Just Before The Drop: #15
Featuring: The Devil Wears Prada, mgk, Fit For a King and more. Check out the newest issue of your weekly, curated modern punk & hardcore music recommendations.
Hi people! 🤝
We're back after the quick Easter recharge, and trust us - we’re absolutely buzzing. This 15th edition of JBTD is packed as usual with a killer blend of hardcore heaviness and some energetic punk cuts to keep things jumpy. We even sprinkled in a bit of acoustic magic for good measure. Curious? Good - let's dive in!
Lukas & Adi 🤘
bad luck
by We Came as Romans | picked by Lukas
We Came As Romans have dropped their first track of 2025, Bad Luck and it's a raw, emotionally charged anthem that delves deep into the band's journey. Released on April 17 via SharpTone Records, this single marks their return since the 2022 album Darkbloom.
Bad Luck kicks off with an eerie, looped vocal sample, setting a haunting tone before launching into thunderous riffs and a soaring chorus. Lyrically, the song reflects on the band's challenges over the years. Frontman Dave Stephens shares:
Bad Luck is a song that is so important to each of us. Lyrically, it’s about our journey as a band since the very beginning. We’ve faced so many setbacks and problems behind the scenes, and sometimes it feels like Bad Luck is all we have - but the way that we’ve persevered through all of them to become who we are today is the real story, not the issues along the way.
While Bad Luck stands as a powerful standalone single, there's no official word yet on whether it's part of an upcoming album. However, the band is gearing up for a busy year with performances at major U.S. festivals. I bet that we will get something amazing later this year!
Check out previous issues of Just Before The Drop!
LUV U 2 DEATH
by LANiiDAE | selected by Lukas
Charlotte-based metalcore act LANiiDAE returns with a fierce new single, LUV U 2 DEATH. The track blends aggressive riffs with emotionally-charged melodies, perfectly balancing intensity and introspection - a signature move for the band.
Opening with a moody atmospheric intro, LUV U 2 DEATH quickly dives into an eruption of heavy guitar work and gripping vocals. It captures a turbulent narrative of love, loss, and emotional depth, something LANiiDAE has long mastered. This new cut feels fresh yet familiar, showcasing their refined sound and renewed energy.
While this new track is currently a standalone release, the buzz suggests it might be paving the way for something bigger. LANiiDAE continues to engage fans with energetic live performances and regular content updates, hinting at even more powerful releases soon…
The Darkest Place I’ve Ever Been
LANDMVRKS | picked by Adi
Absolutely one of the most anticipated metalcore albums of the year. The French crew teased us with a few singles before the “zero hour” finally hit. Tracks like A Line in the Dust, Creature and Blood Red stoked the fire, and now it’s time to dive into what awaits on the full-length - already their fourth LP.
I picked the title track for you, which opens the album in a somewhat misleading way - calm, almost apathetic. But then, out of nowhere, it smacks you in the face with a wet rag… and somehow you like it. You want more.
Once again, there’s no shortage of rap verses, scratches, and above all - those powerful, melodic choruses. You need to check this gem out in full.
1993
by CF98 | picked by Adi
Time for something from Polish soil! Believe it or not, next year this Kraków-based band will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut album. Although calling them Kraków-based might be a bit misleading - these guys have long since blasted past Poland’s borders. You’ll now regularly catch them on international punk festivals, including the already-legendary Punk Rock Holiday. In the coming months, they’re also hitting stages in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy.
This time around, they’re serving up early ‘90s nostalgia, drenched in pop-punk energy. The band themselves dedicate the new album to “all millennials and forever-young teenagers trapped in the bodies of 30- and 40-somethings.”
The production? Handled by none other than Pete Zengerle.
77
by Billy Idol, Avril Lavigne | picked by Lukas
Two generations of punk rebellion collide in 77 a high-octane duet between Billy Idol and Avril Lavigne. Released on April 22, 2025, as the second single from Idol's autobiographical album Dream Into It, this track bridges the raw energy of 1977's punk scene with the infectious pop-punk vibes of the early 2000s.
77 is a punchy, 2:54-minute stunner that melds Idol's gritty vocals with Lavigne's melodic edge. Described as textbook, Disney Channel pop-punk the song pays homage to the year 1977 - a pivotal moment in punk history and Idol's own musical genesis with Generation X. The track's lyrics draw parallels between the societal unrest of the late '70s and today's challenges, emphasizing the enduring spirit of rebellion.
Idol himself remarked:
It came out really fantastic... It was already good with me on it, but it got three times better with her on it.
