The Weekly Wire playlist is taking it's once a month detour from recapping the newest rock and metal songs of the week once a month to bring you not only the best August had to give us, but choice picks from the Loudwire staff so you can dig a bit deeper. Maybe you'll even discover a new band that rules!

THE ESSENTIALS

You know these bands and you probably heard these songs the instant they came out — midnight Spotify lurkers, we see you. Waiting for these is the only thing that keeps you going in 2020.

Deftones, “Ohms”
Evanescence, “Use My Voice”
Gojira, “Another World”
Halestorm, “I Will Always Love You”
Hollywood Undead, “Idol” Feat. Tech N9ne
Lamb of God, "The Death of Us"
Linkin Park, “She Couldn’t”
Mastodon, “Rufus Lives”
Mr. Bungle, “Raping Your Mind”
Napalm Death, “Amoral”
Poppy, “Khaos x4”
Seether, “Beg”
Sevendust, "Blood From Stone"
Smashing Pumpkins, “Cyr”

Follow the Weekly Wire playlist on Spotify here.

STAFF PICKS

The stuff Loudwire's team has been obsessed with.

Rabab Al-Sharif

The Dirty Nil
SONG: “Doom Boy”
HQ: Ontario, Canada
RELEASED: Aug. 14

If you are the type of person who takes yourself very seriously you should probably just keep scrolling. However, if you delight in pop-y, punk-y, thrash-y songs about listening to Slayer in your mom’s Dodge Caravan and hailing Satan then this might just be the track for you. If you dig the Dirty Nil’s very tongue-in-cheek brand of punk, be sure to keep a look out for their upcoming album Fuck Art, which will be out later this year on Dine Alone Records.

Creeper
SONG: “Napalm Girls”
HQ: Southampton, England
RELEASED: July 31

First and foremost, Creeper dropped their latest album Sex, Death & The Infinite Void at the tail end of July (we’re sneaking it in anyway), and it really is quite the offering. Spanning influences from punk and classic rock to indie, doo-wop and even country, there really is something for everyone — especially if you’re into spooky things, fairy tales and apocalyptic love songs. I could have easily picked any song because my favorite changes every day, but “Napalm Girls” is about swaying with your love til the end as the world ends, so it felt appropriate.

Dying Wish
SONG: “Innate Thirst”
HQ: Portland, Oregon
RELEASED: Aug. 28

Dying Wish are freshly signed to Sharptone Records (if you’re a fan of metalcore you should really be following this label) and prepping their first full-length album, but to hold fans over they dropped the crushing “Innate Thirst.” The song is about “leaders” who are more interested in clout chasing than actually building and contributing to a community. This morsel of new music definitely has us craving more.

Avoid
SONG: “Song About James”
HQ: Seattle, Washington
RELEASED: Aug. 14
I don’t know how else to describe Avoid’s vibe on this song other than redneck, metalcore boy band (I sincerely mean this as a compliment, not a diss).The first time I heard “Song About James” I was confused. And then it ended and I was like, “I think I loved that?” If you dig the wonderful weirdness displayed here then check out their new EP The Burner out Nov. 6 via Revival Recordings.

 

Chad Childers

Brad Arnold
SONG: “Wicked Man”
HQ: Tennessee
RELEASED: Aug. 13

The 3 Doors Down singer has used his pandemic downtime to not only write and work on his first solo music, but take a closer look at the world around him. “Wicked Man” takes on a darker tone, as Arnold addresses what he views as the puppet masters orchestrating some of the woes of the world from behind the curtain. It’s a well written track, conveying the angst in a world of disinformation, and aided by the production of 3 Doors Down’s own Greg Upchurch.

Islander (Featuring Fire From the Gods’ A.J. Channer)
SONG: “Freedom”
HQ: Greenville, South Carolina
RELEASED: July 31, 2020
Islander, the band who brought us “Coconut Dracula” returns, teaming up with A.J. Channer from rising rock outfit Fire From the Gods for the thought provoking rocker “Freedom.” The song takes a deeper dive into the concept of the “American Dream” and how it has been manipulated to fit certain political narratives. Come for the soaring atmospheric rock, leave with some discussion open for debate.

