THOSE ONCE LOYAL RETURN WITH NEW SINGLE "GLASS HANDS" + INTRODUCE NEW BASSIST!

Scott O'Shea
5 days ago
3 min read

Stylized gold '11' with chain on a black textured background. Gothic text below reads "Those Once Loyal!" conveying a bold, vintage feel. — Those Once Loyal

Nottingham Melodic Hardcore Act, Those Once Loyal, released their first new single "Glass Hands" on April 11th, 2025. This is the first new release that the band has put out since the release of their 2023 EP "Relentless Cycle"!

Held from Nottingham Those Once Loyal have been on quite the journey since last releasing music. one of the reasons due to sadly, a revolving door of bassists, this has now led to now finally having a solid line up.

Since the release of their 2023 EP 'Relentless Cycle' they have played many shows around the midlands area, this has helped get their name more known and playing higher profile shows in there hometown such as Nottingaham Rock City playing with Atreyu in the main hall and basement shows, with the likes of Heart of a Coward, Attila and Rxptrs. With also playing other venues in Nottingham with High on Fire, Cane Hill and Kill the Lights which then landed them on a London date with them too.

They have also managed to play the prestigious festival of Bloodstock Open Air on the Jagermeister stage in 2023. Now they are gearing up to create some buzz releasing some singles, this being the first of 2 and their follow up to the "Relentless Cycle" EP a single called "Glass Hands" and with some dates already in the diary such as Hacktivist at Saltbox Nottingham in April, they're gearing up to take the scene by storm.

Glass Hands is a song that perfectly encapsulates the combination of modern hardcore bands with the driving aggressive riffs of 00's metalcore to create a song with a driving rhythm that blends both eras of metal together and shows how evolution and history can be one!

The band commented on the single:

"Lyrically, the song uses theming of control and manipulation, to which lines such as "One day your influence will loose its hold. You'll never ever have control" Pertaining to the idea that egocentric control will loose it's grasp in time."

Vocalist Matt Smith also had this to say about the new single:

'Glass hands is about politians, big business and people who control us. The people who claim authority have no passion or love in their own lives so they control us to inflate their own egos. Smashing hands of glass is basically a reference to dismantling the power they try to hold over our minds'.

“Glass Hands” marks not just the band’s first new single since 2023, but also the beginning of a bold new chapter—with the official debut of bassist Chayce Swain, formerly of Beyond Your Design.

Novacaine Rating: 10/10

"Those Once Loyal have come crashing back onto the scene with their explosive new single, “Glass Hands.” Let’s just say—you wouldn’t want to let these lads loose in a china shop. As expected, they’ve raised the bar yet again, delivering a track that hits hard and leaves a mark. If Glass Hands is anything to go by, 2025 is shaping up to be a massive year for them."

Stream 'Glass Hands' Now: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/thoseonceloyal/glass-hands