Singles and EPs | Aural Aggravation

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Watch: ‘Bug Out Bag’ by Barren Womb

Posted: 27 March 2025 in Reviews, Singles and EPs
Tags: Barren Womb, Bug Out Bag, Chemical Tardigrade, Groove, Noise Rock, Punk, Single, Sludge, Stream, Video

Nordic noise-rockers Barren Womb are back with a brand-new video for ‘Bug Out Bag,’ taken from their critically acclaimed fifth album Chemical Tardigrade, which got a thumbs up from us here at Aural Aggravation.

The video premiered at Decibel Magazine, who praised the band’s sound as “angular and pulsating electronic rock/noise/hardcore that lands somewhere between Refused, Daughters, and NoMeansNo on one end, and the ‘Bigs’ (Business and Black) on the other.”

A chaotic burst of gritty visuals and manic energy, the video perfectly mirrors the band’s twisted blend of punk defiance, sludgy grooves, and raw minimalism. Watch it now here:

Their latest LP, Chemical Tardigrade (Fucking North Pole Records / Blues For The Red Sun), dives deeper into melodic and emotional territories without losing their unhinged core. Tracks like ‘Campfire Chemist’ and ‘Dung Lung’ showcase their evolution while retaining the band’s punchy edge and signature offbeat humor (‘D-Beatles,’ anyone?).

And they’re taking it back on the road with the newly announced More Chemicals 2025 European tour, check out the confirmed dates below.

MORE CHEMICALS 2025
01.05 – CZ Pilsen, Družba
02.05 – DE Leipzig, Zwille
03.05 – DE Bielefeld, Drum Hard
04.05 – BE Licthervelde, PrintbaAr
05.05 – FR Strasbourg, Le Local
06.05 – BE Antwerp, Antwerp Music City
07.05 – DE Osnabrück, Bastard Club
08.05 – DE Braunschweig, Spunk
09.05 – DK Odense, Ilter Festival
10.05 – NO Oslo, Desertfest Oslo
16.05 – NO Trondheim, Pøbelrock
26.07 – NO Hønefoss, Malstrømfestivalen
01.08 – NO Horten, Kanalrock
03–06.09 – SE Örebro, Live at Heart
18.09 – FI Turku, TBA
19.09 – FI Tampere, TBA
20.09 – FI Helsinki, TBA

Chess Smith – Drama King

Posted: 27 March 2025 in Reviews, Singles and EPs
Tags: abuse, Bounce Back, Chess Smith, Drama King, narcissism, Pop, Recovery, Single Review, Top of the Pops

27th March 2025

Christopher Nosnibor

Chess Smith, the self-styled ‘Queen of the High Held Head Walk’ continues her return to the musical fray after four years out, having split from the band she fronted and become a parent, and follows the energetic pop statement of intent that was ‘Bounce Back’ with ‘Drama King’. Writing about it here feels a shade incongruous, given Aural Aggravation’s commitment to all things as far away from the mainstream as it’s possible to conceive, because as was the case with its predecessor, ‘Drama King’ is a tightly-packed and meticulously delivered slice of pop that’s overtly commercial and as mainstream-orientated as it gets. But Chess hasn’t broken into the mainstream consciousness yet, and having grown up and discovered music by watching Top of the Pops and listening to the Top 40 on Radio 1 in the 80s, I am never going to be snobby about pop music as a thing, and reckon I know a decent pop tune when I hear one. And this fits the bill nicely.

Time have changed since the 80s, of course, and technology and production values have evolved significantly, and his singles then would be considered demo quality now. Suffice it to say, Smith has it all absolutely nailed here.

