Heavy Song of the Week: Human Impact Bring Bludgeoning Riffs on “Corrupted”

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, the top spot goes to Human Impact for their riffy new single “Corrupted.”

Noise rock supergroup Human Impact (featuring members of Unsane, Cop Shoot Cop, and Daughters) are dropping their sophomore effort, Gone Dark, on October 4th. This week they served up the single “Corrupted,” and we can’t shake the song’s seismic central riff.

Seriously, this stabs — and it’s nothing fancy. Just some down-up-down action and a handful of notes. But if we’re to judge a riff on its memorability and “hookiness,” this is topshelf — bound to get stuck in your head. The way the bass is mixed with just enough high-end to enhance Chris Spencer’s guitar gives it that very Unsane-esque punch. We also love what Jim Coleman brings to the band, as his ominous aural textures color in a dark backdrop against the guitars and Spencer’s desperate screams.

Honorable Mentions:

Maul – “Spontaneous Stigmata”

“Spontaneous Stigmata” is an expertly paced death metal song. Starting with a mid-tempo gallop, the Fargo-based band then steers the arrangement through a sped up version of the same riff before collapsing into a Hooded Menace-style death-doom breakdown that hits with maximum impact (props to vocalist Garrett Alvarado for some incredible screams during this part).

Touché Amoré – “Hal Ashby”

Touché Amoré’s new song — and its music video — pay tribute to ‘70s counterculture filmmaker Hal Ashby. His films are known for their tragic, misunderstood characters — themes explored by frontman Jeremy Bolm in the songs lyrics. The chorus could be the plea of one of Ashby’s said characters in a screenplay: “Send me off , send me away / I’ll take some time, recalibrate  / I’ll try anything, anything / If it’ll course correct me.” Musically Touché Amoré have settled into a melodic and slightly melancholic post-hardcore that always seems to add poignancy to Bolm’s words, which is certainly the case here.

Undeath – “Disputatious Malignancy”

The tagline for Undeath’s new single should give you a good idea of what to expect from the rising death metal act: “In a world where the biggest metal bands play 8-string adult contemporary, Undeath dares to do the unthinkable: play real fucking death metal for real fucking death metal freaks.” We’re getting early Cannibal Corpse vibes from Undeath’s latest single, as the band dial up OSDM riffs and concussive drumming. The hint of classic thrash in the guitarwork goes a long way, breaking up the jackhammer mosh sections with just a hint of melody — a word that feels weird to even type in regards to a song called “Disputatious Malignancy.”