-like sounds to snappy cymbal heavy beats to keep the pace eclectic, while Eric Hamm keeps the rhythm on trajectory with a thudding bass line, the final uplifting strings complementing the emotional lyrics, both forlorn and blindly hopeful and absolutely a song to belt out.
Words: Julia Stark
His Daughter Harry - Big Girl
An up-and-coming grunge band from London, HIS DAUGHTER HARRY have just come out with their debut single Big Girl. As it was pre-launched at their already sold-out headline show in the capital, the excitement and anticipation built up, and it was absolutely justified. The song talks about a situationship who is slowly ruining your life, something so awkward yet relatable to so many. After the spell has worn off, all you are left with is the lingering question: do I take revenge or do I keep being a bigger person? Big Girl is for everyone who misses the early 00s Internet, loves Bratz dolls, and is in dire need of a new earworm.
Words: Mariia Bulkina
Loathe - Revenant (ft. NOWHERE2RUN)
If you also lost your mind over new LOATHE music getting announced, you're entirely valid for that. The metal community has collectively gained whiplash headbanging to their galvanising new track Revenant (ft. powerhouse electronic punk duo NOWHERE2RUN), the first track off upcoming album A Stranger To You, releasing July 17th. From the first pulverizing notes it feels like a battle cry, ascending into a rapid fire, crashing beat and shuddering guitar and bass rhythms, singer Kadeem France bringing an annihilating heat with his screams of "caged with this for so long, step into my strength". It sinks its teeth in and won't let go, you can only sink yours back in and thrash to this battle track together.
Words: Julia Stark
Motionless In White - Playing God (ft. Corey Taylor)
You’ve not seen gore quite like this! Screamo mainstays MOTIONLESS IN WHITE are back with their damaging single Playing God, the first release from their new album Decades. Featuring the signature raspy howls of SLIPKNOT vocalist Corey Taylor, the track opens with an Eyeless inspired jungle beat. The track is all-consuming, fast and cleaved with sharp, damaging moments of ferocity. Chris Motionless’ bloodcurdling screams decimate the record. The band’s signature sung choruses elevate the track to anthemic status. The new era of Scranton PA’s hottest export is bloody, their most abrasive in years, culminating in a fierce statement that demands devotion at arenas in their upcoming US headline tour.
Words: Amber Brooks
RATSALAD. - North West Coastal Highway
The newest single, North West Coastal Highway by Australian punk band RATSALAD. delivers pure punk energy. With this single, leading up to their new album Pest From The West, the band captures listeners with melodic yet gritty riffs. The lyrics are ironic and portray the fun of a road trip, and the song captures that energy surprisingly well. It’s catchy, and that’s exactly what it needs to be. A surprising solo in the bridge gives the track just the right amount of uniqueness to stand out among the many simple, straightforward punk songs out there. North West Coastal Highway is exactly what it wants to be and it succeeds in the best way possible.
Words: Hannah Martin
Siiickbrain - Filthy (ft. Fetish)
SIIICKBRAIN continues the rollout for upcoming album Houndstooth with Filthy, featuring FETISH, carrying an intoxicating sense of danger. The track thrives on a heavy, almost industrial texture, with layered instrumentals that feel abrasive and texturally dense. There’s a club-ready pulse underneath, but that never softens its bite, with punchy drums and distortions keeping things tense. Vocally, SIIICKBRAIN balances seduction with menace, making the title feel deliberate as the track sounds exactly as it promises. As a third single, Filthy frames Houndstooth as a record built on sharp production choices and controlled intensity.
Words: Zuzanna Pazola
Sixth Wonder - IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME?
Scottish metal trio SIXTH WONDER are known for their grime-ridden riffs and melancholia-driven sound - and they’re back with their latest single IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT FROM ME? The band kickstart the track with a headbanging djent riff, and vocalist Rebekah Kirk takes charge with her gutturals; with an impressive fluidity, she melts into clean, siren-song vocals, and back into anguished screams. It echoes a very personal journey: shortly after the band’s debut, she lost her voice to Covid-19, and this track is driven by the reclamation of her identity in the aftermath. As she gives us one last gut-wrenching scream, it becomes clear that SIXTH WONDER are living up to their name, becoming a definite landmark amongst others in the developing metal scene.
Words: Naomi Colliar Duff
Sleeping With Sirens - Forever/Always
SLEEPING WITH SIRENS return with a track that leans into the emotional intensity of their earlier work on Forever/Always. The single draws clear parallels to With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear, particularly in its blend of soaring melodies and moments of raw vulnerability. With their upcoming album An Ending In Itself set for release on June 12th, the band seem to be revisiting their roots while sharpening their songwriting. The track balances explosive sections with softer, layered vocals, creating a dynamic contrast that feels both nostalgic and refined rather than purely retro. As the song builds, the repeated refrain “forever or always” becomes its emotional anchor, designed to hit hard live while still carrying weight on record.
Words: Con Macadam
Static Dress - …hospice
First teased and played in full at their one-off Live Death Display in Leeds, …hospice is the latest single by STATIC DRESS. Each of the three released tracks from their sophomore album Injury Episode sound drastically different to one another, yet they are all equally glorious. In …hospice, the band explores their softer and warmer-toned side; there is no breakdown, but it is arguably one of their most monumental pieces. Comparisons with the sound of MCR’s The Black Parade were soon to follow, and a music video shot in the legendary King’s Hall in Stoke-on-Trent only added to the grandiosity of it all. STATIC DRESS learnt how to keep everyone on their toes with every single move, and the anticipation of Injury Episode could not get stronger.
Words: Mariia Bulkina
Editor: Naomi Colliar Duff
Photos: Various Artists
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