Rory’s Workout Bops!

Benter’s Barbell Bops

Like everyone that contributes to this site, and presumably you reading this now, it is impossible to overstate the importance of music to my general wellbeing. Through the best and the hardest of times music has been there to pick me up, spur me on, or just keep the party going; and in a world where nearly every song in the world is available in your pocket there’s music for every situation. Obviously Heavy Music is our stock and trade here at Ever-Metal, and with that in mind, the time in which I really need that extra push from the more abrasive end of the sonic spectrum is in the gym.

This year my wife and I decided to prioritise our health a bit more and tilt the balance from booze and pizza to eating healthier and getting fit. We hit the gym five times a week without fail to get stronger, faster and most importantly happier. It’s been really rewarding and it’s great to have another thing to do together that we’re both passionate about, but it’s also a challenge. Nothing in life worth having comes without some serious graft. It’s not always easy, but cranking up my headphones is a sure fire way to power through pain and fatigue when I feel like giving up. Not only that, but pumping iron, swinging a kettlebell and tearing up the treadmill also brings out new layers and appreciation for what I’m listening to. Come the end of the year there’s probably going to be a lot of records in my best-of list that have gotten most of their spins while I’ve been making a grotesque face lifting something heavy or wheezing away trying to achieve a 5k PB. 

With this in mind I thought I’d chuck together 3 all timers and a few albums from this year that have been getting my rotund arse over the line from the gnarly side of the music that we all know and love. There’s also been a lot of Hip Hop and Charli XCX, but I’ll keep things on the heavy side.

Knocked Loose- You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To

Expect this one to be at the business end of my AOTY list because my brothers and sisters in Christ is this album brutal. Like devastatingly, head-cavingly nasty. When I need to unleash carnage and lift shit that I’m technically too puny to tackle, this is the boy that gets the job done. From the staggeringly violent jump scare of ‘Thirst’, right until the Industrial-tinged nightmare of ‘Sit and Mourn’, my heart is filled with nothing but boiling hatred thanks to this precision engineered 28 minutes of beatdowns, barks and bastard heavy riffage. Yes, Bryan Garris sounds like Hardcore Micky Mouse but his demented delivery when combined with Isaac Hale’s guttural lows and monstrous axe abuse is a recipe for gains, bruv!

Crossfaith- ARK

Is it 2013 again or something? Thankfully not, but Japanese Electro/Metalcore legends Crossfaith have released their best album in years. They might not be the most zeitgeisty band in 2024, but this razor sharp collection of huge rave hooks and properly savage riffs are a massive shot of adrenaline. If you’re looking for something to get you pumping for a hard cardio session, the pulsating rhythms and high energy riffs will have you moving so fast that Lance Archer will be asking who ‘your guy’ is.

Take Offence- T.O.tality

Although I’m not a huge Thrash fan generally, good shit is good shit – and when you throw in a healthy slice of groove, Punk and Hardcore with chunky modern production, I can definitely get down with that. Californian Crossover bruisers Take Offence definitely got the memo on this absolute riot of a record. Like Suicidal Tendencies by way of Power Trip, the band have produced a bouncy, in-your-face and unbelievably catchy record that is absolutely perfect for any workout. The image of skateboarding along Venice beach with a ripped set of abs like the cartoon bloke on the front of the “Join The Army” cover is a hard one to shake from my head while I’m pushing out that last set in the chest press. The band have a great knack for mixing the bright and upbeat with a big old spin kick to the mush ideal for getting the endorphins going.

Missing Link- Watch Me Bleed

Sometimes you’ve got to switch your brain off and go straight into thug mode to get the job done, and there are few records this year that spur me on through a vein-popping set of bicep-curls all the way to failure than these New York knuckleheads. Of course they sound like Biohazard, Madball and Sick of it All, but if it ain’t broke…break someone’s face with it I guess. This is 30 minutes of chug, squealing dive-bombs and various yelled threats with gritty yet huge-sounding production. It ain’t original, it ain’t clever, but my god it absolutely whips dick. You can practically taste blood in Myour mouth when ‘New York Minute’ kicks in and immediately makes it apparent that it’s not the Don Henley song of the same name.

Terminal Nation- Echoes of the Devil’s Den

Don’t worry Death Metal fans, I’ve got you covered with this final pick, though as with most things I review there’s a fair chunk of Hardcore in here as well – soz, babes. Sometimes you need a little bit of variety to your clanging and banging playlist and these Arkansas natives have delivered an album that has the songs to fit every exercise. Want to crush that cardio? The title trap is frantic and chaotic when you’re sprinting and violently bouncy when you want to hit a steady jog. Want to bench the equivalent of 1 Dino Cazares? ‘Written by the Victor’ is pure crust-induced evil and has general angry man Todd Jones from Nails on guest vocals. Hell, even Jesse Leach turns up if you’re one of those babies that needs proper singing on your Metal.

So load up those protein shakers, dust off your trainers and get your arse moving to something nasty – it feels good, I promise!