19 HARD ROCK AND METAL BANDS YOU MUST CHECK OUT!
Saturday November 19, 2022
With the rise of artists releasing music, it can be a lot to keep up with! In no particular order, I have compiled 19 hard rock and metal artists I recommend you check out, below!
“Cursed” – Deathakles feat. Lil Reign Drop
Dallas, TX
A merge of rock, rap and metal with symphonic influences, “Cursed” by the Dallas-based solo project, Deathakles (Brett-Michael Jones), featuring Lil Reign Drop! This song taps into being betrayed and manipulated in a relationship. Brett recruited guitarist, Andrew Patterson and drummer, Trevor Scott on this absolute masterpiece.
“Cursed” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“WAR” – Eternal Frequency
United States
First off, this futuristic music video (directed and edited by Tom Flynn/ VFX by Kyle Monroe) quickly became one of my fave music videos ever! “WAR” is a strong, powerful, emotional and memorable single by Eternal Frequency! Both sonically and visually, this band really pays attention to every detail – a band to watch!
“War” is the wrap up of our epic 3 part trilogy. Starting with “Step Up”, then “A.I.”, and now this single. The song is about finding yourself in an internal struggle where you can look at yourself in the mirror and you’re still unsure about which side of you is actually the one pulling the strings.” – Eternal Frequency, about “WAR”
“WAR” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“Crawl” – This Island Earth
South Dakota, United States
Just formed in 2022, South Dakota-based metalcore band, This Island Earth has unleashed their 2nd single, “Crawl”, which is about walking away from a fairweather friend, which is something I am sure we can all relate to! This hardworking band already has their own distinct sound: it’s piercing, melodic, raw, incomparable, yet can fit right in if placed on a bill with bands such as their influences: Architects, Bad Omens, Bring Me The Horizon, and many more!
“Crawl” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“Shedding This Skin” – Fire Follows
Colorado Springs, CO
Fire Follows is the passion project of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, Chris Watt, and the music is entirely made in his Colorado Springs home studio. From how each single’s message builds up on top of one another, to this animated lyric video on a trail through the woods, Fire Follows takes you on a vulnerable adventure through pieces of Chris Watt’s heart and soul.
has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“Spun” – Deep As Bones
Phoenix, AZ
From incarceration and addiction, to redemption and righteous living, Phoenix-based Christian hard rock band, Deep As Bones unleash their video for “Spun”, which was directed/filmed and edited by Gavin Donnelly of Soundphoria Media! This song, along with many others off their full-length, self-titled album were written in the band room at Arizona State Prison Complex (Florence) when the three writers (Rodney Scott Pieres, Walter Willis and John Fabricius) were incarcerated.
“Spun” touches down on battling the demons of addiction, while on the road to recovery.
Vocalist, Rodney Scott Pieres, his wife, Carrie Bradley, along with a group of volunteers go out on a weekly outreach that benefits those affected by human trafficking via their non-profit, Identifreed!
“Spun” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“The Other Side” – Awake At Last
Dover, Delaware
When you have a music blog and go through music submissions, it is inevitable to stumble upon heavily relatable songs. “The Other Side” by Delaware-based band, Awake At Last was released just a week after I’ve tragically lost a dear friend who I’ve known for over 23 years, and I feel this band has perfectly expressed the five stages of grief. A powerful, emotional, catchy song to sing along to as an outlet while you’re just going through it.
I read that this song was inspired by the death of lead singer Vincent Torres’ best friend, who overdosed on drugs. I definitely hear the simultaneous sadness and anger he must have felt when he wrote this. Between the harmonies, the composition, the overall talent of the band, the sky lantern release, and the dark filter on the video, this single is very memorable. If you or someone you know is grieving, this is the song you want to send them.
“The Other Side” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“Burden” – Penetractor
Germany
With a loud scream, Penetractor are back to show the world what they are capable of and to tell it what’s on their mind.
In their song “Burden”, frontman Maarten Schlüter expresses how it feels to every person who is tired of today’s society and politics to encourage them to turn outwards and speak their thoughts freely.
“Burden” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“Talking To The Walls” – Matricide
Tel-Aviv, Israel
“Talking To The Walls” follows Matricide’s previous single `Walk into the Flames,’ from the band’s much anticipated second full-length album, the follow-up to their highly acclaimed debut ‘When Random Turns to Fate’. The new song combines heaviness with otherworldly synth elements to create an immersive industrial-cyber soundscape.
Bursting from the depths of the Middle East, Matricide is an eclectic band influenced by various elements within the heavy metal genre – combining the speed and aggression of Death Metal, the attitude and aesthetics of Hardcore and the powerful groove and epic melodies you would hear within Nu-metal. Lyrically speaking, the band’s songs explore profound, thought provoking philosophical and spiritual matters; allowing fans to be drawn in through their ears, eyes and soul.
“Talking To The Walls” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“Strange As Fiction” – Fight The Sun
Australia
They say good things come in threes…
Three-piece underground heavyweights, Fight The Sun have released their third single for 2022, ” Strange As Fiction”. Experience the power trinity of weighty rhythms, evocative vocals, and a distorted pull that might just win a battle with the sun.
