New York experimentalists YHWH Nailgun became one of the buzziest bands in underground rock with last year’s debut album 45 Pounds. It recently earned them a record deal with the venerable 4AD, which got many of us thinking a new album might be coming sooner rather than later. That’s technically correct, but it might stretch the definition of the world “album.”
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Set to heat up Australian stages this July and August like the thick and humid swamps of their hometown, Florida juggernauts WAGE WAR today announce that due to overwhelming demand, Melbourne’s venue for Saturday 2 August has been upgraded to the Forum, with Brisbane and Sydney shows also selling fast. Bringing some spectacular savagery down […]In 2024, the BBC aired a four-part series called The Listeners. Based on the Jordan Tannahill novel, the drama follows Claire, an English teacher driven to insanity by a continuous and inexplicable ambient sound. While the story is fictional, the phenomenon, known as “the hum”, is well-documented. Instances of citizens being tortured by a low-frequency drone have been noted worldwide. It was heard by Bristolians as early as the 1970s and has since become subject to academic papers and internet conspiracy. It also suggests that drones are forever around us; the whirr or machinery, the murmur of the hum, the sounds of The Velvet Underground.
Converge are unlikely to be the first to be musically inspired by the hum, but their influence is informed less by the hum’s aesthetics than it is by the same bleakness experienced by The Listeners’ Claire. ‘Hum of Hurt’, Converge’s 12th studio album, reimagines the hum as what vocalist Jacob Bannon calls an “audible culmination of all the pain in the world”. The album is therefore, perhaps unsurprisingly, a disconsolate one.
The Massachusetts band has no aversion to melancholia. Their last album ‘Love Is Not Enough’ – released only a matter of months prior to ‘Hum of Hurt’ – was a gloomy experience, despite containing an underlying thread of hopefulness. But portents aside, the fact that Converge, a beloved band with over three decades of recording now behind them, has released two albums in the same year is enough to have heavy music fans positively salivating.
Bonus points are also awarded for how vastly different the two albums are. The metal leanings of ‘Love Is Not Enough’ are here substituted for what Bannon calls “emotional hardcore”. His vocals testify to this. In addition to the usual growls and screams, it is the pained yelps of his higher register that dominate. ‘Doom in Bloom’ epitomises this. It’s a riff-based and moodier side to Converge, but one that suits this album’s lyrical pessimism. Bannon ranges from displays of discontent (“Everything’s a shade of red/from the mirror to my hands/Staining everything I touch/as I reach for what is loved”) to outright misanthropy upon the declaration that doom is flowering and despair is all the rage.
The following ‘It Only Gets Worse’ is equally devoid of optimism, as Bannon contemplates “Rising waters/drowning me/slitting my throat/writhing, as blood flows into the sea” – lovely stuff. It’s also a barnstormer, even by Converge’s untamed sonic standards. Where the opening ‘Slip the Noose’ has Converge walking a well-trodden, albeit typically ferocious path, it is the off-kilter jazz-like grooves that give ‘It Only Gets Worse’ a more impressive and altogether audacious swagger.
Like its predecessor, ‘Hum of Hurt’ is a relatively concise album that only narrowly breaches the 30-minute threshold. It’s a good job too, as there’s only so much existential dread one can take. On ‘Detonator’, the titular hum manifests as an amelodic chug that’s tantamount to a funeral march. Above this, Bannon is at his most self-destructive yet; “There is something that I must admit/giving up is starting to make sense”.
The following ‘It’s Not Up To Us’ breaks the grim tension by offering a welcome sense of hopefulness. “There is no end in sight/without the will to fight”, sings Bannon, and fight they do, as frenetic yet controlled drumming abounds. There is also the peculiar addition of guitar squeaks that sound borrowed from the realms of science-fiction. Converge aren’t known for sounding quirky, but it’s an endearing and – by contrast to the album’s wider lyrical themes – not unwelcome addition.
Similarly idiosyncratic is the dilatory riff that underpins ‘Dream Debris’, whose stop-start structure unfortunately does it few favours. It does feature some pleasingly groggy guitar tones and inherits a certain epicness, but at six-minutes in length– roughly 20% of the album – it does momentarily halt momentum.
