Ohio metalcore band Miss May I have released the new single and video for ‘Hand Me A Halo’ while confirming that their eighth studio album, No Place For Me, will be released on 2 October through Solid State Records. The track is the latest preview of the band’s first full-length studio album since 2022 and follows a period of significant change for the long running group.
by Paul Cashmere
Miss May I have unveiled the video for ‘Hand Me A Halo’, the latest song from their forthcoming album No Place For Me, which will be released on 2 October via Solid State Records. The announcement marks another milestone for the Ohio metalcore band as they continue a new chapter following lineup changes, a new record label and the return of bassist Ryan Neff to full-time duties.
The release is significant because it represents the band’s first collection of new material since 2022’s Curse Of Existence and their first studio album for Solid State Records. It also follows the band’s 2024 move to the label after more than a decade recording for Rise Records and SharpTone Records.
Frontman Levi Benton said the new single explores themes of identity and self doubt that emerged during the writing process.
“‘Hand Me A Halo’ tells the self-narrative of losing one’s sense of self and dealing with the intrusive thoughts that come with it,” Benton said. “This song came from our own confusion and loss of identity through the changing seasons of life. The fear can be constant, leaving you to question if you just want someone to hand you a halo.”
Those themes extend across the new album, which Benton described as a deeply personal project documenting a period of reflection.
“No Place For Me is everything I’ve felt for a long time but never had the words for,” he said. “Writing it taught me who I actually am even when that hurt to look at. It’s a full journey: where it started, what I discovered, and where I am today.”
Miss May I formed in Troy, Ohio in 2007 while the original members were still attending high school. Their debut album, Apologies Are For The Weak, introduced the band’s blend of melodic metalcore, combining aggressive vocals, melodic guitar work and clean vocal harmonies. The album reached the Billboard 200 and established the group as one of the emerging names in the American metalcore scene.
The follow-up albums Monument (2010) and At Heart (2012) expanded their audience, with At Heart becoming the band’s highest-charting release after reaching No. 32 on the Billboard 200. Later albums including Deathless (2015) and Shadows Inside (2017) also performed strongly on Billboard’s Independent and Rock album charts.
Over nearly two decades the band has maintained a consistent touring presence, appearing alongside acts including Killswitch Engage, Parkway Drive, Motionless In White, August Burns Red, Hatebreed, Gwar and Whitechapel. Their music has also appeared beyond the metal scene, including on the Saw VI soundtrack and in the video game Saints Row: The Third.
The group experienced its biggest internal change in 2024 when founding guitarists B.J. Stead and Justin Aufdemkampe departed after almost 18 years. Elisha Mullins, who had previously performed as a touring guitarist, officially joined the band. That same year Miss May I signed with Solid State Records and revisited their debut with a complete re-recording marking the fifteenth anniversary of Apologies Are For The Weak, featuring guest appearances from members of Fit For A King, August Burns Red, Silent Planet, Bleeding Through, Carnifex and The Word Alive.
Ryan Neff also returned his full attention to Miss May I after leaving his role with As I Lay Dying in late 2024. The reunited lineup of Benton, Neff, Jerod Boyd and Mullins subsequently began work on new material, releasing the first album preview, ‘Pray For Silence’, before unveiling ‘Hand Me A Halo’.
No Place For Me continues the band’s tradition of combining technical metalcore with melodic songwriting while focusing lyrically on mental health, identity and resilience. Those themes have become increasingly prominent in Miss May I’s catalogue and reflect the band’s evolution since first emerging during the late 2000s wave of American metalcore.
With the album due in October, ‘Hand Me A Halo’ offers another indication of the direction the band has taken as they begin their first full album campaign with Solid State Records. The release also positions Miss May I to continue building on a career that has now spanned almost twenty years while introducing a refreshed lineup and a new phase in the band’s recording history.
Tracklisting
Sanctuary
Portrait of Pain
Hand Me A Halo
Pray for Silence
Death Threat
Die on the Vine
Fire Falls
Bury Me Down
Ashes Of The Altar
Highbrow Thieves
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