‘Drama King’ three-and-a-half minutes of stirring, soulful and incredibly slick pop. The production is smooth, clean, crisp, and everything is ironed to wrinkle-free perfection on this uplifting, buoyant tune. But she balances style with substance, as she navigates the difficult terrain of narcissism and abuse:

You chase

Manipulate

Create

participate

Erase

And if word escapes

You retaliate

Interrogate

Deny ever to participate

Proof overtakes

And It escalates

It may be easy on the ear, but this is strong stuff. That she’s drawing on experience and processing through art is powerful. That she speaks for so many is a grim reality. Calling this shit out is really only the start, but a start it is. Chess is back, alright, and her voice needs to be heard.

Listen: ‘Drömtorp’ by Korean Cars

Posted: 27 March 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: #1, Drömtorp, Korean cars, Mas-Kina Recordings, melodic, Post Rock, Single, Stream

Norwegian post-rock outfit Korean Cars are set to release their debut mini-album “#1” on May 23 via Mas-Kina Recordings — and the leading single ‘Drömtorp’ is now available.

‘Drömtorp’ sets the tone for the record — a haunting yet powerful track that captures the emotional intensity and melodic depth at the heart of Korean Cars’ sound.

Listen here:

Korean Cars · Drömtorp

Blending melancholic post-rock with melodic post-hardcore, Korean Cars create a dynamic soundscape where atmospheric depth meets raw emotional release. Drawing from the alternative and post-hardcore scenes of the ’90s and 2000s, the band’s sound fuses soaring melodies, jagged noise, and unpredictable shifts into a captivating experience.

Formed by members of Rumble in Rhodos, Infidels Forever, Arms on Fire, and Insense, Korean Cars combine seasoned musicianship with a shared passion for layered, emotionally charged songwriting. Their sound echoes the cinematic textures of Explosions in the Sky and the emotional punch of Trail of Dead — a beautiful chaos of melody and intensity.

Watch: ‘Valojuovat’ by Ceresian Valot

Posted: 26 March 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: Albert Camus, Ceresian Valot, dystopian, news. alternative, progressive rock, Prophecy Productions, Single, Stream, stress, Uumen, Valojuovat, Video

CERESIAN VALOT release a visualiser for the next single ‘Valojuovat’ (‘Tracers’) taken from the forthcoming debut full-length Uumen (Depths). The first album of the Finnish heavy alternative band has been scheduled for release on May 23, 2025.

Wille Naukkarinen writes: “The new advance single ‘Valojuovat’ is one of the most recent songs that I wrote for Uumen and my personal favourite on this album”, the guitarist and main songwriter reveals. “I don’t have much to tell about the composition process, because this was one of those rare cases where the song basically wrote itself. The instrumental version was completed pretty quickly. It’s a mix of prog and melancholia, showcasing both our quieter and heavier side in a very melodic way. I recommend to listen to ‘Valojuovat’ with your eyes closed.”

Panu Perkiömäki adds: “This song has strong dystopic vibes”, the vocalist opines. “The key idea of the song is inspired by the writing of Albert Camus. It’s a song about wars and other manmade disasters. It is also a song about solving problems by changing the channel, if the news get too stressful. ‘Valojuovat’ does even contain some doubts about religions and their infallibility.”

Watch: ‘Grief’ by Divide and Dissolve

Posted: 25 March 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: Bella Union, Divide and Dissolve, Emotive, grief, Insatiable, instrumental, Single, Stream, Video

Helmed by Black and Cherokee composer and multi-instrumentalist Takiaya Reed, Divide and Dissolve will release their new album, Insatiable, on April 18 via Bella Union.

The 10 track album run the gamut of doom metal – from the ear-splitting depths of lead single ‘Monolithic’, to contemplative, softer moments on the aptly titled song ‘Grief’, released today. Like all of Divide and Dissolve’s music, Insatiable is almost entirely instrumental.

While the album’s sheer grandiosity represents an evolution in Divide and Dissolve’s sound, it also marks the very first time that Takiaya has ever lent vocals to a D//D song. On ’Grief’ her distorted voice echoes atop a vibrating bass tone, repeating the lyrics: “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do/ I’m so lonely without you.” Takiaya explains, “The voice is such a mysterious instrument. This album feels different, and I wanted to honour that”.

