October’s Best Rock + Metal Songs: Staff Picks + Essentials

The Weekly Wire playlist is taking it's once a month detour from recapping the newest rock and metal songs of the week once a month to bring you not only the best October 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!

You know these bands and you probably heard these songs the instant they came out — midnight Spotify lurkers, we see you. Waiting for these is the only thing that keeps you going in 2020.

AC/DC, “Shot in the Dark”
Architects, “Animals”
Atreyu, “Save Us”
BMTH, “Teardrops”
Cane Hill, “Power of the High”
Butcher Babies, “Bottom of a Bottle”
Fever 333, “Bite Back”
Five Finger Death Punch, “Wrong Side of Heaven” (acoustic)
Greta Van Fleet, “My Way, Soon”
Hatebreed, “Instinctive (Slaughterlust)”
Hollywood Undead, “Heart of a Champion” (feat. Jacoby Shaddix + Spencer Charnas)
Killer Be Killed, “Dream Gone Bad”
Linkin Park, “Pictureboard”
Pearl Jam, “Get It Back”
Puscifer, “The Underwhelming”
Rob Zombie, “The Triumph of King Freak”
Saul, “Looking to Fight”
Sevendust, “Dying to Live”
Smashing Pumpkins, “Anno Satana”
The Struts, “I Hate How Much I Want You” (feat. Joe Elliott + Phil Collen)
While She Sleeps, “Sleeps Society”

Follow the Weekly Wire playlist on Spotify here.

RABAB AL-SHARIF

Spiritbox, “Holy Roller (feat. Ryo Kinoshita)”
HQ: Vancouver Island, Canada
RELEASED: Oct. 1

Spiritbox and Crystal Lake are among the most exciting bands in modern metalcore, so when the former dropped a new version of their already popular “Holy Roller” featuring that latter’s vocalist — Ryo Kinoshita — the community was understandably hyped. And the track didn’t disappoint. The song is still equally beautiful and brutal with Kinoshita adding some truly incredible lows that complement Spiritbox vocalist Courtney LaPlante perfectly. Both of these vocalists are top tier.

Pinkshift, “Rainwalk”
HQ: Baltimore, Maryland
RELEASED: Oct. 23

Pinkshift are still fairly new to the DIY-punk scene, but they’re already making waves by dropping some particularly catchy, anthemic tunes. Their latest, “Rainwalk,” shows off the power of vocalist Ashrita Kumar as well as the band’s ability to write a hook that hits. There’s a ton of potential with Pinkshift, and we’re so ready to watch them really blast off. Keep ‘em coming.

Chamber, “Numb (Transfuse)”
HQ: Nashville, Tenn.
RELEASED: Oct. 15

Nashville’s Chamber just released their excellent Cost of Sacrifice on Oct. 23, but first came the ambient and disorderly single “Numb (Transfuse).” The track, which is heavy both sonically and emotionally, is kind of like what I imagine getting sucked into a blackhole in slow motion would be like. But, like, in a good way.

CHAD CHILDERS

The Failure frontman steps out solo with a timely story that serves as a cautionary tale in the age of disinformation. The song is brimming with sinister attitude against the backdrop of an ‘80s dark synth rock sound. Andrews has proved adept at altering his sound depending on the project and “Sword and Shield” leaves us intrigued about where he could go next.

The cinematic sounding foursome of Mastodon’s Troy Sanders, Queens of the Stone Age’s Troy Van Leeuwen, At the Drive In’s Tony Hajjar and multi-instrumentalist Mike Zarin have quietly been issuing new tracks every few months during the pandemic. Their latest, “Breaks,” spills out all dark and sneering, chugging along while painting a picture of bulldozing full speed ahead with reckless abandon and disregarding all else that might contradict the doublespeak you’re dishing out.

Does the shape of punk to come have an EDM influence? Swedish punk icons Refused returned in October with “Born on the Outs,” a track that translates a bit of Swedish House Mafia through a Refused filter. The group loved the EDM outfit’s riff from “Greyhound,” so they took it and built their own song with fresh lyrics around it. The rockers are calling their shot on the current divisiveness of modern-day politics, and it comes with an undeniable aggression that should get you fired up.

Des Rocs served up a catchy little love song with a horror-bend to it last month. The track appears to come from the view of a vampire who finds the object of his desire in a damsel filled with distress. As he deals with the temptation of turning his prey, he reasons that it’s nothing personal while coming to terms with his decision. It's dark, it’s fun and it’s just the latest gem to come from the rising rocker.

