Following 2024’s lauded debut “Summer” (Forcefield Records), Raleigh, N.C. quartet Valletta have joined forces with Germany’s Lifeforce Records to issue their follow-up EP, Bitter Lucid Truth, in October 2025. More urgent and dynamic than its predecessor, “Bitter Lucid Truth” finds the band expanding its sound while focusing its songs on a pointed, urgent rebuke of “the current political landscape” and “the unravelling of our communities and families.” Even as it surges with urgency, “Bitter Lucid Truth” still manages to add dynamics and nuance to Valletta’s already expansive palette. Highly recommended for fans of all things heavy and anthemic, from Tribulation to Tragedy.