From standalone singles to previews of what’s to come, here are six recently released tracks worth checking out.

01) Stryper – “Still The Light”

Last week, Stryper celebrated Christmas in July by sharing a lyric video for their new single, “Still the Light.”

Michael Sweet commented:

“STRYPER fans worldwide have wanted a Christmas record for 40+ years. Now we can say that we have finally made this a reality. With the first single, ‘Still The Light’ – let’s celebrate Christmas in July and acknowledge that Jesus will always be The Reason for The Season!!”

02) We Came As Romans – “where did you go?”

Michigan metalcore outfit We Came As Romans are gearing up for their new album, ALL IS BEAUTIFUL…BECAUSE WE’RE DOOMED (pre-order available here), scheduled to arrive on August 22nd via Sharptone Records. While getting close to the record and recently kicked off their North American Tour (tickets available here), the group has dropped a video for their latst single, “where did you go?”

Fontman Dave Stephens commented:

“Where did you go was one of the final songs we wrote for the album, and it came together in a way that just felt special. From the first few notes, we knew it had a completely different energy— way moodier than anything we’d done so far on the record. Where Did You Go? is about the haunting feeling of being left without answers. It’s about losing a part of yourself. When we wrote it, we were reflecting on a version of ourselves we felt disconnected from—the parts of ourselves we used to believe in, the ones with better habits, more clarity, more hope. The production instantly brought me back to nights of driving around at night when I was younger and gave me this overwhelming feeling of nostalgia for a time when life felt a lot simpler. The nostalgia is real, but so is the growth that comes with asking yourself those hard questions.”

03) Galactic Empire – “Pirates of the Caribbean”

Expanding their universal experience, Galactic Empire are exploring different cinematic themes for their upcoming album, Cinemetal, out October 24th via Pure Noise Records (pre-order here). The group has recently dropped a video for their latest single, “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Galactic Empire just embarked on their summer U.S., tickets are available at this location.

Lord Sihk comments:

“Behold, our new single ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’. We have been playing this arrangement live for some time and now it is finally available on all of your human DSPs. This new devastating sonic assault explores the swashbuckling score by Hans Zimmer and Klaus Badelt and features laser-powered solos by Galactic allies CJ Masciantonio and Clint Tustin. Enlist in the Empire now by pre-ordering the ultimate planet-destroying new album CINEMETAL, savvy?”

04) Novembers Doom – “Mercy”

Novembers Doom have dropped a lyric video for their latest single, “Mercy.” The track is taken from their upcoming twelfth full-length offering, Major Arcana, out September 19th via Prophecy Productions (pre-order here).

The band comments:

“For me, ‘Mercy’ stands out as the most personal song on this record”, vocalist Paul Kuhr reveals. “We also felt that a visual concept with emphasis on the lyrics was the right concept for this song. From my perspective, ‘Mercy’ explores the paralyzing fear associated with confronting mortality. This is juxtaposed with the time and age disparity between my wife and myself. This song delves deep into personal guilt for knowing that quite likely I’ll be leaving her alone one day. The lyrics therefore embody abandonment, and they are deeply rooted in loss, sadness, and pure emotion. Larry’s solo performance is arguably my favorite of all that he has ever recorded, as it perfectly captures the intended feelings and simply ‘sings’ all the words I couldn’t write down.” 

05) Reaping Asmodeia – “Sanctuary of Poison”

Minneapolis, MN technical deathcore outfit are streaming their latest single, “Sanctuary of Poison,” via Blood Blast Distribution. The track is the second in a trilogy of releases, which follows the previous song, “Shattered Leviathan.”

Drummer Daniel Koppy comments:

“Sanctuary of Poison was written from a different perspective within the band. Not only was it conceptualized to be a counterpoint to our previous single, but we wanted to explore a darker and more groove-oriented sonic element by utilizing the 9-string register more heavily, all while staying true to our technical roots.”

06) Before The Dawn – “Shockwave”

Finnish melodic death metal outfit Before The Dawn have dropped a video for their latest single, “Shockwave.” The track is taken from their forthcoming effort, Cold Flare Eternal, set to arrive on September 5th via Reaper Entertainment (pre-order here).

The band comments:

“‘Shockwave’ is the heaviest single we have ever released with BEFORE THE DAWN and contains the fire of a thousand suns and the weight of a dying star. A grand embodiment of the energy inside the band! Can’t wait to get to play this banger on the Fall tour.”

Zenae Zukowski

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