Best Rock + Metal Songs of May – Staff Picks + Essentials
Here are the best rock and metal songs of May, 2022!
The Weekly Wire playlist is taking its once a month detour from recapping the newest rock and metal songs of the week to bring you not only the best May had to give us, but choice picks from the Loudwire staff so you can dig a bit deeper. Maybe you'll even discover a new band that rules!
THE ESSENTIALS
You know these bands and you probably heard these songs the instant they came out — midnight Spotify lurkers, we see you. These were the songs that kept May roaring:
Arch Enemy, “Sunset Over the Empire”
Behemoth, “Ov My Herculean Exile”
Dance Gavin Dance, “Pop Off”
Decapitated, “Just Like a Cigarette”
Def Leppard, “Fire It Up”
Falling in Reverse, “Voices in My Head”
Fame on Fire, “Cut Throat”
Five Finger Death Punch, “I.O.U.”
Fozzy, “The Vulture Club”
Greg Puciato, “Never Wanted That”
Grey Daze, “Starting to Fly”
GWAR, “Berserker Mode”
Halestorm, “Wicked Ways”
Jeris Johnson + ZillaKami, “Raining Blood” (Slayer cover)
Kreator, “Midnight Sun”
Krisiun, “Serpent Messiah”
Lit, “Do It Again”
Little Miss Nasty / Gina and the Eastern Block Featuring Heidi Shepherd, “Freak on a Leash” (Korn cover)
Lorna Shore, “Sun//Eater””
Maneskin, “Supermodel”
Motionless in White, “Slaughterhouse” ft. Bryan Garris
Municipal Waste, “High Speed Steel”
My Chemical Romance, “The Foundations of Decay”
Neck Deep, “STFU”
Nova Twins, “Puzzles”
Palaye Royale, “Broken”
Redlight King, “In Our Blood”
Saint Asonia, “Above It All”
Seether, “Leech”
Soilwork, “Övergivenheten”
Soulfly, “Superstition”
Spite, “Hangman”
State Champs, “Act Like That”
Suicide Silence, “Thinking In Tongues”
The Hu, “This Is Mongol”
Three Days Grace, “Redemption”
Yungblud, “Memories” ft. WILLOW
Follow the Best of the Month playlist on Spotify here.
STAFF FAVORITES
The stuff Loudwire's team has been obsessed with.
Lauryn Schaffner
BAND: The Luka State
SONG: “Bring Us Down”
RELEASED: May 18
Have you ever heard of fuzz-punk? Or punk-fuzz? I’m not sure if either are officially a thing, but The Luka State’s “Bring Us Down” made it one. The garage-y nature of the track and its angsty lyrics make for a type of distorted anarchy you don’t hear often in rock songs anymore.
BAND: Marcus King
SONG: “Rescue Me”
RELEASED: May 20
I chose Marcus King’s “Hard Working Man” as one of my staff picks last month, and as a result, I started following him more closely. I actually like his latest single “Rescue Me” even more, because it’s swampy but mellow and groovy at the same time. The funky melody of the guitar in the verses actually reminds me a bit of Iron Butterfly’s “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida,” which is such a classic in its own realm, so kudos to King for capturing such an iconic sound while still making it his own.
Toni Gonzalez
BAND: Classless Act featuring Vince Neil
SONG: “Classless Act”
RELEASED: May 20
Classless Act are about to have the opportunity of a lifetime performing on "The Stadium Tour" with huge bands Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett. They just got an extra seal of approval courtesy of Vince Neil who appears on their new song "Classless Act.” It's not too often a group names a song after their band, so there's that. What really got me curious if I'm being honest is, how does Vince Neil sound? Happy to report that he sounds great on this! As far as the band goes, they are straight up fun rock ‘n’ roll, high energy, a little dirty and very reminiscent of when rock reigned supreme. They are going to be right at home on this tour.
BAND: Coheed and Cambria
SONG: “Comatose”
RELEASED: May 18
Coheed and Cambria's new album Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind arrives on June 24, and they've just released another new song from it titled “Comatose.” Claudio Sanchez actually came on Loudwire Nights and spoke to us at length (since I asked) about Coheed’s Amory Wars comic series, but you don't need to have a firm grasp on the ongoing storyline to just appreciate this kickass song. Again, I'll write that he has one of the most unique and identifiable voices in rock and they are having so much fun with these new songs — it's contagious!
