So far 2026 has been a pretty dull year as far as what I’ve been listening to. It seems like every single band released a killer album in 2025, and now they’re all off touring in support of them. So it’s a great year for shows, but not so much for new music. That being said, there’s been some really great singles dropped here and there, especially from some smaller bands that I’ve been digging.
Gingsu - Going Out of Business!
Gingsu is a tiny progressive mathcore band that should be much, much bigger. Hailing from Long Beach California, they’ve been packing a punch since 2021’s killer self-titled debut, but they really nailed their sound with Law of the Tongue in 2024. Since then they haven’t missed, and Going Out of Business! is yet another great addition to a collection of complex, graceful, and aggressive music. This new song starts on the attack but quickly delves into a soft and eerie bass interlude, complementing an unnerving music video. From there the band quickly expands and explodes, drawing from influences like Incubus, Alice in Chains, and Polyphia while maintaining their own unique sound. 14 strings and two vocalists make for an incredible flurry of sound that never fails to be exciting and endlessly entertaining.
Archspire - Limb of Leviticus
Canadian Tech-Death band Archspire recently dropped the third single from their upcoming album, Too Fast Too Die, and while that one sounded huge, I ended up going back to the second single, Limb of Leviticus. Complementing the lyrical and titular themes of alien/lovecraftian cult worship, the song is fittingly Biblical. Grand chords shine through the fastest guitar, bass, drums and vocals you’ve ever heard, putting this tumultuous death metal squarely in a cathedral. This song, especially during the last two minutes, genuinely feels like a prayer to a cosmic horror.
Skrillex - Bangarang
I can’t lie, Skrillex is my guilty pleasure artist. There’s something about all those pulsing synths that just tickles my ears and puts a smile on my face. I think dubstep is either something you get or you don’t. If you like it, you know how awesome this song is. If not, it probably just sounds like a whole lot of random noises. In that sense, I kind of consider dubstep to be the metal of electronic music. And I know that I just can’t get enough of it.
Anthrax - What Doesn’t Die
With a dearth of new albums in my library, I’ve been revisiting some classics. We’ve Come For You All is my favorite Anthrax album of all time, despite being the opposite of a fan favorite. Unfortunately, fans never quite embraced John Bush the way they did Joey Belladonna, the original Anthrax vocalist. But despite his different style, he absolutely kicks ass on WCFYA, howling his way through all 53 minutes of his final record with the band. It’s an angry yet gorgeous set of tracks, and it's one of Anthrax’s most thrashy. That shows the most with What Doesn’t Die, the in-your-face, screaming opener. The dissonance in the chorus, the angry riffs, Bush’s massive belts, it all comes together to make a song that demands recognition, even after being buried under a jumbled discography.
Flora Verge - Serendipity
This is just a bit of self promotion, as Flora Verge is my band. Serendipity’s a song about good luck, hence the four-leaf clover and the St. Patrick’s day release date. When writing the song, all I did was cram every single riff I could into two minutes and bit-crush the guitar tracks, giving it what I hope is a bright flair. (Here’s hoping you don’t find it unnecessarily crunchy.) The song was pretty heavily inspired by Circa Survive and Children of Bodom’s infectious melodic songwriting, and I did my best to not leave a single dull moment in there. There’s also a music video where I animated a unicorn! Anyways, check it out if that sounds like your kind of thing. Thanks a bunch!
Well, that's all I've got for y'all today. But like I said, I've been experiencing a drought of new music recently, so if y'all have good recomendations, please let me know!