Teenage Wrist: Especially ‘Sunshine’ and ‘Earth is a Black Hole’. This band is really going places - see them wherever you can!

The Fever Kings: Especially ‘Nowhere to Hide’. Unsigned band from the UK with a knack for big, grungy choruses.

Daylight: Especially ‘Damp’. A massively underrated, underground 90s band.

My Vitriol: Especially ‘War of the Worlds’, ‘Cemented Shoes’ and ‘Always Your Way’ - a unique blend of melodic rock, grunge, shoegaze and pop.

Smile: The whole 1994 album ‘Maquee’ is great - how was this not bigger?

Narrow Head: Their 2023 album ‘Moments of Clarity’ is a fantastic combination of grungy choruses, Deftones soundscapes and 00s Emo.

Media: Their 2022 EP ‘Influence’ is a noisy combination of Soundgarden, Melvins and ‘Undertow’-era Tool. Not an easy listen, but well worth your time.

White Lies: Especially ‘I Don’t Want To Go To Mars’, from the 2022 album ‘As I Try Not To Fall Apart’. What a chorus!

We are excited to see which bands are going to step up to take the most high-profile festival headline slots in 5-10 years. If we were betting people, our money would be on these hard-hitters:

Orbit Culture: A ferocious blend of Machine Head’s heaviness, Metallica’s clean singing and Whitechapel’s death metal-infused brutality. Future headliners of Bloodstock, Wacken and Download.

Ghost: They’re almost at ‘festival headliner’ status already and are getting bigger and better with every album. Ghost’s live show is a wonder to behold - and whether you buy into the image and extensive lore or not, it is undeniable how catchy their array of hits is, and how compelling Tobias Forge is as a frontman.

Creeper: One of the most exciting bands to emerge in the last 10 years. Originating from Southampton, UK, Creeper combine the dark punk rock of AFI and Alkaline Trio with the pomp of Meatloaf and the theatricality of My Chemical Romance. They have 4 amazing albums and a series of excellent EPs, and their fanbase is devoted and ever-expanding. Creeper aren’t far from Ghost-levels of fame, and if they continue on this trajectory then surely they will be headlining festivals in the near future.

Vended: The next generation (literally) of Slipknot-inspired metal. If they can add a few more memorable tunes to their repertoire, to add to their infectious energy, Vended could be future festival headliners.

Halestorm: With a voice that could move mountains, Lzzy Hale is an incredible frontwoman - and Halestorm are more than capable of headlining a major festival like Download.

Bad Omens: With their 2022 album ‘The Death of Peace of Mind’, and a triumphant run supporting Bring Me The Horizon, Bad Omens showed themselves to be future festival headliners. If they can release another album or two of similar quality, they will be unstoppable.

‘Nu Metal’ became a dirty word for a while, but we are in a middle of clear resurgence of downtuned guitars, hip hip-influenced drums, electronic flavours, simplified song structures, anthemic choruses and pure, unbridled rage. Korn, Limp Bizkit and the other originators are still as strong as ever, and we have seen the return of Mudvayne, Dry Kill Logic, Coal Chamber, Spineshank and others in the last couple of years. But who are the best of the NEWER bands to check out?

I Prevail are already 4 albums into their career, but it feels like they are still ascending. Their 2022 album ‘TRUE POWER’ is a masterclass in modern metal, from Slipknot-esque heaviness (‘Body Bag’) to Linkin Park textures in ‘Fake’.

Motionless in White, similarly, have been doing the rounds for several years now - but their sound is continuing to gain in confidence; and ‘Scoring The End Of The World’ is a superb record.

Tallah have moments where they sound truly unhinged - and Justin Bonitz has an immense personality that brings Jonathan Davis to mind. Their 2020 debut ‘Matriphagy’ is an uncomfortable but exhilarating ride, and latest album ‘Primeval: Obsession // Detachment’ has moments of brilliance. The vocals were all tracked in one take, which is seriously impressive.

Tetrarch made some waves with their 2021 album ‘Unstable’, though it didn’t quite elevate them to the status promised by the initial hype. Their follow-up ‘The Ugly Side of Me’ is somewhat formulaic, but the potential is there for Tetrarch to build a huge following.