The impetus nonetheless returns with the fierce title track. Bannon’s throaty roars are defiant on what is the album’s centrepiece. It’s heavy in all the usual ways, but its greatness lies in the band’s songwriting. Beneath the rawness of Converge are compositions that are as well-constructed as any smartly-written pop song. In a genre that relies all too often on brute-force, Converge stand out. Heavy music is rarely written this well.
It is important to state that while ‘Hum of Hurt’ is thematically indebted to humankind’s follies, it is not an indulgent album. As dreary as the music is, it’s never voyeuristic when approaching dark subject matter. It instead earnestly reflects an epoch that is itself maddening. As the finale ‘Nothing Is Over’ splinters to a dizzying conclusion, our maddening times are portrayed by distant voices that are twisted, otherworldly, and not dissimilar to the phenomenon of the hum itself. Like the album at large, it is an all-consuming meditation that Converge have neatly distilled into a half-hour balancing-act; the horrors of civilisation versus a belief that those horrors will one day weaken and ultimately disappear.
BEN WILLIAMS
Music! There’s so much of it! Fifty albums doesn’t begin to encompass the scope of the sounds that have animated 2026, but it does present a cross section of the tunes and rhythms that have driven Stereogum wild thus far. As always when June rolls around, we’re taking a moment today to round up the best albums we’ve heard.
The post The 50 Best Albums Of 2026 So Far appeared first on Stereogum.
Atlanta’s Kuzu Knot is a one-man gang delivering a toxic blend of hardcore, black metal, grind (and more) on their full-length debut, Deceitful Above All Things. It drops on June 5th through Fiadh Productions, but we’re streaming it in full today. Kuzu Knot is the brainchild of one Wesley Berrien, who seeks to forge his “blast beats, angular guitars and shrill vocals” into a “dissonant force for change.” He succeeds beautifully on album opener “Esoteric Flora,” a maelstrom of jittery blasts, jangly guitar lines, and desperate shrieks. “Essential Organs Removed” emerges on waves of kinetic doom before the dam breaks and you’re washed away by a double-bass onslaught. Berrien cites Converge as an influence, and you can hear glimpses of their bleak, discordant despair within this track. Elsewhere, there are full-throttle grind assaults with melodic resolutions like “Back to the Grave (Luminous Beings)” next to slivers of atmospheric black metal such as “Pleasure Beyond Pleasure.” Kuzu Knot aspires to drag “listeners through the wreckage ahead.” Turns out even journeys through wreckage can be rewarding. Don’t be scared.
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Deceitful Above All Things releases June 5th via Fiadh Productions.
Posted on June 2nd 2026, 1:52p.m.
German symphonic metal band XANDRIA presents the second single from their upcoming album. ‘Colours‘ is another highlight in their 30-year-spanning career. Throughout the song, a large classical choir takes center stage, while cinematic orchestral arrangements collide with modern metal riffing. Meanwhile, singer Ambre Vourvahis showcases her impressive vocal range, switching between multiple styles as effortlessly […]
The post XANDRIA Unveil New Single, ‘Colours’ + Video appeared first on ROCKPOSER DOT COM.
The progressive metal community is rallying around Atlanta titans Mastodon in the wake of one their most emotionally devastating chapter yet. The Grammy-winning progressive sludge metal luminaries have officially broken their silence, surprise-releasing a haunting new single titled “Your Ghost Again”. The track marks a massive, bittersweet milestone for the band, serving as their absolute first piece of new music since the highly publicized departure and subsequent tragic death of founding guitarist and vocalist Brent Hinds last year.
Released globally today, June 2, the devastating single directly confronts the heavy, lingering presence of their fallen brother, setting the stage for what promises to be the most emotionally charged album cycle of the band’s 26-year career.
To capture the raw, crushing atmosphere of the track, Mastodon brought in an unexpected, powerhouse production duo: pop mastermind Patrik Berger (Taylor Swift, Robyn) alongside Converge guitar icon and hardcore veteran Kurt Ballou. Together, they engineered a wall of sound explicitly designed to honor Hinds’ massive musical legacy.