The director of the music video, Sepi Mashiahof, adds; “The music video for ‘Grief’ is an ode to the feelings of empowerment, resistance, and sadness that Divide and Dissolve weaves into our bodies. It’s an expressionist diary made up of dissonant and revelatory memories. Grief eclipses everything around us, innocuously lingering in the functional movements of our daily lives, then aggressively literal in the reflective silence behind our eyes. Grief is inherent to our existence, knowing that a better world exists for all of us and its potential is boundless, yet we’re made to suffer the atrocities of greed and exploitation instead. We can honor Grief as a passage of life, but we must resist the forces that impose it as a numbness to injustice.”

Divide and Dissolve live dates (so far):

18-05-2025 Desertfest London – London
30-08-2025 Supersonic Festival – Birmingham

Photo credit: Brandon McClain @eathumans

Watch: ‘Trick of the Light’ by Charming Disaster

Posted: 24 March 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: chance, Charming Disaster, goth-folk, lore, Nature, oracle deck, Single, spooky, The Double, Trick of the Light, vampires, video stream

Ahead of the release of their new album, The Double, Brooklyn-based goth-folk duo Charming Disaster have unveiled a video for the track ‘Trick of the Light’.

The Double invites listeners to step across the border of an alternate reality, where spells are cast, time travel is possible, plants are taking over civilization, and vampires lurk in the shadows. Adventures in the darkness lie beyond the threshold.

The album’s ten songs include ‘Black Locust,’ a lullaby about mortality; ‘New Moon,’ a magical nature ritual; ‘Trick of the Light,’ a reimagining of Bram Stoker’s Dracula; ‘Time Machine,’ in which Charming Disaster change the past and start over again; ‘Scavengers,’ a walk in the woods with vultures and bones; ‘Beautiful Night,’ a defiant response to struggles with depression; ‘Vitriol,’ a tribute to artist Thomas Little, who turns guns into ink; ‘Haunted Lighthouse,’ a swashbuckling sea voyage; ‘Gang of Two,’ a true crime adventure; and ‘Green Things,’ a love letter to what grows between the cracks (and its inevitable takeover).

The album features an array of talented collaborators. Co-producer Don Godwin, who has worked on Charming Disaster’s entire discography, contributed bass, drums, and horns as well as engineering and mixing. ‘Haunted Lighthouse’ features Broadway percussionist Mike Dobson along with circus composer Peter Bufano, who played piano and accordion and engineered the track at Cirkestra World Headquarters in Boston, MA (with additional tracking at Tonal Park). ‘Scavengers’ features cello recorded by Kate Wakefield of the duo Lung, who also created the string arrangement for ‘Beautiful Night.’ Stefan Zeniuk of Gato Logo contributed saxophone to ‘Green Things.’

In conjunction with The Double, Charming Disaster is releasing the second edition of their “oracle deck” (similar to a Tarot deck). The Charming Disaster Oracle Deck contains 72 cards (including 12 new cards for the second edition), each representing one of the songs from Charming Disaster’s discography. The cards feature illustrations commissioned from more than thirty different artists. The deck can be used as a divination tool, or as a visual accompaniment to Charming Disaster’s music. The duo themselves use these cards in their live performances to determine the set through the element of chance.

Listen: ‘Ariadne (feat. Jared Hardwick of Tengu Taiko Drummers)’ by Papillon de Nuit

Posted: 24 March 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: Ariadne (feat. Jared Hardwick of Tengu Taiko Drummers), Dramatic, Gothic, operatic, Papillon de Nuit, Single, Stream, The Cure, The Mission, theatrical, Young Thugs

Having completed a trilogy of experimental songs, Papillon de Nuit begin a new cycle, reaching for the epic, and with a more structured (but no less adventurous) approach. With Steve Whitfield on board (The Cure, The Mission) as Producer, and an array of incredibly talented, diverse musicians and singers, Ariadne is the first release in this phase. We are delighted to share it with you.

