The Best 6 Riffs of the Week

While we're still in July, this week's biggest singles have made one thing crystal clear: August is about to become one of the biggest months of the year for rock and metal.

Several of the tracks released over the past few days are taken from albums arriving next month, giving us an exciting taste of what's to come. From modern metalcore and alternative rock to legendary names continuing to push forward, these are the six songs that have dominated our playlists this week.

Don't forget you can find them all — and plenty more — on our The Riffs Spotify playlist, where we keep adding the very best new rock and metal releases every week.

In This Moment – Crawl (Better Noise Music)

Nobody blends theatrical visuals with crushing metal quite like In This Moment.

Their latest single, Crawl, previews the upcoming album Witch, arriving August 28 via Better Noise Music, and it's an absolute headbanger from start to finish. Maria Brink's commanding vocals, the massive grooves and the band's trademark cinematic production make this impossible to ignore.

Visually, it's every bit as impressive as the music. The band's artwork and videos continue to set the standard, thanks in no small part to acclaimed photographer and visual artist Jeremy Saffer, whose unmistakable aesthetic has become closely associated with In This Moment—something our own José Crespo has long admired.

Mastodon – Skankin' For Dinner (Loma Vista Recordings)

Mastodon have spent much of the week discussing their upcoming record in interviews, and this latest single only raises expectations even further.

Skankin' For Dinner, taken from the band's new album due on August 14 via Loma Vista Recordings, feels playful on the surface but carries a surprising emotional weight. It's difficult not to hear subtle nods to former guitarist Brent Hinds, whose unique style helped shape the band's identity for over two decades. Whether intentional or not, it adds another layer to an already fascinating track.

Kami Kehoe – THE END (Atlantic Records)

Ironically, THE END feels much more like a beginning than an ending.

Australian singer-songwriter Kami Kehoe continues her rapid rise ahead of her third full-length album, Love Is A Weapon, arriving on August 28 via Atlantic Records. Blending alternative rock, metal and modern pop influences with effortless confidence, Kehoe delivers another anthem packed with emotion and huge hooks. If this is where the album is heading, August can't come soon enough.

Marilyn Manson – Front Toward Enemy (Nuclear Blast)

Marilyn Manson's comeback continues to gather momentum.

Front Toward Enemy is another powerful preview of his upcoming album, arriving August 14 via Nuclear Blast. Dark, aggressive and instantly memorable, the track is driven by one particularly striking lyric:

"I was too much for hell to swallow."

The line suggests someone so destructive, rebellious or corrupted that even Hell itself couldn't contain them—a classic Manson image of defiance against every authority, earthly or otherwise. It's one of those lyrics that sticks in your head long after the song ends.

Amon Amarth – Upphaf (Metal Blade Records)

Leave it to Amon Amarth to surprise us. Upphaf—Old Norse for "Beginning"—marks the first acoustic song in the Swedish legends' three-decade career. Stripping away the crushing riffs in favour of haunting melodies and an atmosphere inspired by ancient Nordic storytelling, the band proves that its fascination with Norse mythology is just as powerful around a longhouse fire as it is on the biggest festival stages. It's a bold, unexpected detour that somehow still sounds unmistakably like Amon Amarth.

Boundaries – Malconscience (Sumerian Records)

Few bands have impressed us as much this year as Boundaries. Fresh from releasing the outstanding Yearning: The Unbeautiful After, the Connecticut metalcore outfit continues to prove why they're one of the genre's most exciting names.

"Malconscience" perfectly captures everything that makes the band special: crushing breakdowns, emotional intensity and an atmosphere that feels both suffocating and strangely beautiful. If our recent review is anything to go by, this is another reminder that Boundaries aren't just riding the current metalcore wave—they're helping define it.

Want more?

Every song featured in this week's selection has been added to our The Riffs Spotify playlist, where we keep updating the best new rock and metal releases every week. Hit follow, turn it up, and never miss the riffs that matter.

The Riff Collective