Categories: Review

afraid. Is Reviving Nu Metal with Their Latest EP “Can’t Stop What’s Coming”

For fans of: Korn, Rage Against The Machine, StrayFrom The Path

The animalistic nu metal band, known as afraid. released their sophomore EP entitled “Can’t Stop What’s Coming” on July 10th, 2026. The 6-track project features Domenic Paron’s aggressive lyrics and wide range of vocals styles from yelling and screaming, to classic rap-rhythm Nu metal vocals, mixed with heavy chugging and melodic instrumentals of Maverick Simard (guitar/vocals), Ali Bayat (Bass), and Steven Simpson (Drums). This album follows in the footsteps of Nu metal’s greats like Korn’s Follow The Leader and Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory, all while adopting a modern metal and hardcore edge.

Can’t Stop What’s Coming: Track by Track

The EP starts with an opening track that quickly sets the tone for the next 21 minutes. Trap Door is a heavy headbanger with downtempo chugging riffs, pulling inspiration from the harder side of 90’s Nu-Metal, and of course featuring the quintessential turntable scratches.

Heel Turn is a bouncy and anthemic track. If Cody Rhodes were to ever do a heel turn in the WWE, this may end up being his entrance song. It would be easy to envision the crowd chanting “Heel Turn” while the chorus screams the lyrics “I don’t know what I want anymore.”

Track 3, you get blessed with City Rat, an attitude-fueled track featuring a massive Chester Benington-inspired sing/scream chorus and a breakdown written exclusively to set off the moshpit.

To start off the second half of the EP is Mannequins, perfectly showcasing the band’s love for Nu metal. From hip hop-esque vocal choruses to heavy screams and eerie sounding verses with lush chorus effects, this song shows the versatility of afraid. Just listen to those guitar dive bombs, and try to keep a straight face. Spoiler, you won’t be able to.

Killionaire is filled with dark, angry lyrical content. It’s verses are rhythmic, like a classic Rage Against The Machine or Stray From The Path track and once again, the chorus has you chanting, this time “KILL.”

The final and heaviest track of the EP Apparition, features a chaotic intro into utter metal mayhem, and draws similarities to Suicide Silence’s You Only Live Once. If there was a song designed to fuck you up in the pit, it would be Apparition. From the very start, it never gives you a moment to breathe until it branches off into a beautifully atmospheric bridge with soft spoken vocals and ambient guitars. However short-lived, it quickly amps up the heavy to an all time high summoning a breakdown featuring guest vocalist Emily Jo Mahu.

Does this album have turntable scratching? Yes. Does it have a tightly tuned snare? Yes. Does it have aggressive, rap/yell vocals? Hell yes. Cant Stop What’s Coming scratches the itch if you’re looking for an aggressive album to put on when you feel like breaking something (and need a break from listening to Limp Bizkit). Now that Stray From The Path has officially called it quits, we think there are a number of tour packages that could benefit from an angsty Canadian nu metal band with a hardcore flare.

EP Release in Toronto

This album hits even harder in person. On July 17th, afraid. played the EP in its entirety at Dance Cave in Toronto to celebrate the release of this EP. The title “Can’t Stop What’s Coming” is the perfect metaphor for describing the sheer energy that the band brings to the stage. Each track brought more waves of people jumping into mosh pits. Seeing afraid. perform feels like seeing RATM before they blew up. You feel it in your spine before your brain even has a chance to register what you’re witnessing. Don’t take our word for it, you can watch the full set here:

You can hear afraid. and more bands like them on our Spotify platlists Heavy Canada and Swallow The Razor.

Prophecy

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