Now Hear This: Aaron Pauley on the best new post-hardcore, metal and emo

I still get a huge buzz out of discovering new bands and new music. It's refreshing when you hear something that just makes your ears perk up. No matter what you do or how long you've been a music fan for, I think it's always exciting when it happens. We've obviously not been touring, so a lot of times it's just Spotify's New Music Friday, or fans will post things on Twitter and send bands for me to listen to. The internet has really unlocked a lot of doors for people. Artists can really promote their works internationally and it's funny because all my picks are from the UK or Europe.

My first pick is Caskets from Leeds. They're the perfect blend of great songwriting and awesome melodic pop sensibilities. They recently released a music video for the song Lost In Echoes via SharpTone Records, which is our record label that we just signed to. They're a really cool band, because they're a blend of heavier, more traditional metalcore and post-hardcore sounds, but they also have some pop and dance and electronic elements. They blend it all in a way that's really catchy. Sometimes genre blending can be a little jarring but theirs just flows and I think they're a fantastic band.

I love music that pushes sonic boundaries. Loathe are able to create incredible soundscapes in their music that really encapsulates how emotionally connected to it they all are. They're another UK band, from Liverpool, and we actually played some shows with them back in 2018. We were on the Bullet For My Valentine tour and we played some shows with them towards the end of the tour before we flew home. They're a great band, a lovely bunch of people, and I love listening to their records. Grab a nice pair of headphones so you can appreciate everything they've got going on in there.

The third band I've picked is a band called Solence from Sweden. They have released a ton of bangers over the past few years. They're another band that for me really does the blending of metalcore and post-hardcore with more traditional pop songwriting. They've got the catchy melodies and a really great production that really lets it sparkle. They're an awesome band and everyone should check them out.

I love their music because it feels very vulnerable. It's very raw. I love music that has a deep emotional vulnerability to it and there's something about this band that comes across really well in that respect. It's maybe something for fans of earlier 2000s third and fourth wave emo bands. If you're a fan of Taking Back Sunday, for example, this might be right up your street.

The final band I’ve picked are Imminence, from Sweden. They've actually been a band for more than a decade but I only found that out when I looked more into them. I came across their recent single Temptation, which features their singer Eddie Berg playing violin on it. I love the dichotomy and contrast between heavy music that has beautiful elements in it like that. The contrast between pretty and what can be construed as ugly or dark in music. So they're not a new band but they're new to me and they should be new to everybody who's not heard them, because I think they're fantastic.

Of Mice & Men's EP Bloom is released on May 28 via Sharptone.

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