The 2010’s brought all bands of all styles up into the forefront and easily kept rock and metal alive while bringing some new elements to the table, whether it was Powertrip bringing their pure thrash elements in Nightmare Logic, Code Orange really setting the tone of modern day hardcore and more, rock and metal prepares to enter a new decade with its guns loaded. This decade gave birth to many bands that will continue to push forward and easily go from “up and coming” to bands you wont be able to turn away from without noticing. The near end of this decade really helped them hit the ground running, but the 2020s is when they will further push into the stratosphere.

Arrival of Autumn

Arrival of Autumn’s latest record Harbinger started 2019 off on a pretty damn good note, but even with that, they easily have a lot more to say. They easily decimated through the weak on their fall 2019 tour with Soulfly, but now more people have gotten on board as they toured with In Flames and Red to end the year on a great note. If you haven’t heard them before, you will soon.

Imperium Dekadenz

The 2010s really brought Black Metal into the forefront with so many great bands reigning darkness amongst us all. Imperium Dekadenz is a band that should be under your radar if they are not already. These black metal legions from Bavaria bring the classic atmospheric and raw elements we all know and love from black metal as well as bringing in their own unique and melodic spin on it. With their new album, When We are Forgotten released on Napalm Records, this group is ready to take things to the next level.

Edge of Paradise

Edge of Paradise really brings a brand new spin on symphonic metal. They create music that can be a soundtrack to a battle in the Middle Ages or a battle in space. Their new album Universe carries a unique sound with vocals that can serenade and horrify you at the same time, delivers a narrative in both the lyrics and instrumentals that will keep you engaged one way or another.

Beartooth

It seems like only yesterday that this group played in The Studio at Webster Hall in 2016, and now they will be kicking off 2020 on their headline tour. While Beartooth has been kicking ass in the mid to late 2010s, they still have a lot more gas in the tank and a lot more to say. Their new album Disease ended this decade and it signifies that we haven’t even scratched the surface yet. Caleb’s ability to bring groove and melody and brutality all into one demonstrates that Beartooth will be running the forefront of metalcore in the roaring 2020s.

Employed to Serve

While bands such as Harm’s Way, Code Orange and Knocked Loose were riding the wave of modern hardcore, Employed to Serve was chilling in the background a little bit, but after their 2019 release of Eternal Forward Motion on Spinefarm Records, Employed to Serve is ready to decimate through the weak and everything else that stands in its path. Coming from the UK hardcore scene that has been running strong, Employed to Serve is ready to expand beyond Europe and echo their signature sound across seas.

Creeping Death

Death metal is a genre that will never die within itself. Gatecreeper easily redefined the genre back in the mid to late 2010s, but now Creeping Death is ready to reign hell and wreak havoc amongst us all in in the 2020s. These Texas death metalers bring pure brutality and an uncompromising sound that is both familiar, yet fresh. With their 2019 release of Wretched Illusions out on Eone, Creeping Death is ready to leave any venue they play a smoldering crater.

Spotlights

From Deftones, to Melvins, to Glassjaw and Quicksand, to Mr Bungle in 2020, Spotlights creates their own genre that one could call “Dream-Sludge”. They not only create their own sound, but they are able to make any club or venue they play their own atmosphere and vibe with their signature sound that is both tranquil and horrifying at the same time. After their 2019 release of Love & Decay on Ipecac records, and dominating the US on their first ever headline tour, Spotlights is more than ready to solidify their name int he realm of heavy music.

Wind Rose

Folk metal, troll metal, dwarf metal, whatever you want to call it, Wind Rose is able to bring a fun and adventurous listen with their 2019 release, Wintersaga out on Napalm Records. With their music video for Diggy Diggy Hole exceeding 8 million views on youtube already, Wind Rose is able to remind us why folk metal bands are so memorable while also being able to stand out on their own with their own sound, vibe and meaning.

Cloak

While it is never good to “count your chickens before they hatch”, it is fair to say that Cloak is going to be leading the forefront of true doom metal in the 2020s. Pallbearer were definitely leading the genre in the 2010s but Cloak delivers a great atmosphere and grove behind their sound that deliver all essences of doom from the most polished aspects to the rawest ones. With their 2019 release, The Burning Dawn out on Season of Mist, Cloak is able to deliver emotion, atmosphere and chills behind their signature sound of doom. The fact that touring with Khemmis int he summer and 1349 in the fall goes to show on how their darkness can fit all forms.

