IS THIS THE YEAR METAL’S YOUNG GUNS STEP UP?

Last year saw a new wave of exciting, innovative young bands rise up across the genre. Will 2018 see them smash into the mainstream like the bands that came before them? We asked you…

The bands that get played on the radio are always very generic, and the new bands who are doing cool, original stuff have a hard time getting off the ground. Like Avatar, for example. It feels like everyone I meet likes Avatar yet I never hear them on the radio or see them listed very high on festivals. But I hope they get greater recognition because they deserve it and I think a lot of people would like them if they heard them.

ELLI ANDERSON

Hopefully Marmozets’ new album will launch them into the stratosphere. They seem to be one of the few bands that can have genuine mainstream appeal while still being heavy as hell and fresh, not just copying 30-year-old ideas.

MAX MORIN

I’m backing Nothing More: ridiculously fun live shows and their music, though not the first to mix different genres, feels really fresh and interesting. It’s so hard to set yourself apart from the rest of the pack when it comes to music but it does seem like hardworking bands are being appreciated more nowadays.

KELSEY GRAHAM

Architects and While She Sleeps are examples of bands who are almost there mainstream-wise,

yet get very little mainstream attention (places like Metal Hammer is the most attention they get!) Recently, Architects sold out the 10,250capacity Alexandra Palace three months beforehand! LUKE NELLSON

The thing is, everyone wants their favourite local/underground band to get more recognition, be heard on the radio or break through to the mainstream, yet when a band achieves that, they’ll automatically get accused of ‘selling out ‘ (regardless of whether they change their sound or not). ZUHAIR KAYALL

Getting mainstream isn’t always a good thing. I used to love We Came As Romans, All that Remains, Asking Alexandria, Crown the Empire, etc. And then they all ditched their screaming and pretty much became pop punk/hard rock bands. All for money. It’s so sad. TREVOR MUNDEE

I saw Venom Prison at Bloodstock last year and again recently in London. They were excellent both times, but it’s very difficult for niche genres like death metal to become big. I hope bands like Venom Prison can at least catapult themselves to bigger venues and crowds than they have so far!

BILLY CURR

It seems you need a gimmick or no one will listen to your band. I saw more innovation from bands from the nu metal/screamo/alternative/ punk generation than stuff that ‘true metal’ has churned out recently. Slaves are a fantastic young punk band, and yet we’re ‘blessed’ with nonsense like Babymetal instead!

NELL EDWARDS

The older guard need to be more open-minded towards the great bands that are almost there. Bands like Parkway Drive, Trivium etc. Give them a chance and stop being so dismissive. The meltdown the old guard had a few years ago when Avenged Sevenfold were headliners for Download is a perfect example.

Once they actually saw them live, their opinions changed pretty quickly. The same will happen if more young bands are just given a chance. It will keep metal alive!

JAMIE COLLINS

People don’t want to pay for music, and there’s a very divided metal crowd now. Those are two of the main problems. Back in the day there was only one genre: metal. Now we’ve got all kinds of subgenres (which is cool, from a musical point of view) but it’s deadly for bands’ financial health.

ESTEBAN BALLESTERO

Upcoming bands and musicians have to really understand the ins and outs of the industry – probably more so than ever before. Everyone wants to hit the big time, and there are plenty of great bands on the local scene with awesome material, but until you can really create a solid battle plan for how to ‘attack’ the labels and management, it’s unlikely to get your music heard by anyone who is going to give you your big break.

DANIEL ARMSTRONG

NEXT MONTH: IS GENRE DEAD?