Philip Trapp
BAND: Cave In
SONG: "Reckoning"
RELEASED: May 10
The Cave In of 2022 is a welcome return for the band's longtime fans. The 2018 death of bassist Caleb Scofield — and the seeming swan song that followed, Cave In's Final Transmission — signaled the end of an era for the Massachusetts post-metal act. But from shortly after their 1995 inception, Cave In has made a name for themselves in indie metal by branching out in different, musically progressive directions. That sonic journey is epitomized uniquely on "Reckoning," this month's slow-burning single from Heavy Pendulum, Cave In's seventh album — their first with Converge bassist Nate Newton in Scofield's place.
BAND: Hundredth
SONG: "Fantasize"
RELEASED: May 19
Hundredth was once a hardcore band if you can believe it. Then, the punk upstarts from South Carolina began expanding their horizons with shoegaze and indie pop. That pivot, itself now several years ago, placed the cornerstone for Hundedth's latest musical exploits. Still substantial but no longer heavy, the group's newest single, "Fantasize," mines synthpop territory similar to Chvrches or M83. Hundredth singer Chadwick Johnson's vocals remain upfront — his throaty yowl now a shiny coo, smooth and sensual — but they're urgent in a new, unhurried way. "Fantasize'' is a soothing tune to get lost in, even if you can't mosh to it.
Mike Stern
BAND: Starcrawler
SONG: “Road Kill”
RELEASED: May 11
New label, new song, new possibilities, that’s the short career update for Los Angeles based Starcrawler. The band recently signed to Big Machine, known for shepherding the careers of artists such as Sheryl Crow and Tim McGraw. They are going on tour in Europe as support for My Chemical Romance, which promises to give big exposure to new audiences. And now they have dropped a new song “Road Kill,” which, according to lead singer Arrow De Wilde, is about anyone who tries to dig in their heels and stand in your way. “Sometimes you just have to run through them,” says De Wilde.
BAND: Matt Maeson
SONG: "Blood Runs Red”
RELEASED: May 19
Like many young artists before him, Matt Maeson has now learned about the impact of three years of constant touring and increasing levels of success. He addresses the topic in his new song “Blood Runs Red,” which he says is about finding yourself at home after the tour. “You’re left with yourself and who you’ve become while everyone else has stayed the same,” says Maeson.
Rabab Al-Sharif
BAND: Joyce Manor
SONG: “Don’t Try”
RELEASED: May 3
You can still count on California melodic punks Joyce Manor to release short and sweet sing-along bangers, and their latest “Don’t Try” is just that. The track is another preview of their impending 40 oz. to Fresno out June 10 on Epitaph. Not a lot of bells and whistles, just a way to lose yourself in your feels, even if it’s only 100 seconds.
Chad Childers
BAND: The Afghan Whigs
SONG: “The Getaway”
RELEASED: May 3
Though a band breakup thwarted the momentum of their ‘90s heyday, the Afghan Whigs are becoming the rare band whose second act could possibly be as good as or eclipse their first. Now onto their third studio album since reuniting, singer Greg Dulli and his cohorts continue to create interesting work, already earning a mention in this column for “I’ll Make You See God” earlier this year, and now getting some love for “The Getaway.” Serving up a cautionary warning with hypnotic unease, the Afghan Whigs build to a chilling string-filled climax. You can find both songs on their How Do You Burn? album.
BAND: Centershift
SONG: “And So …”
RELEASED: May 20
Onesidezero seemed to be on the verge of big things in the early 2000s, and now singer Jasan Radford could be primed for the spotlight again with his new band Centershift. The group, also featuring members of Shuvel and Bemus, issued the outstanding track “My Own World” earlier this year, and this time they’ve gone a little darker in focus, delving into the issue of domestic violence. “How could we know?” is a repeated refrain in the song, expressing the angst over an often hidden issue. With bass and drums hurtling the song forward, “And So…” is a solid follow-up single for their newly released A Different Shade EP.
BAND: Larkin Poe
SONG: “Bad Spell”
RELEASED: May 19
If you look up swagger in the dictionary this past month, they might have replaced the definition with a simple YouTube video for this song. Written as a female response to the classic Screamin’ Jay Hawkins song “I Put a Spell on You,” Larkin Poe’s Megan Lovell dishes out a guitar sound so nasty it’s bound to elicit more than a few stankface responses. Meanwhile, Rebecca Lovell’s vocal oozes ill intent as she belts, “Boy you cast a bad spell / A bad spell over me / You better beware / You better take care / I’m gonna get you it’s a guarantee.” This standout will be featured on their Blood Harmony album, due Nov. 11.
BAND: New Monarch
SONG: “The Day You Left”
RELEASED: May 12
New year, new name, new song. New Monarch (formerly Monarch) appear ready to press ahead with their debut album after introducing themselves last year with a pair of songs. Featuring former members of Red Sun Rising and Wilson, the band finds their sweet spot on “The Day You Left,” perfectly capturing the aggression and resignation of a relationship torn asunder. Alternating between attention-grabbing drum hits and muscular riffs to mournful melodic verses, New Monarch deliver one of their strongest songs to date.
BAND: Sunsleeper
SONG: “Currents”
RELEASED: May 11
Ever feel like life is a series of ebbs and flows? Utah rockers Sunsleeper know that feeling all too well, using it as inspiration for their song “Currents” that hones in on the agitated feeling of being stuck in a cycle of push and pull, yearning to break free. That said, “Currents” is a song we’re happy to be stuck on, sinking into the lush hypnotic fuzzed out melancholy and giving us a ‘90s-esque jones that we’re so happy to indulge.
Joe DiVita
BAND: Psycroptic
SONG: “Rend Asunder”
RELEASED: May 17
Aussies Psycroptic have been kickin’ for over 20 years, mainstays of 21st century tech-death and back with Divine Council, their first album in four years and eighth overall. Up first is “Rend Asunder,” which discharges tight, choppy grooves cut with a simple but dizzying guitar lead that gives this track a huge sense of push and pull. David Haley’s drumming is rigid and artfully busy, offering the perfect foundation for the rest to slide around in a way that feels so much less robotic than many of their peers.
BAND: Baest
SONG: “Creature”
RELEASED: May 6
Earlier this year, Baest issued “Gargoyles,” which features the now late Trevor Strnad of The Black Dahlia Murder fame. This next single arrives in a bittersweet fashion and the pangs of loss come flooding back as we’re reminded of the beloved death metal icon who continuously supported new artists in any way he could and was just overall a kind and sweet human being.
Seeing Strnad’s support for Baest is what first turned me on to them, so in that spirit, “Creature” gets my vote this May. As brutal as this song is, there’s plenty of classic metal flashes, which seems to be a trend of late, and a trend I wholeheartedly encourage to continue.
BAND: Temple of Void
SONG: “Hex, Curse & Conjuration”
RELEASED: May 5
For fans of Incantation and Hooded Menace, Temple of Void’s death metal and doom cocktail is not best shaken nor stirred, but churned. That’s right, “Hex, Curse & Conjuration” is all about that groove with simplicity serving as high art, countered by downbeat death metal barrages that set up ideal time signature changes to go right back into those side-to-side headbang inducing passages.
Todd Fooks
BAND: Billy Howerdel
SONG: “Free and Weightless”
RELEASED: May 12
A Perfect Circle’s co-founder says his new record to come June 10 is a “patchwork… nothing stands alone.” And that, “Thematically, everything on this record is pointed at personal relationships. The songs are a combination of a few conversations happening in a split-screen point-of-view.” “Free and Weightless,” sounding a bit like mid-stream Depeche Mode, seems to be about a desire to be unencumbered by guilt, responsibility and perhaps dominated. It’s pretty rad, can’t wait for the rest of the quilt.
BAND: Polyphia
SONG: “Playing God”
RELEASED: May 10
Whether it’s the electric slide, 6-string shred, or grinned-n-picked, you can have your face melted. Put on Polyphia’s latest single, “Playing God,” and get your mug molten five ways before it’s time for the main course.