Just Before The Drop: #19
Featuring: Linkin Park, We Came As Romans, mgk and more. Check out the newest issue of your weekly, curated modern punk & hardcore music recommendations.
Salut! đ
Weâre happy to bring you a new pack of super-versatile tunes, offering a fresh experience of musical discovery. As always, weâve mixed in everything we could - so this time youâll find some heavy, really heavy bangers alongside lighter, nostalgic melodies. We hope it helps you survive these next few days.
Enjoy! Lukas & Adi đ¤đ¤
Let You Fade
by Linkin Park | picked by Lukas
Let You Fade arrived on May 16, 2025 as the closing single from From Zero (Deluxe Edition), rounding out the expanded set of previously unheard tracks the band recorded during and after the original album sessions. This track began life in the âFrom Zero studioâ but found its final form in subsequent sessions, showcasing Mike Shinodaâs restrained, ânot rappedâ verses beneath sweeping guitar lines. With Emily Armstrong now firmly in the lead-vocal role, her performance here, with less screaming parts carries both clarity and grit.
Many listeners have praised Let You Fade for its emotional weight, ranking it among their top favorites from the deluxe edition and applauding the chemistry between Mike and Emily. Others feel the songâs structure leans toward the familiar and could have benefitted from a bolder arrangement, describing it as serviceable but somewhat rushed for a standalone single. As Linkin Park gears up to headline Wembley Stadium in June - supported by Spiritbox - the track stands as both a bridge to their past and a pointer toward what this new lineup can achieve.
Check out previous issues of Just Before The Drop!
Where Were You�
by Solence | selected by Lukas
Where Were You..? dropped on May 17, 2025 as the lead single from Solenceâs forthcoming fifth album, Angels Calling, due this October via Better Noise Music. Hailing from NorrkĂśping, Sweden, Markus Videsäter (vocals), David Strääf (guitar), Johan Swärd (keyboards) and David âVikingâ đ Vikingsson (drums) dig into a blend of electronics and metalcore, and this track underscores their knack for high-power hooks. Strääf describes it as âa fast and fun song about a friend letting you down when you needed them the mostâ, pointing to its driving beat, bold chorus, and a genre-bending breakdown that balances heaviness with danceable, disco-like energy.
Their evolution from the melodic intensity of Hope Is a Cult (2023) is evident here: synths meet riffs, while Videsäterâs lyrics channel genuine frustration - Where were you when I needed you? - without overplaying the sentiment.
With Angels Calling slated for early October release, Solence will hit the road this November, opening for Nothing More across Europe beginning November 7 in Finland. We want to bring the fun back into rock ânâ roll, Videsäter explains - and if Where Were You⌠is any indication, their upcoming shows promise a potent mix of high-energy performance and heartfelt storytelling.
Heaven
by Adept | picked by Lukas
Theyâre back!
Heaven arrived on May 13, 2025 via Napalm Records, marking Adeptâs first new music in nearly nine years. Formed in Trosa, Sweden in 2004, the quartet made their name with a blend of melodic intensity and crushing breakdowns before pausing activity in 2016 and formally disbanding in 2019. Reuniting with new guitarist and drummer, in late 2024, they tapped producer Henrik Udd (Architects, Bring Me The Horizon) to sculpt Heaven into a four-minute burst of raw emotion. Vocalist Robert Ljung describes the track as a dark and emotional song about carrying old scars into the present and learning how to face them, and you can hear that tension in every surged riff and soaring chorus.
So as I think that itâs a the perfect comeback song, and I praise its immediate hook and emotional heft, that track lives up to their older material. That said Iâm full of hope for more textured dynamics in future releases. Donât get me wrong, itâs good to hear them again, with their remarkable style, however, it would be nice to experience something new and fresh. Weâll see.
Revery
by Electric Callboy | picked by Lukas
Revery hit streaming services on May 23, 2025, marking Electric Callboyâs first new material since longtime drummer David-Karl (kurwa đ) Friedrichâs departure the previous month.1 The track serves as the lead single for their yet-to-be-titled seventh studio album, promising a darker, more cinematic direction. Where recent singles leaned into tongue-in-cheek, comedy and party anthems, Revery opens with ominous, melodic and raw riffs and Kevin Ratajczakâs evolved, massively deep scream before erupting into an epic, chant-like chorus. The accompanying music video reinforces this shift - eschewing the bandâs usual humor for a stylized dark-fantasy narrative, complete with shadowy forests and theatrical costuming.
Itâs definitely a grower. Bit different, bit odd, darker, deeper, less funny and âchaoticâ. Itâs good to hear something like that, and itâs not like theyâve changed lot, itâs still Electric Callboy as we know. However theyâve beed announcing a small change for a while now, and this track might be the first sign of it. You must check it!
clichĂŠ
by mgk | picked by Lukas
Heâs here again. Itâs really hard to omit what heâs doing guys. And guess what, heâs dancing now, and how!
