Heavy Song of the Week is a feature on Heavy Consequence breaking down the top metal, punk, and hard rock tracks you need to hear every Friday. This week, No. 1 goes to Chevelle’s first new track in four years, “Rabbit Hole (Cowards, Pt. 1).”
Chevelle are a curious band that, not unlike Deftones, tend to transcend their general categorization as “alternative metal.”
For instance, their new song and first in four years, “Rabbit Hole (Cowards, Pt. 1),” could easily appeal to fans of Radiohead or Muse, as well as your average modern metal radio listener. A dark, four-minute slow burn, the atmospheric track expands to a crushing metallic breakdown as singer-guitarist Pete Loeffler’s unwavering falsetto soars in full flight, his lyrics reflecting on post-internet paranoia and the culture of “doomscrolling.”
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It remains to be seen if the single is foreshadowing a new album, though it seems likely, as Chevelle also announced tour dates this week.
Honorable Mentions:
Alien Weaponry featuring Randy Blythe – “Taniwha”
Alien Weaponry go tech-death on the final pre-release single from their new album, Te Rā. The band wears this style well, and the melodic chorus featuring lyrics in the Māori language is a nice touch, contrasting with some of the most brutal riffs and breakdowns the New Zealanders have ever laid down. Perhaps the presence of guest vocalist Randy Blythe provoked their more extreme side. The Lamb of God singer provides some vocal grit to the mix, as well as an ominous spoken-word passage.
Dead Poet Society – “HURT (feat. The Warning)”
This seamless collab between Dead Poet Society and Mexican sisters-trio The Warning was apparently sparked by the latter’s Pau Villarreal rocking out to Dead Poet Society on TikTok. Pau and sister Dany provide additional vocals on “HURT,” and their verse hits hard, with melodic shout-singing that cuts through the mix. Musically, the track falls in Dead Poet Society’s wheelhouse of heavy alternative rock, bolstered by massive chorus drops.
Evanescence – “Afterlife”
Evanescence‘s new song “Afterlife” is a defacto anime theme song of sorts, as it was written in collaboration with Netflix’s adaptation of the Devil May Cry video game series and came with an accompanying video featuring scenes/dialog from the series, ala early-internet AMVs (anime music videos). The song is classic Evanescence, with brooding gothic verse sections that build into explosive alt-metal choruses with full-throated singing from Amy Lee. It’s perhaps best experienced with the Devil May Cry video, as the cinematic sweep of the band’s music works really well in the context of anime.
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