The Best Rock + Metal Songs of October – Staff Favorites + More
Here are the best rock and metal songs of October, 2022!
October was yet another stacked month with tons of artists both big and small offering up new tunes to fuel your Fall. Beyond all the essentials, the Loudwire staff has made selections for their own personal favorites from October and it's possible you may have missed some of these. There's literally hundreds of new songs coming out each week, but nothing was as good as what you'll find below!
Follow the Best of the Month playlist here.
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 October roaring:
Aborted, “Infinite Terror”
All Time Low, “Sleepwalking”
Alter Bridge, “This Is War”
Anti-Flag, “MODERN META MEDICINE” ft. Jesse Leach
Architects, “a new moral low ground”
Avatar, "Dance Devil Dance"
Babymetal, “Divine Attack – Shingeki -”
Blink-182, “Edging”
Boston Manor, “Crocus”
Bush, “Slow Me”
Chelsea Grin, “Forever Bloom” ft. Trevor Strnad
Counterparts, “A Mass Grave of Saints”
Darkthrone, “Caravan of Broken Ghosts”
Devin Townsend, "Lightworker"
Disturbed, "Divisive"
Eluveitie, “Exile of the Gods”
Exhumed, “Disgusted”
Filter, “For the Beaten”
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, “The Drugs”
Gojira, “Our Time Is Now”
Halestorm, “Mine”
Iggy Pop, "Frenzy"
Katatonia, "Atrium"
Lamb of God, “Ditch”
Lorna Shore, “Pain Remains III: In a Sea of Fire”
L.S. Dunes, “Bombsquad”
Mammoth WVH, “As Long As You’re Not You”
Maneskin, “The Loneliest”
Nickelback, “Those Days”
Nothing More, “BEST TIMES”
Poppy, “Stagger”
Powerwolf, “My Will Be Done”
PVRIS, “ANIMAL”
Queen, “Face It Alone”
Queensryche, “Hold On”
Red Hot Chili Peppers, “The Drummer”
Rival Sons, “Nobody Wants to Die”
Skid Row, “Resurrected”
Steel Panther, “It’s Never Too Late (To Get Some Pussy Tonight)”
Stryper, “Ashes to Ashes”
Tallah, “For the Recognition”
Theory of a Deadman, “Dinosaur”
Through Fire, “Karma Kills”
The Used, “Fuck You”
The Veer Union, “I Will Make It Out”
Waterparks, “FUCK ABOUT IT” ft. blackbear
We Came As Romans, “One More Day”
WILLOW, “ur a <stranger>”
STAFF FAVORITES
The stuff Loudwire's team has been obsessed with.
Rabab Al-Sharif
BAND: Maximum The Hormone
SONG: “HAWATARI NIOKU CENTI [2-hundred-million-centimeter-long blades]”
RELEASED: Oct. 26
Apparently I love anime music. I am not well versed in anime at all, but I was recently introduced to the wonders of anime theme songs by the Spotify algorithm. The Japanese band Maximum The Hormone — who I don’t know how to describe other than being truly one of a kind – recently resurfaced with the ending theme for the third episode of the new anime Chainsaw Man. And if you’re into music that is heavy with hooky choruses and surprising twists and turns that will have you both scratching and banging your head, then it is definitely worth 90 seconds of your time.
The opening theme, “Kick Back” by Kenshi Yinezu, and Episode 1’s closing theme, “Chainsaw Blood” by Vaundy, are also delightfully chaotic and have been gaining steam around the internet, but “HAWATARI NIOKU CENTI” is certainly best suited for metalheads that like their heavy to be tumultuous with a dose of pop choruses.
Chad Childers
BAND: Arm’s Length
SONG: “In Loving Memory”
RELEASED: Oct. 13
In a month where the early 2000s emo scene was just celebrated at When We Were Young Fest, it’s great to hear that modern emo is alive and well in the hands of such acts as Arm’s Length. “In Loving Memory” would have felt right at home then, and it feels very fresh now, with the band speaking of retaining that connection with a loved one as they grow older. Despite the melancholic lyrics, it’s an upbeat song that has an earworm quality, necessitating repeat listens.
BAND: Fate’s Got a Driver
SONG: “The Rose of May”
RELEASED: Oct. 20
Dark, triumphant and passionate! Rising rockers Fate’s Got a Driver find the post-hardcore sweet spot on “The Rose of May,” a track inspired by the Greek tragedy of Narcissus that puts a modern spin on this tale. “It’s about the deterioration of self-image in the Information Age,” reveals singer Randolph Shulz.
