Rock legends Smashing Pumpkins and alternative newcomer Year Over Year deliver some of this week’s best new music.

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.

Smashing Pumpkins – Cyr (Sumerian Records)

A band that needs no introduction, Smashing Pumpkins continue to evolve with Cyr, their eleventh studio album and first release with Sumerian Records. The twenty-track record finds Billy Corgan and his bandmates exploring new sonic territory without sacrificing the songwriting that built their career. There are songs about the passing of time and the regrets we carry with us and several tracks addressing the state of the world. It’s a wild and unruly journey that will keep fans enamored with the seemingly boundless talent of modern rock’s most interesting band.

Year Over Year – The Love We Think We Deserve (Independent)

Being in your twenties can be difficult. Between transitioning from childhood to adulthood, changing social circles, searching for careers, discovering your identity, and longing for love, chaos abounds. Doing all that amid the first global pandemic in a century is enough to break even the strongest people, but thankfully, music exists to help keep our heads above water. Year Over Year‘s new album, The Love We Think We Deserve, takes the calamity of life today and channels it into a deeply soulful journey that provides comfort as you process whatever is causing you pain. It’s the happy-sad record of the year. Please don’t sleep on it.

Within the Ruins – Black Heart (eOne)

No one would blame Within The Ruins for resting on their laurels. The Massachusetts-based group has spent the last decade rising through modern metal’s competitive world with a slew of beloved records. They can play anywhere, and an audience will appear ready to mosh and scream along to every track, but that isn’t enough for them. Black Heart is a battle cry. Within The Ruins don’t want to be one of the best in their field. They want to be the number one band on the planet, and they are fighting for that position with a relentlessly aggressive release that more than proves their strength.

Hatebreed – Weight of the False Self (Nuclear Blast)

COVID-19 delayed the release of Hatebreed‘s new album for seven months, but the wait was worth it. Weight of the False Self finds Jamey Jasta and crew at their absolute best, delivering anthems of perseverance and mental fortitude despite impossible odds. The album urges fans to shake themselves from the illusion that they are somehow special or different than others. We are only here for a limited time, and we will struggle every day that we have air in our lungs. The only way to get ahead is to fight for what we want, work together, and never lose hope. That is all that matters, and Hatebreed gives us a collection of songs on this album to cement that information in our hearts and minds.

Fast-rising Canadian alternative project Year Over Year stops by Inside Music to discuss recording and maintaining momentum amid a global pandemic.

Since the dawn of the digital age, no year has been as difficult for indie artists to navigate as 2020. Between the lack of performance opportunities and the fact that everyone is distracted by the numerous fires (both literal and figurative) raging around the world, staying afloat without a label’s support is hard. Many musicians have put their careers on hold in hopes 2021 is better, but the bravest artists are forging ahead and adapting in whatever ways they can. Year Over Year‘s Dorian Pintaric is the type to never give up or give in, and music fans everywhere are the beneficiaries of his unflinching dedication to creative expression.

In this episode of Inside Music, host James Shotwell chats with Pintaric about his work as Year Over Year. Dorian shares the work that went into the band’s EP and details his creative process. The pair also discuss the legitimacy of so-called “writing tips” offered in books and blog, as well as their hopes for 2021.

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