Your guide to new rock, metal and punk bands
Swedish rock and metal always has a special appeal for me, so I was thrilled to discover exciting new Gothenburg band Orochen. The band have honed a dark, atmospheric sound that has a real 2000s post-rock feel alongside folky elements with a post-metal and sludgy edge. Or, as they put it, “apocalyptic post-industrial neofolk.”
If, like us, you never grew out of your emo phase then you’re very much in luck with exciting Yorkshire band Realms. The quintet have honed a sound that transports us to the good old post-hardcore and emo days of the early 2000s or, as they put it, “music for people who never grew out of their emo phase.”
If you’ve been pining after a bit of angsty, hard-hitting British metal then Essex newcomers When Nothing Works well and truly have you covered. They’ve honed a heavy, yet engaging metalcore sound that fuses powerful vocals and lyrics with big riffs and pounding rhythms.
We’ve spoken to a few solo artists in our time but Canadian thrash project Sorting Infinity is one of the coolest so far.
Norwegian band Once Alive describe their intoxicating metal sound as “fast, groovy and brutal,” which sounds awesome but doesn’t even come close to doing justice to how good this band is.
Oklahoma City duo Blooming offer up an intriguing mix of heavy rock and metal with elements of electronica and R&B. They’re also the first band we’ve ever spoken to from Oklahoma!
New Cheltenham-based rockers Neptune Rain have refused to allow these strange times to restrict their creativity and have used it as an opportunity to grow their audience.
Exciting Swedish melodic death metal duo Hour of Anguish have an intense sound that they descibe as “channelling the godfathers of the Gothenburg scene.”
California quintet Six Feet Over spent the first five years or so as a band playing cover versions but today launched a debut EP that oozes energetic hard rock goodness.
Estonian rap metal is a phrase that we’re 99.9% certain you’ll never have heard/read about before. But it’s alive and kicking with exciting quintet Everfall, who fuse elements of rock and metal with trap, hip-hop and trumpet solos.
Exciting Birmingham band The SchytëHawkës take the heaviness of hardcore and thrash and supplement them with hip-hop vocals.
Harnessing the high energy of hair metal and groove metal, Pittsburgh band A Common Crown have honed a catchy yet heavy sound led by engaging vocals and plenty of big riffing.
