🖤O L I V I A🖤

chelsea roasting the shit out of l*gan p*ul (as she should)

Spiritbox, "No Loss, No Love"

Release Date: Feb. 7

Spiritbox songs are like a box of chocolates — you never know if the intro is going to flow into an ethereal haze of atmospheric textures or a volcanic eruption of screams and blistering riffs. “No Loss, No Love” is the latter and the first few seconds give you absolutely no warning before you’re swept up by the magma.

The whole track isn’t brute force, though. It oscillates between crushing heaviness and eerie stillness, where Courtney LaPlante delivers spoken word verses in a robotic tone. It’s a rollercoaster of energy, leaving listeners on the edge of their seats and unsure what to anticipate next.

That unpredictability is what makes Spiritbox so compelling — they never take the obvious path.

—LS

Evanescence, "Afterlife"

Release Date: March 27

Four years after the release of The Bitter Truth, Evanescence returned with “Afterlife” as if they didn’t miss a step. Like many of their songs, it has a foreboding atmosphere, coupled with Amy Lee’s ghostly, fierce vocals.

The choruses are grandiose and intense, exploding with the kind of cinematic drama that has long been part of Evanescence’s signature. “Afterlife” feels both familiar and fresh at the same time — big guitars and orchestral flavors that hit hard and stay in your head long after.

It’s the sound of a band that’s aware of their legacy and ready to keep moving forward.

—LS

Halestorm, "Darkness Always Wins"

Release Date: April 22

Halestorm have always embraced the darkness, but “Darkness Always Wins,” the lead single from their latest album Everest, is different. Instead of a celebration, it’s the sound of Lzzy Hale sitting down with the parts of herself she used to wrestle with. 

It’s a tense, slow-burn of a track with a progression that mirrors the kind of inner turmoil that builds quietly before it comes to a head. It’s Halestorm at their most raw and vulnerable and it forces listeners to look within themselves as well.

The best kind of songs are the ones that make you feel something real and this one certainly leaves a mark.

—LS

The Pretty Reckless, "For I Am Death"

Release Date: Aug. 22

If The Pretty Reckless seem to have a bit of a fixation with death, it’s because it’s a theme that’s shadowed them over the last few years. But the upbeat spirit of their latest single “For I Am Death” feels like the moment they finally turn and face the darkness with a smirk.

Driven by a guitar riff with a sinister swagger, the track struts along as Taylor Momsen embraces autonomy and numbness, chanting like someone who’s stopped running from the shadows and is claiming them instead. It’s a bold, catchy song and listeners clearly agree — it’s the band’s eighth No. 1 single.

If this is what staring down mortality feels like, we’ll take more of it.

—LS

Amy Lee, Poppy + Courtney LaPlante "End of You"

Release Date: Sept. 4

Collaborations between heavy artists happen all the time these days, but when was the last time we got three powerhouse women on one track? Evanescence’s Amy Lee joining Poppy and Spiritbox’s Courtney LaPlante on “End of You” instantly became one of the year’s most anticipated songs and it still managed to surpass our expectations.

Each vocalist gets a moment to shine — Lee soars in the cinematic choruses, Poppy takes the lead in the second verse with a razor sharp presence and even shares a scream with LaPlante, who dominates the bridge effortlessly flipping between her vicious snarls and ethereal clean vocals. 

“End of You” is one of the most empowering songs we’ve heard in a long time and not just because it’s by women, but because it’s about closing a chapter, rising from the ashes and transforming into something stronger than ever. It was one of the most memorable heavy moments of the year and will certainly go down as one of the most iconic collabs in modern heavy music for years to come.

—LS

Jinjer, Duél

Release Date: Feb. 7

Ukrainian metal force Jinjer found their sound in a lot of different styles a few years ago and have been sharpening the blades ever since. Duél is no wholesale reinvention and, impressively, it doesn't take the slightest step down as a result, either.

What Jinjer do best is going full-tilt in whatever direction they lean in. When it gets technical, it's dizzying. When they hit the grooves, they're digging trenches. When they step out and get hypnotic, you're in a trance. Everything here feels so calculated and intentional, but possesses a feral energy.

The intangible quality here can surely be tied to the lyrical inspiration behind these songs as Jinjer's home country remains at war with neighboring invaders Russia.

—JD

Lacuna Coil, Sleepless Empire

Release Date: Feb. 14

A new Lacuna Coil album is always exciting. While we understand the gothic darkness will always be pervasive, the matter of which form it will take this time is a mystery until those first couple singles drop.

Sleepless Empire balances arena-ready hard rock euphoria with the extreme elements that continue to dazzle, countering resplendent beauty with robust brawn. No matter what's going on musically, the message overwhelmingly encourages individuals to stay strong and keep fighting whatever battle lies ahead.

—JD

Arch Enemy, Blood Dynasty

Release Date: March 28

A dynasty indeed. Arch Enemy's fourth album with the dual-threat Alissa White-Gluz at the vocal helm reaffirms the band's powerhouse status in melodeath while still charting new ground.

Blood Dynasty marks the debut of Connecticut's son of melodic fury, Joey Concepcion (ex-The Absence, ex-Dark Tranquillity [live], ex-Sanctuary [live]), who trades pyrotechnic leads with founder Michael Amott.

As some of death metal's most elite songwriters, Arch Enemy's depth — bottom-heavy grooves, slick '80s riffage, the occasional clean-sung chorus — means 11 tracks with a metric shit-ton of individual identity. And in an era where new music is never a scarcity, this is the difference maker in securing a top-to-bottom listen.