Categories: Review

5 Up & Coming Canadian Bands With New Releases | March 2026

FKA Rayne – Sutures EP

For Fans of: Spiritbox, Vana, The Devil Wears Prada, Dying Wish

Released March 13th, FKA Rayne’s new 6-track EP Sutures took things an octave lower than any previous release. With a heavier metalcore sound and a healthy dose of screaming, FKA Rayne took a big swing with this EP and knocked it out of the park. It’s a great start to finish album, and every track is glorious.

There are so many standout songs on Sutures – Disgusting and The swarm go hard. Black Bile could be a sonic sibling to the The Devil Wears Prada’s Zombie EP. Sinking House, a dark thematic metalcore ballad, is the perfect, moody note to close out the album.

2. Howells (Feat. Folded Hands) – 8 Fold Fence

For fans of: Emery, Thrice, Taking Back Sunday, Cancer Bats

For those who might be a sucker for a good bass-heavy riff, 8 Fold Fence by Howells featuring Folded Hands serves up plenty of that on a platter. This single gives you a healthy mix of sub-genres in one song: post-hardcore, but with a midwest emo guitar line and a heavy breakdown. 8 Fold Fence is the third single released in this with what appears to be similar artwork, so hopefully we could be seeing an upcoming album in 2026.

3. Black Ivar – Lovely House

For fans of: Structures, Suicide Silence, Half Me, Lorna Shore

Black Ivar’s album Lovely House, released March 31st, is a heavy-hitting 10-song album that is a perfect choice to throw on at the gym if you need to lift heavy or if you just need to let off some steam.

Every song has a strong message and perspective. Touching upon heavy themes like grief, anger, and anxiety, the lyrics are brutally honest and relevant to the current times we’re living in and the world we’re all experiencing. Bad News highlights the regular day with constant bombardment of bad news. Waste of Skin deals with feelings of anger and betrayal and Hellbringer, described by the band as a hate letter, takes aim at people who have power to make positive change, yet choose not to.

Lovely House was designed for catharsis. Whether that’s alone in your headphones, or letting out your rage in the moshpit, one things for certain, after listening to heavy breakdown after breakdown, you will undoubtedly feel lighter. This feeling is what got a lot of us hooked on heavy music in the first place.

Hailing from Vancouver, BC, Black Ivar is currently competing in the Canadian Wacken Metal Battle for the opportunity to represent Canada at Wacken Open Air in Germany.

4. The Human Drive – Halogen

For fans of: Rise Against, Atreyu, Anberlin

Local to Toronto, The Human Drive released their latest single HALOGEN on March 27th. Its high-energy (and very catchy) guitar line contrasts perfectly with the long-held melodies throughout the verses and chorus. When you get to the bridge, you will be instantly taken back to 2006, to when you first heard The Sufferer & The Witness by Rise Against. (Assuming you were alive back then.) The music video was also directed by Matt Guarrasi, the multi-talented singer of Nakedburn, who have also been featured through False Chord.

HALOGEN is the second single released in 2026 after OIL, and these guys are showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

5. CHILIØ – wear tie dye to my funeral

For fans of: Dance Gavin Dance, Issues, Pierce The Veil, Galleons

CHILIØ’s latest release wear tie dye to my funeral is the perfect blend of high-energy pop-punk and post-hardcore, making it a lighthearted summer anthem. Listening to the hook “When I die, don’t make it so damn miserable” will make you want to put on your checkered vans, grab a can of monster, and run to get a spot at the barrier of a stage at Warped Tour.

If you live in Canada you may be lucky enough to catch CHILIØ on their cross-Canada tour with Gutter King this April.

Calvin Heinrichs