Wipe the blood from your teeth and get in the pit: it’s time for a recap of this week’s best hardcore, metal, and punk rock. It’s a new year and the perfect time to get amped up on some new heavy tunes. Looking for some new death metal to bring into your life? Got you covered. Need some grindcore to get your wedding reception off on the right foot? Say no more. Strap in, kiddies; it’s time to rock.

We’re kicking things off this week with a premiere from the band Droughts. These guys play a brand of frantic post-hardcore that worms its way into your soul and stays there: think bands like Hot Cross, Modern Life is War, and Touche Amore. We’ve insanely stoked to be sharing the track “Marionette” from their upcoming LP, Stay Behind. You can hear it below and experience the wall of sound Droughts brings first hand. Raw and kinetic, Droughts’ sound walks a line of total control and complete chaos. There’s an undeniable energy to this track, something visceral and real.

You click the pic above to pre-order Stay Behind and listen to “Marionette” below.

Boy oh boy, do we love Tournament’s sleazy sound. It’s punk as all hell and it brings with it a sense of audio carnage that can only be visually captured with a montage of sex, violence, and horror. Fortunately for us, Derrick Beckles (VICE TV, TV Carnage, Adult Swim) did just that. The track “Ooze” crashes through your speakers while shit blows up, ladies dance, and battles ensue. It’s madness, in the best possible way. Tournament just finished playing a Planned Parenthood benefit out in NYC, which is just another reason to love them. This is what rock n’ roll is all about, people. Fight the power, embrace the carnage, and rock ’til you drop.

There’s something so joyous about discovering a new awesome band. We’ve just learned about Drip-Fed and they are freaking rad. They mix punk rock and post-hardcore into a mean cacophony of riffs and screams that will rattle your bones and shake your spirit. The end result is something wholly unique and beautifully fervent; a true one of a kind. “The Shivers” is an earnest and impassioned song that we’ve had on repeat for days, because it’s just too good. Drip-Fed is a band to watch, no doubt.

(PunkNews)

Stop everything. Mastodon, guys. Mastodon. The lords of the riff have returned and we welcome them with violent praise and bloody sacrifice. The final day of March 2017 will bring the band’s new LP Emperor of Sand into the world and our souls are quivering in anticipation. The first single from the album is a jam called “Sultan’s Curse” and it’s a beauty. Tonally, it falls somewhere between Crack the Skye and Once More ‘Round the Sun. It’s catchy and, at times, hypnotic. Of course, it’s also Mastodon, so there’s plenty of furious guitar work and frenzied drumming, too. It’s good, in other words. We’re ready for more. We’re ready to worship at the feet of the kings. We’re ready for Emperor of Sand.

Pallbearer are a band that just keeps getting better and better. We caught them last year when they opened for Baroness, and it was a kickass show. These guys are spacey, heavy, and filled with doom. Their stuff is filled with harmony, but there’s a dark edge to it, too. Take, for instance, the newly premiered track “Thorns.” It manages to be both ugly and beautiful, light and dark. You call them doom metal, no doubt, but there’s more to Pallbearer than that. They’re pushing boundaries, crafting a sound that’s big and all-consuming. They’re Cthulhu in sonic form. If you haven’t experienced them, we highly recommend you give the track below a spin. You should also try to catch them when they hit your town on tour, because seeing them live is a real treat.

That’s it for us this week. Got a grindcore, deathcore, hardcore, metal, or punk jam you think the world needs to hear? Let us know about it in the comments below.

Image: Mastodon/Reprise

Gif: Cartoon Network/Regular Show

Benjamin Bailey writes for the Nerdist and can be found on Twitter talking about Godzilla, comic books, and hardcore music.