Walking Papers
SONG: “What Did You Expect?”
HQ: Seattle, Washington
RELEASED: Aug. 5

Some may have found Walking Papers through Duff McKagan or Barrett Martin in the past, but it’s the pair of Jeff Angell and Benjamin Anderson who continue to take the lead, pushing the band down a darkened path with stories of seedy characters with sinister intent. “What Did You Expect?” is the lead single from the forthcoming The Light Below album, painting a vivid picture of an anti-hero’s quest for empathy.

Graham Hartmann

Ulver
SONG: “Nostalgia”
HQ: Norway
RELEASED: July 23 (album released Aug. 28)

Ulver’s “Nostalgia” brings a lot of trippy prog vibes, along with dynamics from classic shapeshifters such as Frank Zappa or Elton John. This one’s for you wannabe time travelers who dream of traveling back to the late ‘70s and doing cocaine with Bowie.

Incantation
SONG: “Entrails of the Hag Queen”
HQ: Johnstown, Pa.
RELEASED: Aug. 3

Incantation deserve a medal or something. Remarkably consistent, the Pennsylvania veterans keep digging a grave past the six-foot mark with “Entrails of the Hag Queen,” finding more fertile soil the deeper they go.

Joe DiVita

Enslaved
SONG: “Urjotun”
HQ: Bergen, Norway
RELEASED: Aug. 28

By this point, we’re pretty used to hearing Enslaved introduce some new elements far outside of black metal’s typical scope. They’ve been evolving this subgenre for nearly three decades and on “Urjotun” it gets really weird — Heldon-esque, bouncing synth motifs and a general spaced out atmosphere propel this one through the psychedelic cosmos, awash in mangled distortion. Enslaved remain black metal’s most adventurous and fearless innovators.

Armored Saint
SONG: “End of the Attention Span”
HQ: Los Angeles, California
RELEASED: Aug. 12

In an age of diminished focus, Armored Saint are asking but just five minutes of your time. Who doesn’t have a moment for some riffs, right? Remarkably consistent throughout their 35-plus year journey, the Los Angeles vets are as youthful as ever, though now wiser with age and decrying character traits of younger generations. Still, this isn’t just some old fuddy-duddy out of touch metal — Armored Saint, with their undeniable hooks and thrilling sense of songwriting, are as relevant as ever.

Skeletal Remains
SONG: “Congregation of Flesh”
HQ: Whittier, California
RELEASED: Aug. 7

Skeletal Remains sound like they came across a greatest hits of death metal from ‘89 - ‘93 and have only used that select bludgeoning set of tracks to influence absolutely everything they do. The playing is sharp and technically-minded, but not flashy and needless, perfectly straddling the noodle-obsessed style that dazzles today with the resurgence of knuckle-walking barbarism, the way death metal was intended to be played. The old spirit never dies on “Congregation of Flesh.”

Lauryn Schaffner

Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown
SONG: “Crazy Days”
HQ: Nashville, Tennessee
RELEASED: Aug. 14

For the rock fans who are craving a little bit of blues in 2020, Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown delivered with “Crazy Days” — the first single from their upcoming album Pressure, due out Oct. 16. The feel-good vibes, which are reminiscent of a Tom Petty song, make for a perfect addition to your end-of-summer roadtrip playlist.

The Atomic Bitchwax
SONG: “You Got It”
HQ: Neptune, New Jersey
RELEASED: Aug. 28

The Atomic Bitchwax have been around for a bit now, but “You Got It,” off their brand new album Scorpio, is a refreshing fix for fans of vintage, psychedelic rock with fuzzy guitar riffs and solos that actually last longer than 10 seconds.

Royal Bliss
SONG: “Medication (feat. Shim)”
HQ: Salt Lake City, Utah
RELEASED: Aug. 28

“Medication” from Royal Bliss isn’t a typical gloomy, self-deprecating song that portrays what it’s like living with mental illness — it’s a high-energy stomper with snarling guitars, angry vocals and a demanding attitude.

Loudwire's Weekly Wire Playlist

The Most Streamed Spotify Songs From 66 Rock + Metal Acts

 

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