London’s rap-rockers Blackgold have fully embraced the Nu Metal aesthetic, with masks, costumes, enigmatic personas and an awesome live show. Their studio output hasn’t delivered on the promise of their live set yet, but they are just getting started.

In the same way that Il Nino brought Latin influences into Nu Metal in the early 00s, Bloodywood have fully embraced their Indian culture and integrated Hindi / Punjabi elements into their sound. 2025 album ‘Nu Delhi’ is straight-up fun, especially the bouncy title track.

There is nothing wrong with you, my friend!

If you only know PUSA for their hits ‘Peaches’ and ‘Lump’, you are missing out on something special. Their blend of quirky lyrics, huge hooks and massive-yet-minimal instrumentation ROCKS, pure and simple.

But there is a PUSA-shaped hole in the universe. Who can fill the void they left behind? Well, while no-one might match Chris Ballew and co for quality, you may enjoy Stanmore(especially their song ‘My Australian Days’), CAKE, Smoking Popes, unpeople, Kyros, Father of Peace and Crystal Tides. All these bands have an upbeat, quirky sound that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face.

If you love the brute force and kick-ass riffs of ‘Blood and Thunder’, why not try Gnome (a Belgian 3-piece who combine Mastodon’s hairy, noisy bombast with the bottom-heavy delights of Kyuss and Monster Magnet). Gnome’s latest album, ‘Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome’, is superb. You might also love Rotting Christ, and the direction these Greek death-prog masters have taken with their latest opus ‘Pro Xristou’.

On the subject of massive riffs, you can’t go wrong with Mutoid Man, especially their 2023 album ‘Mutants’. Swedish 3-piece Grand Magus are also superb, particularly their latest record ‘Sun Raven’.

If you love getting lost in the concepts of Crack The Skye and Blood Mountain, you might like ‘Charismatic Leaders’, the 2024 album by Finnish prog-rockers Wheel. Also highly recommended is ‘Melodies of Atonement’, from Norwegian masters Leprous.

You’re probably already familiar with Baroness and Cave In - but what about Moon Tooth? Their 2016 album ‘Chromaparagon’ is superb, and will delight fans of Mastodon.

Have you checked out our ranking of all Mastodon albums from worst to best? Take a look here: https://www.all-things-rock.com/albums-ranked-all-things-rock/mastodon

The Mars Volta are such a unique band, but if you are into their crazy instrumentation, progressive song structures and wild vocals, you might like the album ‘Six’ by Mansun. It’s a far cry from their indie-rock debut ‘Attack of the Grey Lantern’ and is a masterpiece of random, creative prog.

You should definitely check out Arcane Roots, a London-based 3-piece whose debut album ‘Left Fire’ has some Mars Volta-esque qualities, combined with the bombast of Muse, the quirkiness of Biffy Clyro and the visceral energy of At The Drive-In.

You might also like Thank You Scientist, whose 2019 album ‘Terraformer’ is superb (think Coheed & Cambria playing the Frances The Mute album).

A brand new band is Father of Peace from Israel, who sound like a curious mix of The Mars Volta, System of a Down, Presidents of the USA and The Cat Empire. They are so much fun, and their musicianship (especially the drumming) is stunning.

For a wild ride to expand on the Latino side of what The Mars Volta do so well in ‘Deloused’ and the 2024 self-titled album, check out ‘Caravanserai’, the 1972 album by Santana.

If you want a band you can really sink your teeth into, check out King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard - an utterly bonkers and stupidly prolific band from Australia who cover mutliple genres. Their 2020 album ‘K.G.’ is a good place to start, and there is a whole reasure trove of albums to explore from there.

32 Leaves: The perfect combination of crunchy riffs, catchy melodies and excellent songwriting. Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, 32 Leaves have elements of Deftones, A Perfect Circle, Bush and Papa Roach, and it is criminal that their 2005 album ‘Welcome To The Fall’ wasn’t bigger.

Kerbdog: An Irish trio who released 2 albums in the mid-90s, including the sublime ‘On The Turn’. Songs like ‘Sally’, ‘Severed’ and ‘Mexican Wave’ should have made Kerbdog huge, with their combination of pop sensibilities, inventive ideas and massive, Helmet-inspired riffs. The post-Kerbdog band Wilt is also wel worth checking out.

