Who should win the APMA for Best International Band?

With the inaugural AP Music Awards taking place July 21, 2014 (get your tickets now), at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame And Museum at North Coast Harbor, we thought we would use the weeks leading up to the historic event to give you a category-by-category breakdown of the nominees so you can be an informed voter. Read on to learn about the Best International Band nominees, and cast your vote at altpress.com/apmas!

Asking Alexandria (U.K.)

These British partiers have come a long way since their electronic metalcore debut, Stand Up And Scream. At the time, the band weren’t exactly respected, getting grouped in with crabcore acts like Attack Attack!, but the size of their fanbase continued to grow exponentially. Since then, the group have grown into a sound that’s more heavy metal, played on national television, released two more full-lengths—Reckless & Relentless and From Death To Destiny—and become one of the biggest bands in the scene.

Bring Me The Horizon (U.K.)

How many other bands on this list can say they’ve had the honor of being remixed by Skrillex? None. Another who that refuse to be defined by one sound, Bring Me The Horizon have made the transition from a ridiculously hard deathcore band, to one of the few metal bands in the scene who can actually say they’re bigger than Asking Alexandria. After the explosion of their 2008 breakthrough album, Suicide Season, BMTH have continued to evolve and experiment sonically, culminating in their latest LP, Sempiternal.

Crossfaith (Japan)

If you caught the band on Fuse’s Warped Roadies, then you’re aware of how seriously these synth-metal warriors take their party game. But one thing harder than the band’s partying is their sonic bombardment of metallic frenzy. It’s quite rare for a metal band from Japan to crossover like this, but these guys (and their walls of death) are here to stay.

Parkway Drive (Australia)

“So cry me a fucking river, bitch!” Winston McCall shouts on “Romance Is Dead.” And with that line, Parkway Drive set off the breakdown to end all breakdowns and became one of the world’s premier purist metalcore bands in the process. The shark-infested waters of the South Pacific haven’t been enough to keep these Aussies from dominating the States. The band have torn up Warped Tour and, with the help of Epitaph Records, released four successful full-lengths. Even better, they have a new album coming out this year. At this point, we know exactly what to expect from Parkway Drive—and that’s just fine.

Silverstein (Canada)

It’s crazy to think that Silverstein have been a band for nearly 15 years. What’s even more impressive than their longevity is their ability to stay relevant, all the while still maintaining a sound that is undeniably Silverstein. One of the early-2000s’ definitive sing/scream post-hardcore bands, the group stole our bleeding hearts with their moody 2003 debut, When Broken Is Easily Fixed, had an even larger breakout with 2005’s Discovering The Waterfront and have since released five more full-lengths.

Frank Turner (U.K.)

Singer/songwriter Frank Turner has had quite the career since the breakup of his former band, Million Dead, in 2005. The move to go solo has undoubtedly paid off for Turner, who released his major label-debut, Tape Deck Heart, last year to a warm reception. On songs like “Plain Sailing Weather,” Turner serves a cocktail of unbelievably catchy, slap-your-knees melody and extremely blunt lyrics. When “Recovery” began getting radio play in the U.S., it wasn’t much of a surprise.

Feel educated yet? Good—now go cast your vote at altpress.com/apmas! Tickets for the award show are on sale now.