UK metal band CAGE FIGHT, fronted by the ferocious Rachel Aspe, have unleashed their latest single and video, “Oxygen,” taken from their upcoming sophomore album Exuvia, set for release May 1 via Spinefarm.
“Oxygen” captures the suffocating weight of anxiety and the pressure of time slipping away. Aspe explains:
“When your worries occupy all the space in your head, you’re navigating through fog; every task, every move, feels like a challenge. ‘Oxygen’ is about a fight against time, when everything becomes overwhelming and suffocating.”
Watch “Oxygen” here:
A Symbol of Strength and Survival
The video carries deeply personal meaning, centered around a radiotherapy mask worn by Aspe’s grandmother during cancer treatment—now repurposed as a powerful visual symbol throughout Exuvia.
“I’m now wearing it as she lives through me… It represents a cage you fight in, until you shed your skin and are reborn.”
In “Oxygen,” the mask embodies the mind itself—trapping the wearer in cycles of fear, oppression, and anxiety, while time continues to slip away.
About Exuvia
Recorded by Sam Bloor (Lower Lane Studios) and mixed by Jim Pinder (Sleep Token, Malevolence), Exuvia retains CAGE FIGHT’s hardcore backbone—packed with crushing grooves and relentless aggression—while expanding into more layered, atmospheric territory.
Across its 11 tracks, the band balances brutality with experimentation. Highlights include:
- “Pick Your Fighter” – featuring Julien Truchan (Benighted), inspired by a French pop hook but transformed into a crushing anthem
- “Pig” – a direct call-out of online harassment
- “Élégie” – an emotional closer dealing with loss and regret
For the first time, all lyrics were written by Aspe, drawing from personal experiences with anxiety, grief, and trauma—giving the album a raw, confessional edge.
Tracklist
- Confined
- Oxygen
- Pig
- Pick Your Fighter
- Un Bon Souvenir
- Deathstalker
- Le Déni
- Exuvia
- The Hammer Crush
- IHYG (I Hate Your Guts)
- Élégie
Live & Release Show
CAGE FIGHT will celebrate the release of Exuvia with a sold-out album launch show on May 1 at London’s Blondie’s, alongside a special “Pick Your Fighter” beer collaboration with Radio City Beer Works.
The band continues to build momentum with a packed 2026 festival schedule, including appearances across the UK and Europe such as Radar Festival, Motocultor Festival, and Beastfest (headline).
Lineup
- Rachel Aspe – vocals
- James Monteith – guitar
- Will Horsman – bass
- Nick Plews – drums