2020: The British Takeover
2019 was an incredible year for new music, with bands of all shapes and sizes gearing up and defying the very laws of physics in a quest to go bigger and better than ever before. We can be particularly proud of the contribution made by UK bands, with more influential music than ever pouring out of our shores. 2020 vows to be no different, and we wanted to round up some of the more promising talent on offer. Below are ten of the UK’s most exciting bands at this moment in time, each with something to offer throughout the year that will fill our ever more hungry ears with joy and adoration.
10. GARGANJUA
Holy Roar Records almost seem to have a crystal ball when it comes to cherry-picking the best UK heavy talent. GARGANJUA are no exception, and January 17th will see them release their new full length Toward The Sun with the label. Equal parts sludge and post/doom-metal, the titans of bleak will continue what they started with their previous two records by stamping their authority with a brash concoction of huge riffs and dark, grey atmosphere. It’s like BARONESS meets YOB, and it takes all we have to resist the crushing weight.
With a range of delectable physical merch including vinyl, Toward The Sun stands at being one of 2020’s first proper chances to impress. An album from any band intent on bettering themselves is worth a listen, and GARGANJUA certainly strive for more. With the invaluable backing of Holy Roar, their future looks bright, and we can rest assured that this will be an album well worth the wait.
9. BLANKET
Blackpool’s BLANKET describe themselves as a cinematic-emo-visual-art-rock outfit, and quite frankly a better description couldn’t apply. Since releasing their debut EP Our Brief Encounters in 2017, they have presented themselves as one of the most intriguing creative forces in British music; whether it be masterminding their own visual content or perfecting their blend of seamlessly orchestrated, shoegaze tinted post-rock. This spilled over into the 2018 released full length How To Let Go, an album that further cemented their ability to mesmerise and impress.
BLANKET are now back in the studio and in the process of fine tuning their sophomore LP, determined as ever to one-up themselves and create another jaw-dropping moment of audible bliss. Fresh from a headline tour in the UK, they are set to commence their next chapter and turn over the page to pastures new. 2020 will see them vault their own highly-set bar, and we can all look forward to drinking in the emotional euphoria they will no doubt provide.
Metalcore. A genre in which it is so easy to slide into anonymity amongst a swathe of bands all desperate to achieve the same thing. And yet every once in a while the odd band such as THE HUMAN VEIL dare to stick their heads above the parapet and do something that little bit different. A quick scour at their Facebook will tell you to expect sounds similar to BETRAYING THE MARTYRS, ARCHITECTS or SILENT PLANET, yet there is no doubting that this particular strain of metalcore offers a little more than the average parody.
Their latest singles Dark Planet and Left Behind act as gripping head turners, and having just announced an EP for release in May 2020, they can finally turn up the heat and begin building a worthy discography. Quickly becoming known for powerhouse live shows in their hometown of Manchester, expect them to surge from this epicentre and begin dominating further afield.
7. ARCAEON
Gracefully riding the crest of a tsunami encompassing UK tech-metal bands striving for the next step in their career, (mostly) London-based progressivists ARCAEON are currently a hot-bed of activity. Their 2018 EP Balance more than impressed, and they have been meticulously crafting their debut full length for quite some time now. Equipped with potent vocals and a crushing prog-metal blitzkrieg, they highlight their music with deft undertones of electronica. It is a pot-pourri of sound that has rightfully led to high expectations from the quintet; a level of expectation they have thus far more than lived up to.
Digging a little deeper, Balance offered a wonderful atmosphere that soared majestic beneath an intricate web of waltzing notes and guitar shred. That web continues to wind and tangle, bringing more and more wizardry into play. When the new record arrives it is sure to continue on impeccable form, and push them skywards from a springboard they have strived so hard to reach.
6. NESHIIMA
Over the past 24 months, NESHIIMA have released a trilogy of colour coordinated EPs; Purple, Orange and Green respectively. During a period where the classic nu-metal sound seems to be gradually seeping back into the mainstream, NESHIIMA‘s approach seems very well timed, as they channel the angst of the early 00s with lustrous precision. From the very outset they have alluded to the kind of rap-metal sound that the likes of LINKIN PARK made famous at the beginning of the century, and having combined this with a more novel metallic wallop and a certain chart friendly charm, NESHIIMA seem to have written a recipe book for success.
And now is the time for them to begin whipping up a feast. With the taste of the three EPs still fresh in our mouths, the Scottish band’s Facebook includes a beautifully unambiguous statement. “Material for a full length is being recorded”. One can only imagine that 2020 will see such a record become a reality. NESHIIMA are a powder keg simply waiting for a fuse to be lit; equal parts nostalgic and progressivist, they attract on several fronts. Garnering early attention from outlets such as Kerrang! is always a promising sign, and the Glaswegians don’t show any sign of slowing down. They are another example of why we British music fans should feel proud of our own, as we embark on the head-spinning, genre-defying voyage that is the NESHIIMA experience.
In 2019, prog was afforded a new angle, with unusual trio EXPLORING BIRDSONG imposing a melodic and ethereal take on the genre. As connoisseurs of piano-driven grandeur, they have taken the scene by storm in what is an unprecedented portrayal of progressive rock’s lighter side. Their debut EP The Thing With Feathers released back in November to critical acclaim, largely comprised of the aforementioned piano-ballad-esque melodicism and conjointly, a haunting intelligence. There is a lot to be said for key-oriented music in it’s own right, with artists like ELUVIUM and PENGUIN CAFE springing to mind as recent examples of neo-classical architects capable of inciting the most beautiful of aural sensations.
