Heatmiser, Greta, & Captain Beyond

Catch up on the week in new releases and Dig Me Out podcasts

Latest Podcasts

---

---

New Releases

This we delivered everything from apocalyptic metal fury to indie introspection, from hardcore punk manifestos to legendary blues masters still bringing the heat.

Fit for a King - Lonely God

Texas metalcore titans Fit for a King delivered their most uncompromising album yet with Lonely God. After years of chasing radio-friendly accessibility, they stripped away the polish and unleashed something primal. Producer Daniel Braunstein (Spiritbox) helped craft their heaviest, most desolate sound in years—think djenty precision meets apocalyptic atmosphere. The title track explores isolation in power, while closer “Witness The End” featuring Chris Motionless transforms into a symphonic deathcore epic that critics are calling one of their best closing tracks ever. Ryan Kirby’s vocal performance steals the show, displaying remarkable growth in both his harsh screams and clean singing abilities.

The Armed - The Future is Here and Everything Needs to Be Destroyed

Detroit’s most enigmatic hardcore collective returned with their most politically charged and abstractly brutal work yet. This isn’t just an album—it’s a manifesto against dystopian reality. Frontman Tony Wolski describes it as “music for a statistically wealthy population that somehow can’t afford food or medicine—endlessly scrolling past vacation photos, gym selfies, and images of child amputees in the same feed”. The 11-track assault features collaborations with Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou and Queens of the Stone Age’s Troy Van Leeuwen, creating a sound that’s faster, more furious, and less digestible than their previous work. Critics are calling it “thrillingly unsubtle” and “art at its unapologetically visceral peak”.

Fu Manchu - The Return Of…Live

Picture this: it’s 1995, you’re blazing through the desert on a skateboard while Scott Hill’s fuzzed-out guitar riffs paint sonic sandstorms across the endless California landscape. That’s Fu Manchu’s universe—where stoner metal meets hot rod culture in perfect harmony. The San Clemente legends just dropped their first official live album in 20 years, capturing the raw power of their 2024 European tour in support of The Return of Tomorrow. Here’s the killer detail: the band recorded every show on the tour, then cherry-picked the best performances for this nine-track collection. Mixed by longtime producer Jim Monroe and limited to just 1,500 copies, it perfectly balances classic crowd-pleasers like “Eatin’ Dust” and “Hell on Wheels” with newer anthems like “Loch Ness Wrecking Machine”. Critics and fans are celebrating this as a perfect snapshot of why Fu Manchu remains the undisputed kings of desert rock after 35 years.

Heatmiser - Mic City Sons (30th Anniversary)

Perhaps the most poignant release of the week came from the shadows of indie rock history. Elliott Smith’s former band Heatmiser celebrated three decades of their final album Mic City Sons with an expanded reissue through Third Man Records. This is a rediscovery of a masterpiece created during the band’s implosion. The remastered double-LP includes rare demos and unreleased tracks like “Burned Out, Still Glowing” and “Dark Cloud,” offering intimate glimpses into the tempestuous creative relationship between Smith and Neil Gust. The original album captured lightning in a bottle: a band breaking up in real time while creating some of their most emotionally devastating music.

Leatherface - The Peel Sessions

Remember when getting invited to record a John Peel session was like receiving a knighthood for underground musicians? Sunderland’s Leatherface—those gravelly-voiced punk poets who influenced everyone from Hot Water Music to The Gaslight Anthem—finally unleashed their complete BBC Maida Vale recordings from the 1990s. These three sessions were recorded at the personal invitation of Peel himself, in the legendary studios where only a select few were ever invited to enter. The vinyl version actually rearranges the running order to maintain optimal audio quality, while the CD preserves the original sequence. The striking cover photograph by celebrated photographer Steve Gullick (who shot Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Nick Cave) perfectly captures their era-defining intensity. Critics and longtime fans are hailing this as essential listening, praising how the raw Maida Vale sound showcases Frankie Stubbs’ distinctive growl and the band’s unique blend of hardcore fury with melodic precision.

Kyle Hollingsworth - All We Are

Think of Kyle Hollingsworth as the keyboard wizard behind The String Cheese Incident’s 30-year journey through psychedelic landscapes, and you still won’t be prepared for how bold and guitar-driven his fifth solo album sounds. His signature keyboards take a backseat to guitar-led compositions that channel everyone from Greg Allman to Bruce Hornsby. Written during Colorado mountain adventures and recorded with remarkable vulnerability, the album tackles addiction, recovery, and personal transformation with a maturity that comes from three decades in the jam scene. Hollingsworth’s collaboration with 4 Hands Brewing Company to create a beer pairing will be released near tour dates this fall.

The Warlocks - The Manic Excessive Sounds Of

Los Angeles psych-rock institution The Warlocks have spent 25 years perfecting their collision between classic psychedelia, Krautrock, and Velvet Underground art-noise—imagine The Brian Jonestown Massacre if they grew up in the swamps of Tampa Bay instead of San Francisco. Bobby Hecksher’s latest creation is their 14th studio album, and here’s the mind-blowing fact: the entire record was written in a single day, hence the title “The Manic Excessive Sounds Of”. Recorded over just four days with a seven-piece lineup including three guitarists (one dedicated solely to feedback), it splits its running time between emotionally engrossing traditional songs and improv-heavy jams that stretch into infinity. Critics are calling it “monumentally transcendent” and “equally refreshing as it is raw,” while fans are praising how the opener “It’s A Fucked-Up World” serves as both a state-of-the-union address and an eight-minute sonic journey through genre-bending territory.

Buddy Guy - Ain’t Done With The Blues

At 88 years old, Chicago blues legend Buddy Guy proves age is just a number with his latest collection featuring collaborations with Peter Frampton, Joe Walsh, and Joe Bonamassa. This isn’t a victory lap—it’s a master class in how to honor tradition while keeping the music vital and immediate.

---

Worthy Reading

Changes by Sabbath. It's a cover.

A Brief History of Country Rock in L.A.