10 up-and-coming heavy bands you need to check out
Needin’ some heavy jams for your playlist as fall approaches? Whether you’re working out, stressing out or just plain punching your fist into a wall as beach season dies and the cold air emerges, here are some killer, up-and-coming acts in metal, hardcore and beyond.
Read more: Yes, aggressive music can actually be good for you
TIL DEATH
Til Death came up as a Cleveland tech-metal band under the name the Approach And The Execution, sharing stages with the likes of Suicide Silence and Norma Jean; but they soon broke out of any esoteric musical restraints to make some hard-hitting, but accessible, melodic alt-metal. “Photographs,” above, was inspired by the death of vocalist Michael Notte's grandfather. (“Photographs fade unless you strive to live a life worth remembering.”)
Headquarters: Fullerton, California
Check out: “Photographs”
RIOT STARES
Riot Stares are the latest in a recent string of South Carolina hardcore bands who pack one hell of a riotous punch. Including band members from Palmetto State scene stalwarts Discourse (who sadly are no more) and WVRM, the group are the epitome of classic SC HXC cool.
Headquarters: Charleston, South Carolina
Check out: “Let The Phase Speak”
NOTHING LEFT
Nothing Left are the hardcore continuation of For Today’s positive metalcore style, featuring former members Brandon and Ryan Leitru. The new band released their debut EP, Destroy And Rebuild, earlier this year on Facedown Records, and it’ll definitely make you wanna shout along. (Also, Taylor Swift may have unwittingly swiped their artwork design.)
Headquarters: United States
Check out: “Hands Of Death”
SACRED SON
On the more atmospheric tip, one-man death metal band Sacred Son are lighting up the internet this week with their perfectly pastiche album cover for their debut, self-titled release. Don’t be put off by the group’s savvy tactic of turning a mirror on metal society, though, as the heavy, enigmatic music contained therein is more than worthy of the blogosphere hype.
Headquarters: London, England
Check out: “Cleave The Alicorn”
CONCEALED BLADE
Pittsburgh up-and-comers Concealed Blade are making real-deal hardcore that can only come from the streets, and the crew just released a self-titled 12 inch on Beach Impediment Records after a run of demo discs. Though not quite as melodic, these guys sure make us miss damaged Philly punks Leather. (Nearly any dirty hardcore band makes us miss Leather.)
Headquarters: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Check out: “Bend The Steel”
Listen on: Bandcamp
THE FEVER
We’ve been documenting the Fever’s fervent emergence from their debut donut shop show to Travis Barker’s guest spot at their first club gig, and we can’t wait to see what else they have up their strident, socially conscious sleeves. Who would’ve thought that members of letlive., the Chariot and Night Verses were gonna give us this generation’s Rage Against The Machine?
Headquarters: Inglewood, California
Check out: “We’re Coming In”
THE ACCUSER
We’ve got to include the Accuser if only to wonder where the rest of their music is! Last year, when Abigail Williams frontman Ken Sorceron dropped the first track of this delicious, new black-metal project (so named for AW’s most recent album), we figured we’d have a full-length record by now. Alas, Sorceron’s been on the road with the Faceless for most of the year. Get on it, Ken!
Headquarters: Olympia, Washington
Check out: “Untitled IV”
DIRTY MACHINE
No trend ever fully dies, and the Los Angeles-based Dirty Machine are doing their best to keep ’90s nü metal alive. This crew is as close as you’ll get to a full-on reincarnation of Limp Bizkit, and the band’s members even made a big deal out of petitioning Fred Durst to manage them. Call us nostalgic, but the heavy riffs and record scratches of “Discord” get us jumping.
Headquarters: Los Angeles
Check out: “Discord”
KRIMEWATCH
Krimewatch inject some much-needed variation into the aforementioned, dude-heavy tunes. These NYC hardcore punkers don’t let up with the furious, fiery and often Japanese-sung beat-downs on their 2016 demo EP.
Headquarters: New York City
Check out: “No Sympathy”
Listen on: Bandcamp
FLESHKILLER
Fleshkiller are tackling extreme metal at the top of their ability with a lineup that includes members of Extol (Norway), Shining (Sweden) and the Burial (Indiana, U.S.). They just dropped a new full-length, Awaken, on Indie Recordings internationally and on Facedown in the States.
Headquarters: All over
Check out: “Warfare”
