My Top 5 Albums - AELEEN
- Flex Admin
- Sep 5
- 4 min read
AELEEN: Porto’s Nu-Metal Force Gears Up for ‘Misfits’… The momentum is building — the world’s rising Nu Metal force prepare to release their explosive new single ‘Misfits’ on 12th September 2025.
AELEEN are preparing to make a bold statement with their upcoming single, ‘Misfits’, due for release on 12th September 2025. The band’s hybrid approach to nu-metal combines crushing guitar riffs, groove-laden rhythms, electronic textures, and commanding vocals that effortlessly shift from visceral screams to soaring melodic lines.
While the track itself hasn’t dropped yet, fans can get a first taste by pre-saving ‘Misfits’ on Spotify, offering early access to a dark and defiant anthem designed for outsiders everywhere. The dual-language lyrics (French and English) tackle themes of hypocrisy, human nature, and the courage to stand apart — an exploration of identity and rebellion that mirrors the band’s multicultural roots and diverse influences.
Fronted by Kti Cruz, AELEEN’s line-up also features Mike Klyuykov on guitar, Fabien Colette on drums, and Ilia Dokshin on bass and electronic textures. Together, they craft a sound that is technically precise yet emotionally raw, thriving on contrasts — intensity with vulnerability, chaos with clarity.
Fans can also expect a striking music video, shot and directed by Alex Avelur, which will visually amplify the song’s themes of defiance and individuality. Even before its release, AELEEN are inviting audiences to step into their world — raw, energetic, and unafraid to confront the norms of the heavy music scene.
In addition, the presave is being accompanied by an exclusive interview feature where AELEEN discuss their Top Five Albums — revealing the records that shaped their sound, their influences, and what drives their creative vision.
For early access to AELEEN’s newest sonic assault and an inside look at their musical inspirations, fans can pre-save ‘Misfits’ on Spotify and stay tuned for the full interview feature.
Press Shots by Aksinia Avelur
5 Favourite Albums:
For us, Nu Metal—and these albums in particular—helped spark a metamodern musical language: sincerity over irony, emotion over posturing. They didn’t chase trends; They used genres as tools to deliver feelings. They were drawn to music that blends groove and melancholy, the heaviness of distortion with the airiness of clean vocals, and lyrics that reach into psychological and existential depths.
Korn — Follow the Leader (1998)
We love how this album made heaviness feel immediately physical and oddly danceable. Those elastic, low-tuned riffs hit like a body blow, while the swaggering rhythms keep everything in motion. The record’s push–pull between menace and hook makes catharsis feel communal—shouted, sung, and shared. There’s vulnerability peeking through the bravado, too, which gives the aggression stakes. It’s an album that proves groove can carry real emotional weight, that a chorus can feel like release rather than decoration, and that heaviness works best when it swings as well as it slams.
Deftones — Around the Fur (1997)
What pulls us in is the album’s humid intensity—suffocating and sensual at once. Guitars feel saturated and tactile, drums breathe, and the vocals move from whisper to wound without warning. It’s heavy music that also understands atmosphere and negative space: moments hang, then collide. That constant tension—beauty one second, volatility the next—creates a lived-in emotional world. It’s the feeling of being on the edge of a storm: charged air, pressure, then the downpour. The record shows how dynamics are a language of their own, and how desire, rage, and tenderness can coexist inside the same song.
Bad Omens — The Death of Peace of Mind (2022)
We’re drawn to the way it fuses meticulous modern production with raw, cinematic feeling. Sleek electronics aren’t there to polish away emotion; they frame it, set it glowing in the dark. The songs move like scenes—intimate verses, then widescreen choruses that hit with architectural precision. It’s proof that contemporary heavy music can be genre-fluid without losing bite: pop instincts, industrial shadings, metal muscle, all serving narrative arcs. The record feels like a midnight drive through a neon city—cool on the surface, feverish underneath—where every melody is carrying a secret.
Massive Attack — Mezzanine (1998)
Not metal, but undeniably heavy. We love how bass, space, and shadow become emotional instruments here. The production invites you to lean in: low-end pressure, insect-bright details, and rhythms that stalk rather than sprint. It’s patient, hypnotic, and noir—proof that mood can devastate as effectively as distortion. The vocals (often poised and intimate) feel like confessions overheard at 3 a.m., and the arrangements leave room for imagination to haunt the mix. Mezzanine teaches us that tension and atmosphere can do the hitting for you; sometimes the quietest parts land the hardest.
Nine Inch Nails — The Downward Spiral (1994)
We’re captivated by its fearless interiority. The record welds industrial grit to pop discipline and uses that machinery to explore fragility, addiction, shame, and desire. Textures grind and splinter; then, suddenly, a melody opens like a window. It’s confrontational but deeply human—less a concept album than a guided descent where each sound choice has psychological intent. The interplay between chaos and control creates a truth-serum effect: nothing is tidy, everything is honest. It reminds us that “heavy” is as much about emotional stakes as decibels, and that vulnerability can be the most dangerous instrument of all.
AELEEN will support the release with live dates, including:
27/09 – Socorro (Porto), Paws & Claws Fest
11/10 – Buraco Pub (Ovar)
17/10 – Wish You Were Here Pub (Porto)
06/12 - RCA Club (Lisbon)
With their eyes set on the international stage, AELEEN are ready to carry their hybrid assault into the next generation of heavy music.
Misfits is out 12th September 2025 on all major streaming platforms.