But EXPLORING BIRDSONG don’t simply stop there, they incorporate all the best bits from prog, adding swathes of surprising heaviness at times before showcasing drumming mastery and aptly progressive arrangement. Sitting atop all of this are the cathartic vocals of Lynsey Ward, the focal point to all this serenity. She effortlessly and constantly coaxes emotion at every juncture, and through tracks like The Baptism, explodes in a crescendo of vocal splendor. All of the prog greats have succeeded by daring to be different and to challenge; look at the way in which OPETH and LEPROUS have conducted themselves and it becomes easy to understand just why EXPLORING BIRDSONG might just stand a chance at pushing beyond their current underground status and into the bright light of success. A recent successful support slot alongside SLEEP TOKEN has proved they possess the same wondrous edge live. It’s now time to sit and watch them bloom.
A long and poignant silence has hung over the SLICE THE CAKE camp for quite some time now, but recent rumblings have allowed excitement to reignite for one of tech-metal’s most revered bands. We’re approaching the four year mark since Odyssey To The West leapt into our lives, proving to be a labyrinthine masterclass in modern songwriting. The band combined epic spoken-word storytelling with blistering metallic pace, all the while showcasing hostile breakdowns to boot. It was a journey that spanned moods, through both music and spectacular lyricism, opting to tie together their past and foreshadow what might come next for the collective. It sparked a fervorous love amongst their following; an adulation that follows them to this very day.
Although SLICE THE CAKE also features members from countries other than Britain, they have long since been lodged in the hearts of UK tech-metal circles, and an upcoming exclusive summer appearance at Newark-on-Trent’s UK Tech-Fest will see them land right back at the epicentre of all things heavy. What is promised to be a scintillating performance is also backed by the prospect of new material, as the respective members slave away in studios, tasked with the gargantuan challenge of following up on the holy grail of full lengths. However, once glazed with SLICE THE CAKE‘s intense ability and refusal to settle for anything less than perfection, there is little doubt that a new record will silence any critics.
3. VISCERA
6th March 2020 will mark a poignant day in British metal. It is the date set for newcomers VISCERA to launch a belligerent attack with their debut album Obsidian. Earmarked by many as one of the most anticipated releases of the year, it brings back the best in classic British deathcore. Perhaps one of the most instantly notable features is the unmistakable vocals of Jamie Graham, once of the legendary band HEART OF A COWARD. Having left the limelight in 2017 to pursue personal interests, he is very much back in the hot seat again here and offering a vocal filled with the same wrath and vigour that we have grown to love from him.
Other figures in the band comprise of ex-members from SYLOSIS, ABHORRENT DECIMATION, MARTYR DEFILED, SURFACES and NERVECELL, completing a lineup certainly deemed worthy of the term ‘supergroup’. Amass with talent and experience the sextet have already unveiled two singles from the upcoming album, and both seem capable of shattering spines. The first of these was Lamb To The Slaughter, and it’s immediately apparent that the goal is to combine the best of tech-death with outright calamitous deathcore. Brutally heavy and as well mapped out as a demonic constellation, we are quickly lost in a smorgasbord of rapid riffery and blast beats. Second single Obsidian is no different, cutting right through the bullshit with immediate force. If these two tracks whet your appetite then the nine-track LP should be high on your priority list. VISCERA are likely to come out of the traps armed to the teeth and ready to dominate.
2. SLEEP TOKEN
Few can claim to match the level of intrigue that SLEEP TOKEN have stirred in the populus throughout 2019. With the release of their groundbreaking album Sundowning still ringing in our ears, praise and high regard for the band seems even louder, as they continue to spread their music far and wide. Tracks from the album being released on a fortnightly basis throughout the latter half of 2019 ensured that attention never strayed too far, and the anonymous nature of their members continues to leave exponentially bigger question marks over who these guys are and what they stand for. Although new music isn’t a given this year, it certainly isn’t something we should rule out, given the pace and ferocity with which they go about business.
2020 will certainly see them tour more than ever before, and having sewed successful seeds in the States thanks to a recent support slot with ISSUES, interest is only growing. Will this be the year that band identities are revealed? Or new material shows how capable they are of following up the hors d’œuvre that was Sundowning? At this point we can only place our bets, but regardless of the path they choose, it goes without saying that they are a band on the verge of huge things, as both their impeccable musicianship and unparalleled image continue to drive them forwards. The beauty of this band is the palpable mystique, and they will transpire to impress and spread their word for some time to come.
1. LOATHE
LOATHE could arguably have been featured in a ‘Bands To Watch’ list for the past couple of years, but the fact is you can’t turn your back on these guys for a second without them finding another gear and gaining even more traction. Debuting with their first full length The Cold Sun back in 2017, the band have barely considered coming up for air, and with the release of their sophomore album I Let It In And It Took Everything now looming ominously on the horizon, 2020 could well be the year that they smash through the sound barrier in a supersonic frenzy of venomous riffs.
They are quite often referenced as the ‘next DEFTONES‘, yet this is a comparison that stretches far beyond vague musical similarities. Very much like the American rock icons, LOATHE reaffirm what it is to be a creative force, both by pushing their own boundaries and also testing the very possibilities of what will work in the marketplace. Early singles from the album show signs of them pushing deeper into experimental territory, and building darker, more profound soundscapes to accompany their blistering heaviness. New material will likely open our eyes to an array of left-field commotion, backed up by the continually relentless touring schedule that the band impose on themselves. LOATHE seem to have the Midas touch, and although 2020 is a year they seem set to conquer, the reality is that the whole decade is theirs for the taking.
And that rounds off the top ten bands we reckon will make 2020 their year! Don’t agree with our list? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!