BAND: gatherers Featuring Dan Lambton
SONG: “Suffocator”
RELEASED: Oct. 17
New Jersey’s gatherers are rounding into one of post-hardcore’s most impressive young bands, now ramping up to the Nov. 18 release of their fourth studio album, mutilator. Having already pulled in Geoff Rickly for a guest turn on their previous single “gift horse,” gatherers once again opened their doors welcoming ex-Real Friends frontman Dan Lambton on their angsty and explosive follow-up, “Suffocator.” This reflective and bittersweet track hits with vibrant immediacy and demands to be played loud.
BAND: Jared James Nichols
SONG: “Down the Drain”
RELEASED: Oct. 26
There’s a fine line where love is concerned, and Jared James Nichols manages to embody the utter turmoil that love can inflict in his latest song “Down the Drain.” The singer-guitarist lays down a hypnotic, bluesy backing while singing of the inability to decipher pleasure or pain in his relationship, eventually reluctantly surrendering to the insurmountable current of emotion as he unleashes a gritty vocal and blistering guitar work.
BAND: Pollyanna Blue
SONG: “Haunted”
RELEASED: Oct. 24
If you’re a head-nodder when listening to music, this one should fit you just perfectly. The undeniably catchy open settles into a grungy groove as vocalist Zoe Collins sings of the torment of being in a repetitive traumatic situation. “In this song, trauma is depicted as an unforgiving evil spirit that will come at you at night and relentlessly try to tear you down,” says the singer, adding that the track is a reflection of being haunted by your own predicament. Collins and Pollyanna Blue cohort Rich Earle are names to keep an eye on as their new EP is set to drop in early 2023.
Todd Fooks
BAND: Riley’s L.A. Guns
SONG: “Overdrive”
RELEASED: Oct. 21
Despite the confusing namesake of Riley’s L.A. Guns (Tracii Guns and singer Phil Lewis are still L.A. Guns, drummer Steve Riley and rest of the other version of L.A. Guns are Riley’s L.A. Guns) this new song is a straight-ahead, open-road rock monster. With a riff that never slows down and tight solos, “Overdrive” is perfect for the classic rock fan that loves to put the pedal to the metal.
BAND: Knuckle Puck
SONG: “Groundhog Day”
RELEASED: Oct. 23
Chicagoland-based emo-pop-punkers Knuckle Puck celebrate their signing to Pure Noise Records with this rocking-yet-atmospheric new song about being in a “depression loop.” Combining elements of My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World, and Rise Against, “Groundhog Day” is a little like listening to the ocean, at times jarring and other times peaceful. This is a gem.
Toni Gonzalez
BAND: Cleopatrick
SONG: “Scaring me”
RELEASED: Oct. 20
Cleopatrick have always shown a lot of promise, and they just seem to get better with each new release. The duo behind the band Luke Gruntz and Ian Fraser have been friends since they were four years old, and although still young (both 22), they seem to know exactly what they want. There isn't too much outside medling going on here.
Cleopatrick just released their latest EP DOOM via the band’s own Nowhere Special Recordings — they self produced and it was mixed in the back of their van. The song is mesmerizing, giving Deftones vibes, making me happy and sad at the same time. It's the perfect song for a long drive, and if you're curious it's worth your time to check out.
BAND: Ugly Kid Joe
SONG: “Lola”
RELEASED: Oct. 21
Yes, I love the KINKS classic and that's definitely what drew me to dig a little further, and I'm glad I did. In doing so, I discovered that Ugly Kid Joe just released their first new album in 7 years titled Rad Wings Of Destiny. Also learned that their EP As Ugly As They Wanna Be from 1991 became the first EP ever to go platinum. Fun fact! Then down the hole I went revisiting “Everything About You,” and back to "Lola" I traveled. There's a sense of comfort in catching up with a band from my youth and hearing a song I already love done a little differently. I'm sure some of you can relate.
Graham Hartmann
BAND: Psychonaut
SONG: “All Your Gods Have Gone”
RELEASED: Oct. 7
If you’re into Mastodon and Gojira’s spacier moments, you may want to give Psychonaut a spin. The guitar work on “All Your Gods Have Gone” feels like a blend of Brent Hinds’ lead playing on Crack the Skye and Joe Duplantier’s tapping on Magma. That plus some tortured gutturals makes for a solid listen, even if the music video for “All Your Gods Have Gone” is a little stale.
