Heavy Song of the Week: mclusky Unleash Riff-Hitting Cacophony on “people person”

Heavy Song of the Week is a feature on Heavy Consequence breaking down the top metal, punk, and hard rock tracks you need to hear every Friday. This week, No. 1 goes to mclusky’s “people person.”

The song “people person” is classic mclusky. Sardonic as all hell, with a riff-hitting jam to spare. Droning sludged-out guitars barrel forward as Andrew Falkous unleashes a tirade in his unwavering deadpan, settling on a humble admission that makes up the song’s refrain: “I’m just a normal man / I’m not a people person.”

The reunited Welsh trio cook up quite a cacophony by the end of the four-minute track, as the repeating riffs degrade into unhinged chaos. mclusky’s brand of humor is all over the music video as well: a bunch of office workers beating the crap out of each other.

The track is the latest single from mcluskly’s forthcoming comeback album, the world is still here and so are we, arriving May 9th via Ipecac Recordings, and marking the band’s first studio LP in 21 years.

Honorable Mentions:

Nova Twins – “Soprano”

Nova Twins continue to smudge the lines between heavy music and, well, everything and anything else. On “Soprano,” the genre-defying duo of Amy Love and Georgia South manage to slam techno nu-metal against hyperpop and R&B, their shapeshifting voices acting as the glue. Fans of artists such as Poppy and HEALTH will appreciate Nova Twins’ bridging of harshness and pop sensibility.

Rivers of Nihil – “American Death”

Rivers of Nihil indulge their blast-y death metal side on “American Death.” Pummeling, hyper technical drumming paces a torrent of riffs, guttural vocals, and a haunting underbelly of synth — the only respite coming during a well-timed break in the track that features clean singing, with the band’s multi-vocalist format adding a welcome layer of variety.

Warbringer – ”Through a Glass, Darkly”

Thrash metal has always had an obsession with dystopian themes, though they haven often taken on the form of techno-futuristic/sci-fi concepts. Warbringer’s new album Wrath and Ruin also has dystopian themes, though the band only had to look to our own tumultuous times for inspiration. “Through a Glass, Darkly” showcases the full breadth of the album, in the words of singer John Kevill, shifting from melodic, emotionally-charged verses to surging crescendos of evil — Kevill’s rasp reaching an almost black metal-level of sinister. Be sure to check out our exclusive Track by Track breakdown with Kevill for more on this track and the rest of Wrath and Ruin.