January '26 Round Up
Back once again with the renegade lists or whatever Wildchild said
How many days did we get into this year before it turned into one of the biggest clusterfucks imaginable? I don’t think we even made it a week before the US went fully mask off and utterly insane by just about every conceivable metric. Which means it’s a great time to like angry music, because we’re all really fucking angry, so here’s what I’ve been spinning (and enjoying) in January.
Feels Like Heaven - Within Dreams
Melodic hardcore with a splash of punk. This dropped right at the start of the month and it’s been in my regular rotation since. Big, anthemic hooks and a slight 00s skate punk edge? Say less. Oh, and it’s 23 minutes long so it’s real easy to stick on for repeat listens.
Counterparts - Audiotree From Nothing
It’s my list so I’m including this. Heaven Let Them Die, in full, with an outrageously good live mix that somehow makes the EP hit even harder. There’s a couple of interview sections on the YouTube version as ever, but the star of the show are the songs (and Kyle Brownlee’s ludicrous drum work). Also that staging? Come on.
I Promised The World - I Promised The World
The first single off this came with a 240p music video and that should tell you everything you need to know. Throwback metalcore with a few lashings of post-hardcore for good measure. So yeah, this is the Good Shit. Although, confusingly, they seem to be both Sinema renamed, as the Sinema discography appears with this, but also claiming to be a brand new band. Regardless, this shit rocks.
MØL - Dreamcrush
Look, it’s no secret I fucking love MØL. The Danish blackgazers blew my tits clean off with Diorama, and Dreamcrush is everything I loved about that, taken in new often more melodic directions. Kim uses his stunning baritone range a lot more, and the heavier passages are just as beautiful as before. Plus, Garland might be one of the best songs they’ve written yet. Truly arresting, life-affirming music.
Urne - Setting Fire To the Sky
Big, burly riff music. Urne have been fucking excellent since day dot, and they’ve grown and expanded their musical horizons since. Their last record was a harrowing look into dementia and the decline of a loved one; Setting Fire To the Sky takes the opposite tack, a love letter to heavy fucking metal. Also, Angus Neyra remains an underrated force of nature with a guitar - there’s some fucking riffs on this.
I also really wanted to include Ethel Cain’s Soundcloud demos from Willoughby Tucker but they’re not on streaming and I can’t actually remember if she shared them last year or not. But you should still listen to them here - a word of warning that Tempest’s short demo is utterly devastating.
As usual, here’s the link to my Apple Music playlist of these and (hopefully) see you again next month for February’s releases!