Denver’s own Fox Lake just dropped the animated video for “Freestyle,” a bounce-heavy track featuring Avoid that’s part of their upcoming album New World Heat, landing August 1 via MNRK Heavy.
The band’s been riding the edge since 2017, mixing metalcore with hip-hop, hardcore, and straight-up rock ‘n’ roll. “Freestyle” is no different — groovy and defiant, aimed directly at anyone still expecting them to fit a mold.
The band isn’t exactly interested in asking for permission. “Zero. F**ks. Given,” they write in the announcement. The animated visuals drive that point home — slick, aggressive, refusing to slow down or hold back. It’s not about playing nice, it’s about making noise on their terms.
Fox Lake are calling the new record their most honest work yet. New World Heat is a scorched-earth approach to both music and mindset. “The basic concept of the album is about burning things down in order to restart,” they explain. “It’s about who you are versus who you want to be. The world you live in versus the world you want to live in.”
They’re not being metaphorical for the sake of art, either. “Everyone has things that hold them down… habits, social circles, vices, beliefs, political systems, traumas, etc.” It’s about that moment when you realize passivity is a trap. “Action begets action and inaction begets inaction,” they say. “You either drown in complacency or burn parts of yourself away to create a better world.”
That idea of renewal runs through the entire writing process. They stripped away expectations, even their own. “We burned down the limitations we had previously put on ourselves and restarted our writing process with a singular goal — to sound like Fox Lake.” And what that sounds like, according to them? “Faster, heavier, groovier, and catchier than ever before.”
Whether people call it nu-metal, hardcore, or something else is beside the point. “Everyone’s gonna know it’s Fox Lake.”
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The full New World Heat tracklist reveals a few notable collaborations — Mugshot on the opener “For the Love of the Game,” Silent Planet on “Headshot,” and Eyes of Salt joining on “Gut Check.” It’s a mix that reflects the band’s open-door attitude toward influence, provided it still hits hard and keeps it moving.
Expect plenty of touring once the album drops.
