Varials
Apt title, that. This thing is so monstrous and speaker-frazzlingly full-force that ‘light’ is the last descriptor you’d use for it. Primeval nu-metalcore like this might as well come with Varials’ name embroidered into it with how they’re looking to commandeer the sound. It’s the bass that leaps out at you first, puncturing the mix and ensuring that every headphone-user leaves a few teeth looser. Then there are the guitars crudely carved from brimstone, and the vocals that feel influenced by every repressed moment of rage that Skyler Conder has ever carried. It’s heavy, in other words, only breaking for a minute on the interlude [wouldyoufollowme] before returning to Varials’ regularly scheduled sledgehammering.
In the singular dimension that its sound inhabits, Where The Light Leaves covers its ground thoroughly. In its mind, range and flexibility are overrated; letting a fat, inescapable slab drop with no resistance is where it’s at. The closest to a second idea that Varials get is Romance II, and even then, its glance towards melody is curious and fleeting at best. Thus, as a full body of work, you really need to be in the mood for it, or at least know what you’re letting yourself in for. Stick this on for a casual, good-time spin and feel the lifeforce leak from your very being. But for a wall-punching sesh where Kublai Khan TX or Boundaries are a mite too jolly, Varials have you covered. Theirs is the most concise, no-nonsense beatdown that 2026 has provided so far.
For fans of: Boundaries, Spite, Kublai Khan TX
‘Where The Light Leaves’ by Varials is released on 27th February on Fearless Records.
Lost Society
Hell Is A State Of Mind
From listening to Hell Is A State Of Mind, you’d never believe in a million years that Lost Society started life as a thrash-metal band. They’re still metal, undoubtedly, but have grown out of their adrenaline junkie phase into something more sophisticated. Namely, they’re recording with a full orchestra, presumably to ingratiate themselves among the cadre of flashy, opulent Euro-metal heavy-hitters. ‘Symphonic metal’ is still a stretch, though; that’s a whole different bundle of expectations than what Lost Society deliver.
Nevertheless, they might just surpass it, even if grandeur proves to be Hell Is A State Of Mind’s make-or-break factor. Without it, the alt-metal production hits as a little stiff and shallow, albeit not to a derailing degree. The sound is quite appealing at its core, and metallic enough without going past the point of accessibility. Really taking everything in, though (see some added drama on Blood Diamond and L’appel Du Vide, or perfectly fitting lushness of Is This What You Wanted) is where Lost Society shine. They’re remarkably listenable and enjoyable, almost beat-for-beat like HIM in carrying that grand-but-grounded alt-metal vibe.
Also like HIM, Lost Society aren’t averse to bathing in the melodrama of it all. It takes a couple of different shapes, though—a bit of nu-metal cringe that’s too precious to dislike; a whole-chested go at necro-shrieks; the exact cadence of a Rob Zombie chorus on Dead People Scare Me (But The Living Make Me Sick). None are exactly dignified, but expecting that from a band like Lost Society might be asking too much. They abandoned the safety net of selfsame thrash-pushers to do this; the least you can do is humour them. Granted, it helps when the output is as fun as this album is.
For fans of: HIM, Children Of Bodom, Blind Channel
‘Hell Is A State Of Mind’ by Lost Society is released on 6th March on Nuclear Blast Records.
snake eyes
cash rich
The impression that snake eyes have always given was that their lack of airs conquers all. A British duo distilling their musical oeuvre into the snappily-named tag ‘grit-pop’, on top of doing away with capital letters in not just titles, but all associated copy? Yeah, you can hardly accuse them of overreaching. It’s a wonder we’re actually getting a full album from them at all, given how decompressed a medium that is. The closest they’ve gotten was the lovehate mixtape in 2021, and even that didn’t come close to cracking half-an-hour. But here, there’s a song that crosses five whole minutes?! Unheard of!
It’s fair to say, then, that cash rich holds a looser grip on what makes snake eyes tick than previous, though ‘loose’ has never been a word this band has quibbled about. The alt-rock core is no less scratchy and rudimentary; there’s just a bit more going on around it. And even then, it’s not like this is a betrayal of homespun craft or anything. Even i’m a daydream with that eye-watering runtime gets there through grunge and Britpop tones that are natural to snake eyes’ palette. Compared to songs like jar full of wasps or hdtv—what you might consider to be the more ‘traditional’ sound—it’s an extrapolation, not anything more drastic.
Of course, there’s still the larger discussion about how equipped for longer releases this duo are, even in their most solid state. cash rich is never bad, but snake eyes’ limitations are more noticeable on a longer package with more chances to run into them. The smaller, unvarnished DIY approach of soup or headache isn’t as well-accommodated. Similarly, Jim Heffy’s untrained vocals have charm on a hardscrabble EP, but that just doesn’t extend to a full-length as much. It’s the format more than the band; it can magnify what deliberately stalls about snake eyes and treats it as a flaw, not a feature.
If you can look past that, though, cash rich does work as a next step for snake eyes. The ground-level perspective in songwriting hasn’t gone anywhere, nor has a production style that couldn’t be less interested in polish or sheen. The ethos of snake eyes still rewards them overall, and that’s worth celebrating. It might not be a flawless victory, but a band like this who’ll stick to their guns in the face of a more demanding, challenging project is still pretty cool. If nothing else, there’s no danger of snake eyes losing sight of who they are.
For fans of: Beach Riot, Gaffa Tape Sandy, James And The Cold Gun
‘cash rich’ by snake eyes is released on 6th March on Alcopop! Records.
Words by Luke Nuttall
