August New Music Round-Up: CF98, DoorShan, LAFAYETTE, LohArano, Nordstahl, True Devil & Zatokrev

We’ve recently been unearthing new bands from around the world using music discovery platform Groover. But, when bands who shared new music with us don’t respond to our interview requests, we like to bring them together in one big new music round-up.

This August music round-up features bands from France, Germany, a brand new country for us in Madagascar, Poland, Switzerland and the United States. So get your weekend started early with a batch of everything from pop-punk and rock to extreme metal from these seven exciting new bands.

CF98: Nobody Wants To Party

Polish trio CF98 have crafted a fun and lively pop-punk sound that’ll have you channelling your inner 2000s emo self. Describing their music, the band says: “CF98 is the melodic poppunk band your emo 2005 self would’ve tattooed on their arm — and your 2025 self can still mosh to without breaking a hip. With female-fronted vocals that slice through high-octane guitars, CF98 brings raw energy and unapologetic heart to every track. Think NOFX meets Paramore, with a European twist and undeniable stage charisma.”

Our latest taste of this is Nobody Wants To Party, which was released last month and features Sammy from WSTR. It opens up with a spinning synth dropping into lively guitars that give way to frontwoman Karolina Duszkiewicz’s engaging vocals. That feeds into a catchy chorus of “Where’d you go? Cause I’m dancing on my own, Where’d you go? Cause I’m dancing on my own,  This takes so long But one day I’ll let you go, Where’d you go? Cause I’m dancing on my own.” An instrumental break gives way to Sammy’s vocals feeding into a chorus of dual vocals, whihc ends with heavier guitar chords supporting repeats of “Nobody wants to party with me anymore.” The pace drops before building up to a big final blast of the chorus – bringing some classic fun pop-punk to a conclusion.

And if you liked what you heard, CF98 have actually just followed it up with the equally fun Hate My Life, which was released yesterday.

You can follow CF98 on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.

DoorShan: Dans Mes Ears

Heading west across to Europe brings us to exciting French band DoorShan, who offer up a thrilling electro rock sound packed with heavy riffing, powerful vocals and plenty of ‘girl power’ energy.

The band sent us Dans Mes Ears from their +Side album, which was released in April. It opens up with a pulsing synth then stabbing guitars before kicking into a lively riff and atmospheric instrumentals over fun vocals. It drops into a verse led by engaging French vocals that flow into a chorus of English vocals “You lead, You speed, I just need to forget it, all right, You burn your skin, I’m so sick of me, myself, and I, You link, You scream, As if I was living my last day, The only thing I want is make you shout.” Male vocals take over and feed into a chorus of dual vocals, which ends with more intense cries and drop into stabbing guitars over spoken French vocals. The intensity builds and a driving guitar riff tees up a big final blast of the chorus. The album is packed with more electro rock goodness, including the excellent Lights In The Dark and Knife Edge.

You can follow DoorShan on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.

LAFAYETTE: The Fucked Up Song

Staying in France, we switch up a few gears with the electrifying sound of LAFAYETTE, who we’re gutted didn’t respond to our response as we’re loving their music and think they could quickly become one of our favourite new bands. LAFAYETTE bring us a fusion of vocal styles and genres ranging from extreme metal to hardcore, built around the concept of “no boundaries, let’s play what we love.”

The band sent us The Fucked Up Song, which was released at the end of last month. It opens up with eerie synths under slightly menacing whispery vocals, and a cry of “fucked up song” ushers in a thick riff over rolling drums. Heavier vocals come in and are answered by superbly delivered high-pitched vocals that flow into an intense chorus “Turn on the light, And close your eyes, ‘Cause you don’t wanna remember it, It’s been such an honour to ablaze in your embrace, I was the moth, you were the flames.” Heavy guitars kick back in and bridge into guttural vocals with vicious low-tuned guitars, before picking up pace with the wild high-pitched vocals. A vicious scream ushers in more intense vocals that end with a deliciously heavy breakdown of chugging guitars and absolutely wild vocals. The pace suddenly drops with high-pitched clean vocals teeing up a heavy final chorus.

If you liked what you heard, you can check out more on their recent mini EP The Fucked Up Songs and their album Deliver Us, which was released in March.

You can follow LAFAYETTE on Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.

LohArano: Rodo (The Reign of Outlaws)

LohArano takes us to a new country on the GigRadar map – that’s number 59 – as they’ve been described as the “rock phenomenon” of Madagascar. LohArano, which means ‘the source,’ describe their music as “a roar for the new generation, merging rock and Malagasy ternary rhythms.”