ClichĂŠ dropped on May 23, 2025 as the first taste of Machine Gun Kellyâs forthcoming seventh studio album. Co-written by Colson Baker, Emma Rosen and Andrew Migliore the track leans into early-2000s popâpunk nostalgia with modern polish. Its brisk, 2:56 runtime is built around hand-clap rhythms, chiming guitars reminiscent of Blink-182 and a chant-ready chorus. Lyrically, MGK wrestles with vulnerability - Tell me, would you stay with me? - widely presumed to reference his high-profile split from Megan Fox. Yeah theyâre alone again⌠đ¨
Reactions have skewed positive on social media. On YT Song has inspired a full-blown dance craze, while its inclusion on Spotifyâs Global New Music Friday and heavy rotation on MTV Live and Times Square billboards have amplified its reach. However, some longtime fans chafed at the overtly pop sheen, accusing MGK of drifting too far from his rock roots - criticisms heâs met with good humor, reminding critics âItâs a pop song, manâ.
And so I think we should treat this like. Heâs playing, playing with genres, trying new things, being original and surprising. And thatâs good! Really.
Fade Out
by Millington | picked by Adi
Suburban pop-punk/ska. Thatâs how the guys in Millington describe their music. Add in an early-2000s vibe straight out of Less Than Jake or some of Goldfingerâs work, throw in even more pop-punk, and youâve captured the essence of the band they formed in 2018.
This six-piece, complete with a horn section, moves effortlessly within its own groove. The groupâs founder, Cody Okonski, assembled a strong lineup back in 2018 and even tags their sound as âska/rock with horns.â You have to admit - itâs creativeâŚ
Fade Out wonât be a game-changer in the ska world, but if youâre a fan of Reel Big Fish, youâll enjoy Millington just as much - especially since theyâve got an intense summer of live dates lined up.
Vista Verde
by Stateside | picked by Adi
At the beginning of June, the Australians will release their fourth full-length album, and theyâve just unveiled the third track promoting it - arguably their most personal yet.
âThis song is about my sisterâ, says vocalist Lemus Garcia.
When I was eight, my older sister moved out, and weâve lost touch ever since. âVista Verdeâ is the result of all the frustration and helplessness I felt whenever someone asked me about her.
The Brisbane quartet has spent the last three years on the road, and Where You Found Me is meant to be the culmination of every experience from that period, including the toughest ones.
no rest for the dreamer
We Came As Romans | picked by Adi
The new WCAR track made its debut live during their high-energy set at Welcome To Rockville and was met with an immediate, enthusiastic response.
The band keeps the momentum going following the release of their banger Bad Luck. No Rest For The Dreamer is for those who are still fighting for their future those who arenât done yet. "
Itâs about carrying your past, knowing youâre still not where you want to be.
⌠explains frontman Dave Stepens.
Thereâs more good news for fans: in July theyâll kick off a world tour, starting in North America before heading to Europe. Along the way theyâll hit major festivals like Warped Tour and When We Were Young. If you havenât seen them live yet, nowâs the time - just like on the title track, thereâs no rest for this band.
All That I Remember
Amity Affliction | picked by Adi
The world of Amity Affliction has been buzzing ever since co-founder Ahren Stringer and the rest of the band went their own, notâexactlyâhealthy way. But life abhors a vacuum, and the group has just dropped its first single after that seismic shake-up.
Stepping in as the new frontman is Jonny Reeves from Kingdom Of Giants. If you were hoping the new track would dive deep into the fallout with Stringer, youâll have to wait - this isnât that moment. Instead, you get an intensely personal song about lead singer Joel Birchâs painful relationship with his mother before she passed. Itâs heavy in every sense of the word.
Check out previous issues of Just Before The Drop!
So Dead
by Jerk Beefy | picked by Adi
Belgiumâs punk scene has always been prolific, and today weâre serving up its lighter side. Jerk Beefy hail from the 90,000-strong town of Aalst. They dropped their first single in 2018 and followed up a year later, but it wasnât until 2023 - when they won the Rock Affligem auditions - that their name started to spread beyond Brussels.
Expect plenty of catchy, melodic choruses backed by explosive guitars and a distinctive vocal style. Theyâve spent seven years honing and perfecting the songs for their debut album, which just dropped. If youâre digging around Europeâs pop-punk scene, Belgium has just gained a serious new contender - one that doesnât care that itâs been 25 years since the year 2000 and sounds like Windows Millennium is just booting up. And we mean that in the best way possible.
And finally, the full playlist! đ¤
You can play it along, or just save within your Spotify account. Be safe, Lukas & Adi.
Since now we already know that the new drummer - at least for upcoming tours - will be/is one and only Frank Zummo. Who would know âŚ