Heavy Song of the Week is a feature on Heavy Consequence breaking down the top metal, punk, and hard rock tracks you need to hear every Friday. This week, No. 1 goes to HEALTH’s new single “ORDINARY LOSS.”
HEALTH have described their new album as one of “anger, fear, and catharsis,” and the band’s decision to announce it amidst this week’s news cycle — on September 11th of all days — seems calculated to some degree. Singer Jacob Duzsik pretty much sums it up in his album-announce quote, one of the more eye-opening press release quotes we’ve encountered in some time:
“The future is shit and the phone you are reading this on is making it worse, but please don’t put it down.”
The misanthropy extends to the music itself, as heard on the opening track and lead single “ORDINARY LOSS.” Electro-industrial percussion pounds away through a claustrophobic mix, the only concession to melody being Duzsik’s unmistakable, clean-sung coos. But even those are used to transport some grim phrases (“All that’s left is sadness” … “The dead are blessed with no dreams”). Harsh music for harsher times.
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Honorable Mentions:
AFI – “Holy Visions”
“Holy Visions” is another fine example of AFI‘s current sonic direction, which is basically full-blown ’80s gothic new-wave worship. If there’s one knock on this track versus the previous single — a HSOTW selection — it’s that AFI get a little too ’80s trope-y here, whereas “Behind the Clock” saw the band exploring an open-ended arrangement that was more distinct in character. Still, this is topshelf stuff if you’re in the market for goth new wave in 2025.
Bad Omens – “Impose”
Bad Omens continue to subvert expectations, ditching metal and metalcore entirely on the R&B-tinged “Impose.” The use of breakbeats and electronic textures results in a melodic cascade that rises and falls in volume. Singer Noah Sebastian follows suit, his emotive vocals remaining steady and unwavering, never quite rising to a scream. The band wear this style well — maybe too well, at least for the contingency of fans who prefer when Bad Omens keep it more metalcore.
Coheed and Cambria – “Key Entity Extraction VII: Yuko the Trivial”
If you don’t keep up with Coheed and Cambria‘s ongoing world-building concept albums — the band has its own saga of sci-fi lore at this point — approaching a song titled “Key Entity Extraction VII: Yuko the Trivial” might seem like jumping into the proverbial deep end. Thankfully, you don’t need to know much about the band’s “entities” or storylines to enjoy their latest single. This four-minute pop rocker is as accessible as anything in the band’s canon, and even if the lyrics are informed by a narrative, they’re universal enough to stand on their own.