They sent us Rodo (The Reign of Outlaws), which they say describes “the reign of the dahalo (thieves) who keep civilians living in fear.” The track comes from the band’s powerful EP Ymaima which, in their words: “Talks about the brutal reality of Madagascar, which bleeds between muffled cries and complicit silences. It reflects a daily life that has become commonplace: disparitions, violence, exile.”

Rodo (The Reign of Outlaws) opens up with frantic high-pitched vocals that drop into fast-paced guitars and a wild synth sound. Intense vocals take over, supported by stabbing guitars, before flying into fast-paced vocals and guitars. It drops into a cool verse with funky bass and guitar support, then the pace picks up and intense vocals take over. The staccatoed vocals return and give way to driving guitars bringing the track to a lively conclusion.

You can follow LohArano on Facebook and Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music and YouTube.

Nordstahl: Ragnarök in Berlin

Heading back to Western Europe brings us to German band Nordstahl, who fuse Nordic mythology with brutal social commentary. The band delivers raw German lyrics over crushing industrial metal soundscapes.

Our latest taste of this is their second album Ragnarök in Berlin, which was released last month and from which they sent us three tracks – and, for context, in Norse mythology, Ragnarök is a series of battles and disasters that lead to the destruction of the Gods and the world.

First up is the album’s second track Ragnarök in Berlin, which opens up with pulsing synths that are joined by big industrial guitars and drums. It drops into engaging vocals that build up to a big singalong chorus, before a funky little synth section tees up a final chorus.

Next, we have Mjölnir, which begins with stabbing guitars that continue with distant synths and drop into vocals that build in intensity and drop into a big chorus. The pace drops after the second chorus, and gradually builds up to a powerful conclusion. Finally, they sent us potentially our favourite Lokis Lügen, which starts with whispery vocals before a piercing guitar lick drops into engaging vocals. The vocals increase in intensity before dropping into a huge chorus supported by big synth sounds. The pace drops as spoken vocals come in and give way to intense screams over driving guitars, teeing up a final blast of the chorus.

You can check out Nordstahl’s music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.

True Devil: At Day’s End

Heading further west takes us over to Detroit, where we encounter hard rock hellraisers True Devil. The band combines visceral vocals, dueling guitar slayers and fierce rhythms as they aim to encapsulate “everything rock’n’roll should be.”

True Devil sent us their fourth single At Day’s End, which was released in June. It drags you in immediately with stabbing guitar chords that continue under a funky little guitar lick. Crooning vocals take over, flowing straight into a big catchy chorus “At day’s end, You’re letting it go, Just focus on what is real, The moment it comes, You know what to do, That’s when all your dreams come true.” It continues straight into a second verse supported by chugging guitars, flowing into another chorus before the pace drops with echoey vocals and drawn-out guitars. A wild scream ushers in harmonic guitars over intense vocals, before a cool section of instrumentals supporting repeated lines “I don’t know what I should say, It’s all but gone away, Bigger still the pain remains, It takes my breath away.” That tees up a final chorus that ends with big drawn-out vocals and a funky little guitar lick bringing the track to an atmospheric ending.

If you liked what you heard, the band have three more singles released in the last year, starting with lively debut track Divisible, the deliciously dark Rips My Heart Out and this year’s S.D.O.N.

You can follow True Devil on Facebook and Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.

Zatokrev: Pearl Eyes

Finally, we’re heading back to Europe with Swiss band Zatokrev, who describe themselves as being: “Ever firm in their resolve to dive headlong into the murky waters of consciousness and the subsequent experiences gained in those explorations. Ambitious and impulsive, but never careless.” The Basel group offer up a captivating rock sound that they summarise as a “musical grimoire,” blending heavy guitars with almost shoegazey elements.

Our latest taste of this is Pearl Eyes, on which they said: “Our third single Pearl Eyes is another piece of the puzzle of a cathartic self-discovery from the upcoming album. It was a true joy to collaborate with our longtime friend Lio and his crew on the new, spontaneously and intuitively created video. They truly melted into our musical energy and gave the composition the natural, raw imagery it craved.”

The track opens up with thick driving guitar chords and piercing guitars in an intoxicating intro. A little darting lick comes in as intense screamed vocals take over, dropping into clean vocals over more thick guitars. The pace drops slightly before rumbling into another intense verse supported by a flicking guitar lick flowing into another mellow but slightly unnerving chorus. The guitars take over with cool licks that fade out before a big cry ushers in a powerful conclusion led by screamed vocals, big driving chords and screeching guitar noises.

If you liked that, check out the even more unnerving Unwinding Spirits and Blood from Zatokrev’s upcoming album.

You can follow Zatokrev on Facebook and Instagram, and check out their music on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube.