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Now Hear This: Sophie K on the best new post-hardcore, metal and rock

Kerrang! Radio host Sophie K brings you the new bands you need to check out now – including Cassyette, Jeris Johnson and Kind Eyes.

Now Hear This: Sophie K on the best new post-hardcore, metal and rock
Words:
Sophie K

I know it was a couple of weeks ago, but I’m still buzzing about Architects getting a Number One album. When a metal band achieves something like that, it feels like a win for us all. It's like a collective 'fuck you' to the world; we are powerful when we want to be. That positivity was what we needed when the news has been pretty grim.

So, anyway, here is some new music that has been tickling my fancy. The thing it all has in common is I found every band on TikTok – don’t knock it until you try it. Once you get into the right algorithm you can find some pretty awesome stuff – it's like the new Myspace.

Jeris Johnson

Jeris divided metal fans big time. Most rock fans first heard him when he did a reloaded version of Last Resort with Papa Roach, but he was killing it on TikTok way before that. He grew up in a musical household and has always been fan of metal. But like everyone in the new gen his taste was eclectic. He made a name for himself on TikTok doing remixes and reimagining rock tracks. However, his big break came when he did Damn with Chad Kroeger from Nickelback. Then he went on to record Last Resort (Reloaded) with Papa Roach two weeks after uploading his version. Then he worked with Bring Me The Horizon. Now he has released his own stuff. Some old-school people may try to write it off as pop, but what’s more metal than writing about your sword?

Cassyette

Cassyette has become a star for her unique vintage rock style and beautiful covers. Her voice has that classic whiskey-soaked, husky sound that we associate with the greats. I love that her new track taps into a more familiar sound for the older and younger fans, it's everything you would want from a pop-metal crossover. Cassyette said about this song: "It's about feeling sick of society's standards, brainwashing systems and feeling like you don't belong". Seeing how she's doing, I'm definitely excited to see how the crossover will be from TikTok to real-world ticket sales.

Kind Eyes

This is what I’m talking about! This track has the kind of rebellion, aggression and no-fucks-given attitude I want from my music. The band are politically outspoken and deliver face-melting hardcore heaviness. It's super early days for these guys, but it sounds like they are quite cemented in their sound. They are amassing big views over on TikTok and starting conversations; it is cool to see the level of diversity offered to fans of heavy music on the app and I can’t wait for it to be reflected on tour line ups.

Røsé

Røsé is an absolute newcomer on the scene but probably my favourite on this list. This track fuses all types of sounds and is her only release that I could find. On first listen I felt like this is the kind of track Halsey wanted to write on Badlands but some exec said 'less guitar'. Then out comes this really vintage '90s chorus that sounds like it's straight out of the Buffy The Vampire Slayer universe. Yeah, I went there. If her music continues to this standard then Røsé is likely to be a massive hit.

As Everything Unfolds

When looking at the number of views this band gets, you would easily expect them to be seasoned old timers, but As Everything Unfolds are actually due to release their debut album, Within Each Lies The Other, on March 26. I love that this band aren't trying to get on the current thing of indie bands trying to sound heavy; this lot are unapologetically post-hardcore. They are a British band and have played with the likes of Dream State and Palm Reader, but I actually haven’t seen them live yet. I bet it would be a great show.

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