Amigo the Devil

Whether you are watching him in a small club like St Vitus or Bowery Ballroom, or watching him at the main stage at a festival like Sonic Temple or Lourder than Life, Amigo the Devil brings dark subject matter with some of the catchiest acoustic elements, all with the laughs, cries and emotion that will always leave you with a smile on your face. His 2018 release, Everythings Fine, we have another testament that proves that metal and rock is not all just about anger. Many more people are getting on board and you should to. An acoustic circle pit just as much of a sight to see as Amigo the Devil himself.

Shadow of Intent

From Reclaimer in 2017, to Melancholy in 2019, Shadow of Intent brings the most chaotic elements of symphonic metal and dethcore that creates an all out assault. Being both very atmospheric and technical at the same time, Shadow of Intent was able to make the stages their own, opening up for acts such as Black Dahlia Murder, Despised Icon and Whitechappel, and now they are ready to leave a permanent mark on every venue they play. Heading out on their first headline tour very soon, Shadow of Intent is a band that is hear to stay.

Blood Incantation

Heavy is an understatement to describe the relentlessness of this group. Blood Incantation left their mark on the Decibel tour of 2019 with Cannibal Corpse and Morbid Angel, and once again on their tour with Immolation. Now with their February shows at St Vitus selling out in less than an hour, it only goes to show that death metal is alive and well. With their brutal 2019 release, Hidden History of the Human Race, they purged through the shadows and darkened everything around us. Blood Incantation will be a band that will satisfy the long running death metal fans as well as satisfying the younger ones.

I Am

Another band that reinforces the idea of “Don’t mess with Texas”. I Am brings all the most brutal aspects of death metal, hardcore and dethcore and delivers the heaviest sound imaginable. With their 2018 release Hard2Kill, they are able to demolish everything in their path and at the same time, keep you coming back for more.

Fire from the Gods

While Fire from the Gods easily got their foot in the door with Narrative in 2016, their 2019 American Sun on Eleven Seven takes everything and pushes it up to 11 with sound and emotion. Fire from the gods are able to create intensity, soul and also deliver lyricism that it emotional and relatable. With AJs ability to create beauty behind the intensity, you will hear more and more fans say how this group has helped them and inspired them.

Aenimus

If you want to talk about a group that came out of nowhere and just delivered pure intensity with their sound of progressive and technical death metal, then look no further than Aenimus. With their 2019 release of Dreamcatcher on Nuclear Blast, Aenimus brings prog and tech death bliss. Touring with acts such as Hypocrisy and Fleshgod Apocalypse in early 2019 and ending 2019 with their tours with Ensiferum and Kalmah, you will be seeing a lot more of this group.

The Machinist

This group has evolved is more ways than one at the end of the decade. After signing with Prosthetic, they released their album Confidimus in Morte, experimenting more with their sound combining their signature style of dethcore with some post hardcore, and atmospheric elements. Next, they tour constantly all over the country playing in different cities to different crowds demonstrating their modern day NYC hardcore grit. The Machinist is a band that can deliver, connect and conquer \m/

While she Sleeps

From Warped tour, to touring with Arch Enemy and Trivium, to touring with Architects. While She Sleeps is already on a kick-ass momentum but they still have plenty of gas left in the tank. With their 2019 release of So What? on Spinefarm records, they deliver their own signature sound of metalcore, making them stand out in the realm of UK metalcore with acts such as Bury Tomorrow and Architects. Embarking on their first US tour in 2020, While She Sleeps is going to make every stage they opened at one point in the US their own.

Wage War

Their sold out show they did back in the fall at Gramercy Theater should be enough proof that Wage War are very close to leaving their mark if they haven’t already. With Pressure coming out on Fearless Records in 2019, Wage War are the prime example on why metalcore is a timeless genre at this point. The combination of Cody and Briton alone are able to have the voices and lyricism that touch the hearts of many fans, making them cry as the mosh and crowd-surf their way to the front.

Kublai Khan

What you hear and what you see from this band is what you get, and their newest album Absolute on Rise Records is a testament to that. Kublai Khan is a band that has nothing to hide and isn’t afraid to hold anything back. They deliver elements of hardcore from all eras that remind the older and younger generation why hardcore is such an important pillar in music. Tackling many issues both personally and externally, Kublai Khan uses their aggressive sound that can relate and inform all at the same time.

