Boolin Tunes

“Take my picture. Decomposing.” One of prog metal’s shining lights is back. Six years after the career-defining Palimpsest, Protest the Hero have finally shown their faces again, and added another triumphant record to their near-perfect catalogue. Within is a beacon of a band that doesn’t know how to take their foot off the gas, a selection of songs that perfectly balance directness with endless theatrics and absurd technicality.

Welcome to New Music Friday where we round-up all the week’s releases from metalcore, hardcore, alternative and indie. For a full view of what’s coming up, check out our release calendar a look to see what other releases are coming up. The NMF playlist can be found here or at the bottom of the page.

“My soul will descend into Hades to burn.” Words by Dobbin T, photography by Kieran White – contact Kieran prior to any image use. Saturday 11th July was the start of an ostentatious weekend for alternative music in the UK. Our network was split between attending the massive My Chemical Romance shows, Outbreak’s Bring Me The Horizon day fests, and the annual Mecca of guitar music, 2000trees, bringing with it a multitude of great tours.

“Outside in, paper thin. This lie that we try to keep saccharine.” Slightly over a year since his debut album, Sun Cell returns with his latest offering, i’ll play myself out. The solo project of artist-producer Daryl Hor serves as his outlet for introspection and nostalgic yearning. This second EP was written during a tumultuous period in Daryl’s personal life, and it explores themes of resignation, depression, and letting go of the familiar.

“The silence is a broken loop.“ Crossing the Atlantic with just a debut EP under your belt, and you’re off to support Bring Me The Horizon? It’s an incredible arc for Car Underwater, underlined by a sound that’s in tune to modern sensibilities in emo and post-hardcore. On the way to the Count Your Blessings shows, the band charted a course through small UK venues, including London’s Camden Assembly, the perfect size for Car Underwater‘s intensity.

“They hear you speak but they don’t wanna listen.” Over the course of their career, Flesh Creep have pushed the limitations of what their music can be. While their earlier releases mainly focus on aggressive line delivery, Glimmer finds the band exploring new sides to their music without sacrificing the gritty and exciting elements that made their name, developing a skill in combining that aggression with politically charged lyrics.

“There’s no room left for me”. The road to New Jersey’s annual hardcore festival, Hellfest, was a hot one. The day before the big event saw a side show in Philadelphia, in a room roughly 200 strong. The sweltering heat of the city was no match for the heat emanating from The Palace. As intense as the 5 breakneck performances, the temperature only seemed to climb, until the outside air became a cool refreshment.

“Still here, count the years, fuck a tombstone.” It’s been four years since Motionless in White released their previous record, Scoring the End of the World, the longest break in between album releases for them. Previously, Chris Motionless had spoken publicly about taking a longer break to ensure they put their best foot forward on their next album. In the meantime, their trajectory as a band has only skyrocketed.

“Drenched in sin, they shall never be forgiven.“ Photography by Rees Thorp-Mason, contact Rees prior to any image use. After such a long time waiting for Dying Wish to perform in the United Kingdom, in recent years they have now made a second home out of these isles.

“Sacrifice your soul so I can speak. Body, mind, and soul can rest in me.” The long anticipated Volume Series by The Plot in You rounds off with one final song. This completes the merging of each EP at the request of fans, having started this journey in October 2022 with their first song “Divide”, all the way to completion in July 2026.