Melbourne chuggernauts FIGHT THE SUN exploded onto the Aussie heavy music scene with their self-titled EP in 2018.
Since returning in 2021 with their esteemed single, “Mistakes” – they have been welcomed with open arms, giving us another taste of their catchy, driven riffs with “Friends Are Enemies” and “Carnival” in 2022.
“Strange As Fiction” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“Your Picture, in the Palm of My Hand” – A Sight In Veracity
Australia
Two -piece metalcore band from Western Australia, A Sight in Veracity (ASIV) formed in 2019, and consists of Bob McGonnell on vocals and Davin Tranter on guitar. Being first cousins with similar tastes, Bob and Davin have had lots of experience working together on numerous projects in the past. Throughout 2019 and the beginning of 2020, hours of work was invested into recording and producing their debut EP, ‘Heaven Hold Me’. The aim of the EP was for the band to experiment with the overall sound they had established. A wide range of emotions are shown throughout the record’s seven tracks. Songs such as ‘Just My Friends’ and ‘She Left with the Plane’ are packed with fierce guitar riffs and heavy, unclean vocals. On the other hand, songs like ‘A Verse for You’ are a lot softer, home to soaring hooks and emotional guitar leads.
“Your Picture, in the Palm Of My Hand” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“Pop Off” – Stone The Poet
Los Angeles, CA
Where hip-hop meets horrorcore. Not my usual music share, but the sound is incomparable. Strong production, flow and songwriting all around! Stone The Poet brings the heat in this genre-merge!
“Pop Off” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“SOW” – Transient
United States
If you’re a fan of bands such as Breaking Benjamin, Starset, and Love and Death, you’ll love “SOW” by American rock band, Transient! With powerful vocals, clean, yet gritty riffs and thunderous drumming, this is one of those tunes you can listen to on repeat!
“SOW” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“The Final Stage” – Rise Of Asura
Norway
This song is about self-improvement. I love the juxtaposition between the softer chorus and the heavier, more aggressive parts of the song. If you’re a fan of bands with sonic ranges such as Muse, Silverchair, and Deftones, you will absolutely love Norway’s Rise Of Asura, as well!
“The Final Stage” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“Backbiter” – The Nocturnal Affair
United States
For fans of bands such as Disturbed, Love and Death, etc., American band, The Nocturnal band blends melodic with aggressive seamlessly with their single, “Backbiter”!
“Backbiter” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“Best Of Me” – Trying Times
Seattle, WA
What I love about “Best Of Me” by Seattle-based rock band, Trying Times is that it reminds me of the kind of rock I would hope to hear on FM radio in the early 2000s! A catchy chorus, aggressive vocals and overall musicianship – a band to watch!
has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“Drag Me Through” – Rise Of Surya
Czech Republic
The idea for this single came from a strong psychedelic experience of one of the band members, and it really shows in the accompanying music video. The band wanted to convey this experience as authentically as possible to their fans. Therefore, they joined forces with Miroslav Kaška (5-MeO-TAR collective) and Jiří Houška (CineRoll.films). Theresult of their collaboration is a unique audio visual work of art created using a special, but nowadays almost forgotten, analogue dynamic projection technique from the 1960s known as Liquid Light Show.
“Drag Me Through” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“Ill Manor” – Crooked Royals
New Zealand
For fans of bands such as Monuments, Polaris, Periphery, Veil of Maya, ERRA, New Zealand’s Crooked Royals have unleashed their simultaneously dark and vibrant single and music video for their single “Ill Manor”! This juxtaposition of energies carries through the music, as well as the video. Great balance!
“Ill Manor” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“Ghost Of You” – The Failsafe
United States
American rock band, The Failsafe is a heavy-hitting, melodic, dark, and gritty electronic rock band.. Their live shows feature everything from swinging in the rafters to sitting on a stool with an acoustic guitar. The guys of The Failsafe regularly hit the road, so you may have caught them sharing the stage with the likes of Hinder, Saliva, Saving Abel, and many more.
The music video for “Ghost Of You” shows us the harrowing retrospective of two lovers once in idiom, only to be driven apart by deceit. The video sees vocalist Jesse Weber plagued by a mix of good and bad memories of his now shattered relationship. The opening scene shows the band launching into the crashing riffs of “Ghost Of You” in the setting of a could-be funeral home, the perfect atmosphere for haunting memories and a love that is no more.
“Ghost Of You” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
“Valhalla” – AVE
Orlando, FL
For fans of bands such as I Prevail, Wage War, and Falling In Reverse, Florida-based metal quartet, AVE have unleashed their video for “Valhalla”, which touches down on the way of the warrior
and the glory that awaits on the other side of life. The group’s latest track echoes with a metalcore influence ranging from early 2000s to today. Take the polished vocal stylings of Thirty Seconds to Mars and smash them together with the vicious instrumentation of I Prevail, and as the dust settles you’ll find
AVE.
“The single was inspired by the Viking/Dane idea of a glorious heaven waiting for a warrior who died on the battlefield” the band shares of the track. “We were interested in the idea of the great
Valhalla and made a song about the journey to get there.”
“Valhalla” has been added to my “Heavy” and “Wanderlust” playlists on Spotify!
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