The band members have made it clear that the standalone single is a direct, unfiltered tribute to Hinds. Drummer and vocalist Brann Dailor opened up about the eerie, heartbreaking experience of stepping back into the recording studio without their longtime co-writer: “’Your Ghost Again’ is about being in those familiar places you used to be with people, which for us is in the studio. I just kept seeing [Hinds] out of the corner of my eye, where he would normally be with his guitar. It’s about that: your mind plays tricks on you, especially so soon after someone dies and you’re in the places where they always were. You just see them.”
Bassist and vocalist Troy Sanders backed that sentiment completely, revealing that his lyrical contributions—specifically the song’s bridge—act as a direct message of pure gratitude toward Hinds’ irreplaceable impact on their lives. Meanwhile, guitarist Bill Kelliher emphasized that the band deliberately chose a single that sounds unmistakably like classic, punishing Mastodon to establish a definitive first impression for this new era.
“Your Ghost Again” serves as the first new material from the group that we’ve heard since their 2024 collaboration with Lamb of God, “Floods Of Triton”. Industry insiders confirm the new single anchors Mastodon’s highly anticipated, as-yet-unannounced ninth studio album, which is now officially completed.
The road to finishing the record was an absolute gauntlet of personal tragedy. Dailor recently confessed that the upcoming LP was an incredibly “hard record to make,” given the sheer volume of grief the band was carrying in the studio:
“It was a very emotional time for us,” Dailor reflected on the tracking process. “I lost my mum, we went through all this turmoil with Brent, and then he passed away. It’s been tough. It’s all in the music, it’s all in the songs, and I’m excited to release it and get it out there into the world because we’ve been sitting on it for a while.”
While the metal world is still reeling from his passing, the history leading up to Hinds’ death remains incredibly complex. Hinds officially split from Mastodon in March after a 25-year run. Though the band initially released a sanitized statement calling the split a mutual decision, Hinds quickly took to Instagram to launch a series of less-than-amicable broadsides, calling Mastodon a “shit band with horrible humans” and publicly criticizing Dailor and Kelliher’s live playing.
Tragedy struck just months later on August 20, when Hinds was killed at age 51 after his Harley-Davidson collided with an SUV in Atlanta.
Despite the bitter nature of the initial breakup, the band immediately wiped the slate clean to honor their brotherhood. During an emotional tribute on stage in Alaska just days after the crash, Dailor delivered a powerful statement that serves as the definitive final word on their relationship: “We loved him so, so, so very much. And we had the ups and downs of a 25-year relationship. You know what I mean? It’s not always perfect, it’s not always amazing, but we were brothers to the end. And we really loved each other and we made a lot, a lot of very beautiful music together.”
Moving forward, Mastodon has been utilizing powerhouse guitarist Nick Johnson to handle live duties, with Kelliher hinting that Johnson was fully involved in the writing and tracking sessions for the finished album. The band is currently touring Europe and is locked in to take the stage at the legendary Download Festival in Donington, UK, on June 14.
How did former Mastodon guitarist Brent Hinds die? Brent Hinds tragically passed away at the age of 51 on August 20, following a fatal motor vehicle accident in Atlanta where his Harley-Davidson motorcycle collided with an SUV.
Who is playing guitar for Mastodon on the new single and upcoming tour? Guitarist Nick Johnson has been handling live guitar duties since Hinds’ departure from the band. Guitarist Bill Kelliher has also strongly indicated that Johnson was involved in the actual studio writing and recording sessions for the upcoming ninth album.
When will Mastodon’s new album be released? While the ninth studio album is officially completed and features the new single “Your Ghost Again,” the band has not yet announced a formal title or release date.
STAY LOUD: How do you think Kurt Ballou and Patrik Berger’s production styles will alter Mastodon’s progressive sludge sound on the upcoming record? Drop your review of the “Your Ghost Again” single in the comments section below, and subscribe to the Loaded Radio Daily Podcast for the latest breaking metal updates!
Mastodon has surprise-released “Your Ghost Again,” a powerful new single dedicated to founding guitarist Brent Hinds, who split from the band and tragically died in a motorcycle accident last year. The track was produced by Patrik Berger and Kurt Ballou, anchoring a newly completed ninth studio album written during a period of intense personal grief for the band.
The post Mastodon Shatters Silence: Heavy Metal Icons Release Haunting Tribute Single Following Brent Hinds’ Tragic Death appeared first on Loaded Radio.
Posted on June 2nd 2026, 1:16p.m.