ABRAMS – Loon

Posted on May 18, 2026 by Real Gone

Combining a stoner rock swagger and a post hardcore crunch, ‘Glass House’ by Abrams isn’t particularly shy when it comes to sharing a huge riff. Throughout the track, the band attack with a real intent, and although there are moments where a superb drum sound feels like the dominant force, a really crunchy Helmet influenced guitar sound brings a huge amount of weight to an impressive, heavy melody. The bulk of this performance delights in sharing a great groove, but even when Abrams slow things enough to drop into a classic hardcore breakdown, or unexpectedly break into a thrashy riff to finish, the tones and attitude shared are absolutely first rate.

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Listen: Tooth Gore releases new single ‘Scum Of The Sea’

Posted on May 15, 2026 by Real Gone

Over the past year, one man band Tooth Gore has released some fantastic singles and a really enjoyable album. For a musician working in a DIY fashion, Kobi Joe has covered a lot of ground in a really short time, peaking with a tour of the Philippines in early 2026.

Showing no signs of slowing down, a new Tooth Gore single has just been released, and it’s one of their best tracks to date. ‘Scum of The Sea’ opens with a steady beat and a chopping guitar, initially hinting at a strong blend of power pop and surf rock, before introducing a fuzzy guitar that owes more to an old alternative rock sound. From solid foundations, a quiet verse serves up a very 60s influenced riff alongside a melodic vocal, forming one of the band’s most accessible tracks.

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THE REAL GONE SINGLES BAR #156

Posted on May 14, 2026 by Real Gone

Welcome back to the Singles Bar, the place where we explore some of the more interesting individual tracks that have landed in our inbox over the last few weeks. This selection takes in two very different sounding pop bangers from emerging artists from opposite ends of the globe, a very knowing synth based track from a familiar name, a cover tune from a prolific, well known act…and more besides. As always, we hope you find something new to enjoy!

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SLAYER – Hell Awaits: 40th Anniversary

Posted on May 12, 2026 by Real Gone

Although Slayer would become absolute legends of thrash and their third and fifth albums (‘Reign In Blood’ and ‘Seasons In The Abyss’) would be considered genre classics, the band’s formative years presented a less polished band in many ways. Their debut LP ‘Show No Mercy’ had the speed, but not necessarily the songs or production values. Tracks like ‘Evil Has No Boundaries’ and ‘Die By The Sword’ had a sense of force, but with Tom Araya’s vocal sounding like a man shouting into a bucket and the higher registers of Jeff Hanneman’s guitar cutting through everything at ear bleeding levels, it wouldn’t be until later, via the band’s live shows circa 1991, that the true potential in these songs would become clear. With several years’ distance, other numbers like ‘Fight Till Death’ and ‘Face The Slayer’ just sound a little naive, even if in 1983, Slayer’s speed and aggression was forging a new path for metal.

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Listen: Mercers unveil new single ‘Cleanse/Repeat’

Posted on May 11, 2026 by Real Gone

Mercers are a new band for 2026, but a couple of their members already have a foothold within the metal/alternative scenes. Two ex-members of nu-metal band Fony take a new musical direction here, bringing a genuine intensity to their work, and a more aggressive approach hits with a genuine immediacy on their new single ‘Cleanse/Repeat’.

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