Midnight

From the Decibel 2017 tour with Kreator and Obituary, to their most recent tour with Electric Wizard, and much anticipation for the 2020 release, Rebirth by Blasphemy on Metalblade records, Midnight creates a raw, dirty and terrifying sound that will shiver anyone to the core and then some. Having a sound of thrash with some punk and death, Midnight is a band that will easily start this decade off on the most brutal of notes.

Astronoid

With Air released in 2016 and their self titled album released in 2019, Astronoid are red hot beyond belief right now. Playing with bands such as TesseracT, Zeal & Ardor to embarking on their first headliner this past summer and doing a killer job in the process, Astronoid is a band that brings their own unique sound of black gaze that aremesmerizing sounds with intense riffs and rhythm that are catchy and sedating at the same time. They showed who they were this decade, now they are going to keep you in the frontal lobe of your minds for this upcoming one.

Idle Hands

Just starting in 2017, it seems that this group with their unique sound and image is more than arena ready, and they demonstrated that after their kick ass fall 2019 tour with King Diamond. With a sound of classic rock, combined with doom with an underlying and overlying darkness surrounding them, Idle Hands creates emotion and chills that will satisfy many different audiences. Now kicking off on the Decibel 2020 tour with Mayhem and Abbath to further support the release of Mana, Idle Hands are ready to take over the world.

Infected Rain

While they had three amazing albums already, their 2019 release of Endorphin on Napalm Records really sealed the deal in their realm of metal. Tearing up Europe with Eluveite and Lacuna Coil in the fall of 2019, Infected Rain are ready to deliver absolute emotion and brutality behind their sound, lyrics and style. With songs that will scare you to death and give you strength at the same time, Infected Rain is able to deliver emotion and imagery with their signature sound of metalcore, nu metal, power and everything in between.

Lorna Shore

Flesh Coffin was definitely an album that decimated through us all towards the end of the decade. Tearing up Summer Slaughter in 2017 and 2019, more and more people have gotten on board. Now signing to Century Media, releasing their new single Immortal, and all the anticipation riding on their new album, Lorna Shore are ending the decade on a high note and will begin the new decade with an even higher one \m/

Venom Prison

Easily one of the leading bands that take slam, death metal and just about every brutal aspect of music and make it their own. Venom Prison. With their 2019 release of Samsara on Prosthetic Records, Venom Prison delivers an uncompromising sound that does not give you much room to breathe. When you attend their shows, you are theirs. While they ended the decade with Samsara, Larissa’s growls, along with the riffs of Ben and Ash and the blast beats of Joe, the sound of Venom Prison will echo into 2020 and continue to do so.

Badflower

The 2019 Release of Okay, Im Sick is already looked at as a classic. Touring with Nothing More and Of Mice & Men in early 2019 only to make the main stages at festivals such as Sonic Temple and Louder than Life their own, Badflower is a band that brings both modern and classic elements of rock with emotion and energy that can connect with any generation who listens to rock.

Vltimas

The super group having David Vincent of Morbid Angel, Blasphemer from Mayhem and Aura Noir and Flo from Crytopsy. How could you possibly go wrong. With their 2019 release of Something Wicked Marches In on Season of Mist delivering pure brutality of atmospheric black and death metal, these three deliver a 9 track killing spree and are ready to decimate though the week.

Moon Tooth

Crux is a 2019 release that easily launched these Long Islanders into the stratosphere. Constantly touring throughout the entire year, Moon Tooth are a band that is ready to bring an experimental rock and metal sound that will appeal to many. From the Underground, to playing at Gramercy Theater with Mark Morton of Lamb of God as well as touring with Light the Torch, Moon Tooth are a band that is hear to stay. Melody, brutality, and everything in between.

Visigoth

In Brooklyn, while many fans were waiting for King Diamond to take the stage, the announcer comes on during the intermission and introduces many people to this band Visigoth, which almost spawned a pit during the intermission. Visigoth brings melody and power behind their aggressive sound, having elements of classic metal with tons of power behind the voice and instrumentation.

With all the bands that have destroyed, connect, intrigued and inspired us all this passed decade, they will continue to deliver while these bands bring in a whole new layer of freshness to the extreme music we all know and love. Metal is in good hands \m/