Make sure the volume is turned up from the moment you hit play as Small Town Titans vocalist Phil Freeman unleashes a power scream that’s sure to garner your attention. Just the perfect way to start a song called “Rufflin’ Feathers,” am I right? With bouncy, aggressive verses and a fist-pumpimg chorus, “Rufflin’ Feathers” is a great intro to their upcoming album, The Ride, due Nov. 13

JOE DIVITA
Frozen Soul, “Encased in Ice”
HQ: Fort Worth, Texas
RELEASED: Oct. 30

Anyone who read the “Best of September” edition of Weekly Wire last month will remember Frozen Soul. That was for “Crypt of Ice” though and this time we’re talkin’ ‘bout “Encased in Ice.” These newcomers play an elite level of what we’re officially branding as “Ötzi Death Metal” — Ötzi being the three thousand-plus year old natural mummy discovered in the Ötztal Alps in 1991, partially encased in… you guessed it… ice! Frozen Soul possess the ability to single-handedly reverse the human evolution chart so I can achieve my final knuckle-walking form. Take THAT, tech-death!

Necrophobic, “Devil’s Spawn Attack”
HQ: Stockholm, Sweden
RELEASED: Oct. 2

Two years ago, I was mesmerized by Necrophobic’s Mark of the Necrogram record and the magnificently catchy and sinister single, “Tsar Bomba.” It’s not that they’ve never imbued these qualities before — it’s just one of those moments of clarity. Flash forward some 700 odd days to the band’s ninth album, Dawn of the Damned and history has repeated itself. “Devil’s Spawn Attack” closes out this 48 minute offering for The Man Downstairs (that’s the Devil, ya know) and it’s razorblade thrash malevolently intertwined with sulfurous black metal with a guest spot from Destruction shrieker Schmier. After all that, if you needed me to convince you to listen to this, you’ve been slacking big time.

Brave the Cold, “Blind Eye”
HQ: New York / Belgium
RELEASED: Oct. 2

I fucking love Napalm Death — but that’s not what had me so intrigued about Brave the Cold, the collaborative effort of Napalm guitarist Mitch Harris and Dirk Verbeuren, drummer for Megadeth and a lot of other bands (including the ripping Cadaver, who deserve a special shoutout for their new Edder and Bile album). In 2014, Harris released an album under the moniker Menace and it’s highly possible nobody is a bigger fan of that album than me. So, I was curious to see what else Harris had cooked up. Turns out, it’s something not too far removed from his grinding main squeeze. With Napalm going a bit more experimental on their new record (which I overwhelmingly applaud), this is a best of both world scenario with “Blind Eye.” There’s those high screams I’ve missed so much with Harris opting out of touring duties with Napalm Death as he sought to focus on family and his ailing parents.

TONI GONZALEZ

Tom Morello, “Secretariat”
HQ: Los Angeles, Calif.
RELEASED: October 29

Both of my selections made this month are in honor of, and made as tributes to, Eddie Van Halen. The first is Tom Morello's “Secretariat,” which comes off his new EP Comandante and was dedicated to Eddie Van Halen. Shortly after the guitarists passing Morello called him “our generation’s Mozart” and has for years spoken about Van Halen's influence on him as a musician. A fitting tribute.

David Lee Roth, “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bar and Grill”
HQ: Pasadena, Calif.
RELEASED: Oct. 30

My second selection is David Lee Roth's “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bar and Grill.” The song, which was written with John 5, has lyrics that read, "Somewhere over the Rainbow Bar and Grill / It's a damn good story / And there's still more to tell." Cheers to good stories and music dedicated to the legendary Eddie Van Halen. Plus, Judy Garland did sing of lemon drops after all.

GRAHAM HARTMANN
Akhlys, “Ephialtes”
HQ: Colorado
RELEASED: Oct. 15

This song spews black metal filth. It’s densely layered, disgustingly atmospheric and dramatic af. I want to jam this song into my ears, leave it to rot, then dig out the crust and spread it on toast.

LAURYN SCHAFFNER
The Dead Deads, “In for Blood”
HQ: Nashville, Tenn.
RELEASED: Oct. 22

The Dead Deads are a trio of women from Nashville with a sound that will attract fans from various subgenres — including punk, grunge and metal, which they showcase exceptionally well in their latest single “In for Blood.” A crisp guitar riff, airy vocals reminiscent of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” and a pounding chorus make the song a melodious experience for anyone.

Black Honey, “I Like the Way You Die”
HQ: Brighton, England
RELEASED: Oct. 28

If you’re into upbeat, fuzzy rock, you’re guaranteed to be drawn to this song within the first few moments of listening to it. Pairing negative subject matter with a catchy and fun melody doesn’t always work, but Black Honey accomplish it here with attitude and grit.

Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown, “Pressure”
HQ: Nashville, Tenn.
RELEASED: Oct. 16

Tyler Bryant & the Shakedown have now landed a song here three months in a row, but when their latest album Pressure is one of the best rock releases of 2020, you can’t really blame us. Although there are a lot of gems on the album, the mood of the self-titled opening track matches its name perfectly, and is the most raw and powerful on the album, so it takes the trophy this month.