Haulix Recommends: The Best New Music of May 28, 2021

new music

From the crushing new EP by Of Mice & Men to unexpected and unplugged Gwar recordings, there is something for everyone among this week’s new music releases.

Life will probably never be the same as it was before the COVID pandemic took the world by storm. Mourning the loss of the world we knew is normal, but it’s important to recognize all the good that continues to exist. Each new week brings us music that has the potential to change countless lives, and this week’s batch of new releases is no exception. There are too many good records for us to mention, but here are four we believe everyone should experience. This is the best new music of the week.


Of Mice & Men – Bloom EP (Sharptone)

Few bands successfully transition from Warped Tour headliners to mainstream rock phenoms. Even less undergo this evolution without losing the sound that made fans love them in the first place. Of Mice & Men have accomplished both, and they’ve done so while releasing the best music of their career. 2021 marks a new experiment in how the band releases music. They no longer think about their songs as being contained to albums. Instead, they’re giving fans new music as regularly as possible, and this latest batch of tracks is nothing short of exceptional. Come for the crushing heaviness and stay for the urgent, heartfelt lyricism. You won’t regret it.


Gwar – Disc With No Name (Pit Records)

Anyone who tells you they are coming out of the last year unchanged is probably lying. Every last one of us spent the last year longing for things we took for granted and regretting things we chose not to do. We often wondered if we would ever get to do the things we love again, and thankfully, it looks like we will. Gwar is no exception. The aliens that are hell-bent on ruling us pathetic humans are sharing something unexpected on Disc With No Name. It’s a collection of unplugged and fully reimagined performances that capture the beauty of the brutality that makes Gwar unique. You’ve never heard of death threat sound as beautiful as it does on this recording, and the fact it arrives just before the band can return to the road and slay audiences everywhere is the icing on an already great cake.


Alestorm – Live In Tilburg (Napalm Records)

It takes a very skilled group of musicians to take a concept as silly as drunken pirate metal and make audiences view it as a legit art form. Alestorm is the only band up to the challenge. After a year without concerts, the band celebrates their return to touring with a live record that captures their performative madness. Consider this a drinking album for people who aren’t ready to return to crowds but deeply desire to be amongst metalheads again. It also works as a perfect marketing tool for the band’s upcoming tour dates. We’ll see you in the pit.


Chris Campbell – Orison (Innova Recordings)

Most music is trying to sell you an idea or lifestyle. The songs you hear on the radio or recommended through algorithmic playlists try to figure out what you want and then sell it to you. It’s a good racket if you can manage to write things that are both catchy and vague enough to be twisted into an auditory sales funnel, but it’s not for everyone. Chris Campbell, for example, has almost nothing to sell. His music asks that we take a look within. He’s writing meditative arrangements meant to deepen your understanding of self. Orison is a seven-track exploration of consciousness and awareness that pleads with us to break from society and focus — at least momentarily — on our well-being as individuals. Campbell understands that we need one another to get by, but first, we must learn to love ourselves. Orison is the soundtrack for overdue self-care and healing. Please don’t take it for granted.


New Music Friday recommendations feature a collection of new releases from Haulix clients chosen by the company staff. Join Haulix today and gain immediate access to the industry’s leading digital promotional distribution platform: http://haulix.com/signup.

James Shotwell