Check out previous issues of Just Before The Drop!
For You
by Devil Wears Prada | written by Lukas
A couple years back, The Devil Wears Prada came through Poland right after dropping Color Decay - an album that, to me, easily ranks among the best metalcore releases of the past decade. That record hit deep: the mood, the textures, the vocals - it was the sound of a band leveling up hard. Still TDWP with their super original style but with something new and special under the belt.
Together with Adi we went to that club gig in Warsaw hyped beyond anything, praying they’d play Salt, Time, and my favorite, beloved, Broken. Got Salt. The rest? Not so much. The show was still fire, just not the one I had playing on repeat in my head.
But ever since then, I’ve been waiting on every new track they drop with the same kind of breathless anticipation. Their new direction? Man, it’s magic. The way they build songs now - those arrangements, the emotional layering, more acoustic, less raw and harsh - it’s next-level. So yeah, every new release feels like a checkpoint in a second golden era for TDWP.
They’re back with a fresh single, For You released on April 17, 2025. This track marks their first release since 2024's Ritual and continues their evolution in the metalcore scene. New tack delves into the emotional turmoil of unreciprocated love, portraying a narrative of desperation and blind loyalty. The band describes it as a love story unraveling through the eyes of someone hopelessly devoted to a partner who can never truly give back. Musically, the song blends cinematic elements with heavy breakdowns, screams and overlayed riffs, showcasing a balance between their traditional metalcore roots and a more expansive, experimental sound.
No Tomorrow
by Fit For a King | selected by Lukas
It’s here! Fit For A King showing their first single of 2025 - No Tomorrow. The track that is anticipated to be part of their forthcoming eighth studio album, set to release later this year.
No Tomorrow begins with a haunting, atmospheric intro that quickly escalates into a powerful blend of crushing riffs and melodic choruses. Vocalist Ryan Kirby describes the song as a narrative of love and tragedy, focusing on a couple facing the end of the world together and choosing to cherish their final moments. It’s for sure different than what we already know, you get old-good Fit’s but likely more matured, I’d say?
New song is the first glimpse into Fit For A King's upcoming album, which is expected to feature a total of 12 tracks. Recording sessions for the album began in the fall of 2024, indicating a well-crafted and anticipated release. In addition to new music, the band is set to embark on a spring tour alongside Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall, and Boundaries, with performances scheduled across various cities.
3 Days Sober
by WSTR | picked by Adi
If this is your first time hearing this version of the track, chances are you might actually prefer it over the original, non-acoustic one. The lads from Liverpool are celebrating their 10-year anniversary this year. If you're already into the vibes of fellow UK pop-punk staples like Neck Deep, then WSTR needs no intro - you probably even know the story about how they had to change their name from Waster to WSTR because a Canadian band beat them to it.
And if you didn’t know that bit of trivia, well - now the abbreviation makes sense.
It’s also a great time to get into the music itself. WSTR wears their influences loud and proud: blink-182 and New Found Glory. If those names hit you right in the nostalgic gut, then mark your calendar for July 18, when their new release Bare Bones drops. Especially worth your time if pop-punk still runs through your veins.
Come Pick Me Up
by mgk | picked by Adi
MGK’s that kind of artist people either love or love to hate there’s rarely a middle ground. But no matter which side you’re on, you can’t deny the dude’s evolution. Colson Baker just turned 35 and his discography is already all over the map: from rap beginnings, through pop-punk bangers, and now dabbling in alt-country vibes.
A perfect example? His fresh take on a Ryan Adams track - brought back to life with a swagger that still hits just as hard as it did two decades ago.
One YouTube comment really nailed it: “mgk = multi genre king”. And while he still owes us a metalcore rager, some viking metal, and maybe a chilled reggae cut to truly earn that crown - he’s not far off. 😜
In This Mess
by Say Sue Me | picked by Adi
We’re kicking out this issue of JBTD by heading all the way to South Korea - specifically to Busan, where Say Sue Me took their first steps over a decade ago. Any day now, they’re dropping their fourth full-length album, Time Is Not Yours, and the lead single In This Mess is already out, steeped in their signature surfy indie-rock vibe.
If you're looking for the kind of record that makes you wanna hit the road with no real destination - just miles of endless highway, minimal turns, the same sleepy landscape rolling past the windows - this one’s for you. And who knows, it might even get you browsing flights to Korea.
And finally, the full playlist! 🤘
You can play it along, or just save within your Spotify account. Be safe, Lukas & Adi.