Is Heavy Country The Next Trend?

Last July, it looked like “country metal” was about to become the next big thing.

Come 2024, country music is well and truly part of the mainstream, with Morgan Wallen and Lainey Wilson dominating the airwaves and typically pop/R&B artists like Post Malone and Beyoncé joining the fun, both releasing country-inspired albums this year.

But what if heavy country became a thing again? Last year, HARDY went to #1 on the Billboard Top Country Albums with the mockingbird & THE CROW. American metalcore band Righteous Vendetta went on to release an eight-track album called Country Goes Metal, which included a cover of Dustin Lynch‘s Small Town Boy.

If you dig deeper, you can see a clear relationship between rock and heavier music and country. Billboard explored the curious new genre in an article called Are You Ready for the ‘Country Metal’ Sound? Rock’s Revival Takes Rural Route last year, where the publication surmised:

Dave Grohl appeared on the country chart with the Zac Brown Band, Jelly Roll went to #1 on the Country Singles chart while enjoying rock chart success, Carrie Underwood joined Guns N’ Roses on tour, and Chris Stapleton, Darius Rucker, and Jon Pardi appeared on The Metallica Blacklist, a tribute album for Metallica’s uber-successful self-titled album. And let’s not forget that LeAnn Rimes, Justin Moore and Florida Georgia Line appeared on Nashville Outlaws: A Tribute to Mötley Crüe.

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The relationship between rock and country is strong, and yet Josh Setterfield is among the first Australian artists to go heavy country. He touched on the style last year with Nothing Like Me, but he’s never sounded as heavy as he does on his new song, Burning Gas.

It’s time to open the floodgates and explore some of the coolest heavy country songs we’ve heard.

Josh Setterfield – Burning Gas

Josh Setterfield has always been a genre-bender. While he’s undoubtedly a brilliant country-focused singer-songwriter, he’s always carried other influences, including rock. Burning Gas is a song that effortlessly straddles the line between modern country and pop, with elements of heavier music thrown in, providing some shock factor at the end of the song.

Here’s what Setterfield had to say about the song: “I've hung onto this one for over a year, waiting for the right time. I had a mental breakdown along the way and came out the other side wanting to do it my way. I'm about to release the heaviest country song from an Australian country artist, haha!”

HARDY – Sold Out

HARDY has racked up collaborations with rock acts, including Beartooth and Nickelback, so why not call back to a genre he clearly loves in music of his own?

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While the melodic delivery of his vocals on Sold Out is undoubtedly country, the chorus truly builds into something heavy, with the singer offering some yells and screams that show he’s paying attention to modern metal music. It’s a thrilling example of what heavy country can be.

Lakeview – Home Team

Lakeview, a duo with metalcore roots, showcases how easily country and heavy music fit in on Home Team. Telling working-class stories over a commanding riff, it’s understandable how Lakeview have gone on to tour alongside rock acts like Breaking Benjamin, Staind, and Daughtry earlier this year.

Royale Lynn – Redneck Rockstar

On Redneck Rockstar, self-proclaimed “punktry” artist Royale Lynn definitely sounds like what the song title suggests: she’s a country rock star.

After she moved to Nashville in 2015, Royale Lynn’s music has taken her places, such as going viral on TikTok with Six Feet Deep and stunning with Runs In The Water last year. But with Redneck Rockstar, she channels Avril Lavigne while incorporating her signature country twang. Going further into heavy country, she recently worked with Asking Alexandria frontman Danny Worsnop on the new song, Death Wish.

**Falling In Reverse – All My Life (feat. Jelly Roll)**

Jelly Roll is a singer who requires no introduction anymore. He’s become a household name, working with Lainey Wilson and Post Malone and even collaborating with Eminem on his latest LP. But on All My Life, he works with rock band Falling In Reverse on a rock-meets-country tune, with Jelly Roll undoubtedly the highlight of the song. Is there anything he can’t sing?

**Mitchell Tenpenny – Demon Or Ghost (ft. Underoath)**

Country pop singer Mitchell Tenpenny has flirted with genre boundaries for a long time, but on Demon Or Ghost, he well and truly turns into a rocker when working with American metalcore band Underoath. The song makes metalcore and country shine equally, with Underoath sounding heavier than they have in years and Tenpenny sounding like an absolute superstar.

Treaty Oak Revival – In Between

Up-and-coming Texas country rock band Treaty Oak Revival have made waves in music with their album, Have A Nice Day, and their relatable tunes that have country stylings in the vocals and partly in the instrumentation. But with their layers of sound and powerful themes, Treaty Oak Revival are closer to a punk rock band with country energy, and it’s irresistible to hear.

BONUS HEAVY COUNTRY:

Carrie Underwood & Axl Rose (Guns N’ Roses)

There’s no doubt that Carrie Underwood is the type of singer who can sing the phonebook. She’s an outstanding vocalist who happens to be a country star, but she can rock, too.

Carrie Underwood Wins Over Guns N' Roses Fans With Wicked Motörhead Cover

At Stagecoach 2022, she enjoyed the “greatest night of [her] life” when Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose joined her on stage for renditions of the classics Sweet Child O’ Mine and Paradise City. She went on to be an opener on their tour last year.

Post Malone can scream, everybody

While Post Malone is everyone’s favourite new country star, he’s also been a rap and pop hitmaker with hints of rock and roll. On Take What You Want, he scored features from rapper Travis Scott and heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne.

Last February, Post Malone joined Red Hot Chili Peppers for a tour of Australia and, during a performance of Take What You Want, got down on his knees and screamed, heavy metal style, into the microphone. It’s a moment that displays the man’s talent and willingness to take on new skills and styles, making him one of the most genre-diverse artists to feature on this list.