Continue with us on our journey….

Watch: Metamorph – Crown of Shattered Glass

Posted: 22 March 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: Crown of Shattered Glass, electro, Gothy, Margot Day, Metamorph, Single, Stream, Video, witchy

METAMORPH has just revealed their new single – a gut-punch of emotion and power, ‘Crown of Shattered Glass’. The song is impossible to ignore—a warrior cry wrapped in razor-sharp gothic rock.

Margot Day’s bold vocals cut through a cinematic soundscape of pounding beats and darkwave edge, delivering a chorus that demands to be felt: “Shattered, shattered, I’m stronger than you know”. Every lyric carries the weight of a hard-earned victory. The shattered glass isn’t a weakness—it’s a crown. This is the sound of breaking free.
With sharp lyricism and relentless energy, this track transforms heartbreak into pure power, hitting hard and lingering long after the last note.

As the Wheel of the Year turns, METAMORPH unveils a new track every six weeks, each one an incantation of power, love, and defiance—all leading to a full METAMORPH album this fall.

Listen: ‘The Artroom Wonder’ by Peter Murphy

Posted: 21 March 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: Bauhaus, Dramatic, Electropop, Justin Chancellor, Metropolis Records, Petyer Murphy, Silver Shade, single stream, The Artroom Wonder, Tool, Youth

Having issued ‘Let The Flowers Grow’ (a surprise duet with Boy George) as a standalone single in late 2024, original post-punk icon Peter Murphy followed it in mid-February with ‘Swoon’, a majestic slice of synth-punk/funk that also served as a perfect Valentine’s Day gift for his fans.

‘The Artroom Wonder’ is available as a brand new single from today (21st March), with Murphy explaining its genesis as “an echo from my 4th year at senior school. Daniel Ash [former Bauhaus bandmate] and I are listening to the mysterious 6th year cool intelligentsia that have gathered in the artroom. We have dared to enter their conclave, and the music coming from it is intriguing. We discover that the song being played is [David Bowie’s] ‘The Bewlay Brothers’, highly intelligent, mystical and sensual, with the singer’s voice as seductive as anyone I’d ever heard.”

Justin Chancellor of Tool plays bass guitar on ‘The Artroom Wonder’, one of several guest musicians on Murphy’s new album Silver Shade, which is scheduled for release on 9th May 2025 via Metropolis Records on 2xLP (with colour variants), CD and digitally. Containing both ‘Swoon’ and ‘The Artroom Wonder’, the physical and Bandcamp digital formats will also include ‘Let The Flowers Grow’ as a bonus track.

Produced by Youth (Pink Floyd, The Verve, Crowded House, as well as a member of Killing Joke, The Orb, The Firemen) at his studio in Spain, ‘Silver Shade’ is Murphy’s tenth studio album and a long-awaited follow-up to ‘Lion’, which the pair worked on together a decade ago. A symbiotic relationship born of artistic collaboration, Murphy states that “this new album is as powerful as any of my work to date.”

Listen: ‘King of Rome’ by Melvins

Posted: 19 March 2025 in Recommended Streams and Videos, Singles and EPs
Tags: Ipecac Recordings, King of Rome, Melvins, Melvins 1983, Ni Maîtres, Riff, single stream, Thunderball, Void Manes

Melvins 1983 – the lineup featuring Buzz Osborne and original drummer Mike Dillard – offer a second preview of Thunderball (out 18th April, Ipecac Recordings) with today’s release of ‘King of Rome’.

The charging track once again features contributions from avant-electronic artists Void Manes and Ni Maîtres, with Osborne saying of the song;
“The ‘King of Rome!! Hot Cross Buns! This song is a hot little punk rock number. I hope all of you enjoy it and tell your friends.”

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