BAND: Gevurah
SONG: “Blood-Soaked Katabasis”
RELEASED: Oct. 13
In the vein of Behemoth, Canada’s Gevurah sounds like a mix between ancient and modern music. The band’s second album, Gehinnom, dropped this month, and so far my favorite track is “Blood-Soaked Katabasis.” It’s just a violently tremolo-picked and moody track that gives off Evangelion vibes with a little extra black metal in its production. Gehinnom may also be a contender for best album art of the year.
Lauryn Schaffner
BAND: Royal & The Serpent
SONG: “Love Abuser (Save Me)”
RELEASED: Oct. 7
The opening guitar lick in “Love Abuser (Save Me)” is immediately addictive, which comes as a bit of a surprise considering Royal & The Serpent are more known for electro-pop music. The only thing that can make a song that already sounds damn good better is a damn good set of lyrics — the subject matter of “Love Abuser” is one of a toxic relationship, which is something a lot of listeners will be able to relate to. So, a good story on top of solid instrumentation? I’m sold, and you will be too. You’re welcome.
BAND: Quicksand
SONG: “Felíz”
RELEASED: Oct. 25
It’s not often that a song opens with an odd time signature anymore. That is, unless you’re daring, of course, and Quicksand successfully took that plunge with their new song “Felíz,” which almost instantly made me think of Kim Thayil and Soundgarden. That isn’t easy to do. The rest of the song ventures in a variety of directions sonically, and given its short run-time, you may not have enough time to process everything that went on, so you’ll go back and listen to it again. And again. Well done, Quicksand.
Philip Trapp
BAND: Fucked Up
SONG: "One Day"
RELEASED: Oct. 25
Hardcore mainstays Fucked Up can't not make emo-tinged, anthemic punk rock with guitars that sound like triumphant Bill & Ted noodles. So for listeners of the Canadian band led by vocalist Damian Abraham, October's hooky "One Way" is a welcome return. The group hasn't released a studio album since 2018's Dose Your Dreams. But that all changes early next year when Fucked Up's sixth LP, also called One Day, arrives to blast fans' eardrums with an earnest punk cacophony. Meanwhile, just try not to pump your fist to this — it's sure to get your day groovin' at full speed.
BAND: ††† (Crosses)
SONG: "Vivien"
RELEASED: Oct. 28
Deftones vocals plus trip-hop beats? That's a good time for listeners of melancholic electronic rock. In October, ††† (Crosses), Deftones singer Chino Moreno's project with Far co-founder Shaun Lopez, released the song "Vivien.” It's their first original material since a double A-side single in March. Before that, the duo issued covers of an obscure Sacramento synthpop act and that song from the iconic Buffalo Bill dance scene in 1991's The Silence of the Lambs. A forthcoming ††† EP called PERMANENT.RADIANT arrives Dec. 9. The moody, atmospheric electro-rock vibe is what ††† delivers. If you're into that, get into this.
Joe DiVita
BAND: Stormruler
SONG: "Upon Frozen Shores"
RELEASED: Oct. 11
St. Louis, Missouri is a rather unassuming place for such cold and melodically brilliant black metal to hail from. Alongside Stormkeep (there's something to these Storm prefixes…), Stormruler are leading a new wave of American black metal that has finally managed to authenticate the early Norwegian and Swedish waves of the genre.
"Upon Frozen Shores" is the third single off Sacred Rites & Black Magick, the band's second album in just two years. There's shades of Dissection lurking about in this track, but far from sheepish imitation. Quite a lot of early black metal was inspired by Manowar and other epic groups and it's refreshing to hear this element reassert itself in the modern day.
BAND: Defleshed
SONG: "Bent Out of Shape"
RELEASED: Oct. 6
I didn't even know Defleshed had reunited last year, nevermind having the intention of releasing their first album since 2005. Grind Over Matter is out now and with all three primary members back together, it's easy to understand why they haven't missed a step at all.
This band always possessed some of my favorite guitar tones in death metal and that warm, buzzsaw tone is back with a diamond-tipped blade. "Bent Out of Shape" is…ugh, I guess I'll stoop this low… nothing to get bent out of shape about — home-cooked late '90s/early '00s death metal, just the way mom used to make it.