My Vitrol are one of the best British bands to have emerged in the late 90s / early 00s. They became famous so quickly that it led to them retreating from the limelight, procrastinating about the release of new music, and only rearing their heads every so often. Almost every song they have released is sublime - it’s just a shame more people don’t know about them.

The Reticent are a sublime prog-metal band from NC who take Ghost Reveries/Watershed-era Opeth and add a layer of jazz and djent-influenced musicality. Their 2020 album ‘The Oubliette’ is a concept record about an elderly man with Alzheimer’s Disease and it is a stunning listen.

Who else would you add? Write your suggestions in the comments below!

NOFX’s retirement in 2024, following a huge celebratory world tour, was a watershed moment for punk rock. Let’s face it: No-one is going to be around forever. They may all still sound amazing, but Green Day, The Offspring, Bad Religion, Descendents, Rancid and their peers are probably all going to retire at some point in the next 10 years or so.

So…who is going to fill the void? Who has not only the right sound and energy, but also the fundamental songwriting chops, to be able to appeal to punk purists AND the masses, to keep punk rock alive for future generations?

Flying the flag for ska punk, and getting better with every record, are The Interrupters, who you probably know already. They have the charisma, the mass appeal, and an abundance of incredible, memorable songs.

Neck Deep, from Brighton, UK, are ones to watch. They have a string of decent albums in the vein of Dookie-era Green Day, and their sound is very much rooted in the golden age of 90s punk rock. They haven’t quite hit their peak yet in terms of writing memorable songs, but all the ingredients are there for Neck Deep to get bigger and bigger.

In reality, there is a massive NOFX-shaped hole in the music world - not just for the music itself, but for their intelligent humour, fierce DIY spirit, controversial, don’t-give-a-monkeys-what-you-think attitude and genuinely fun live show. There is a potential for The Chats to pick up the torch, with their hilarious banter and authentic punk attitude - and fellow Aussies Amyl and The Sniffers too.

Sometimes we want a break from the heaviness, but we still want something engrossing that intrigues and inspires us.

Paris Monster is a soulful, electro 2-piece who make incredible soundscapes with lush melodies and glitchy beats. Their 2024 album ‘Opalesce’ is great, though ‘Lamplight’ from 2019 is the best starting point - especially the enchanting ‘Andalusia’.

Mariachi El Bronx is one of the most surprising left-turns that any punk rock band has ever taken. The Bronx have been making kick-ass rock and roll since the early 00s, and in 2009 they launched - with no irony whatsoever - a legimate mariachi offshot. Same members, but with mariachi costumes and authentic sounds from Latin America. Check out the song ‘Slave Labor’ and tell me it isn’t superb.

Spanish Love Songs make heartfelt, passionate songs that sound like Bruce Springsteen if he had grown up on early 00s emo. 2023’s ‘No Joy’ is a great album, especially the opener ‘Lifers’.

Casual fans of the excellent Idlewild may not be familiar with Roddy Woomble’s diverse solo career. Roddy has made a series of albums over the last 15 years, from the truly gorgeous folk of ‘My Secret is My Silence’ to low-fi 80s synth pop of ‘Almost Nothing’, A versatile, truly inventive artist.

The lush, soulful vocals of Imelda May are irresistible, especially on her 2017 jazz-pop masterpiece ‘Life Love Flesh Blood’. If there was the musical equivalent of a hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day, this would be it.

If you love wistful melodies, folk instruments and the grand atmosphere of the Game of Thrones theme song, you’ll love Árstíðir, from Iceland - especially their wistful, yet darkly ominous 2011 album ‘Svefns Og Voku Skil’.

The melodic metal scene in 2025 couldn’t be healthier, with Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, Bad Omens, Motionless in White and numerous others leading the way with huge choruses and massive production that is bolstered by synths and electronic flourishes.

So, where did they get their inspiration from, and who are the bands who may not be around now but could still be great for fans of modern metal to check out?

Pitchshifter (especially their 1998 album ‘www.pitchshifter.com’) - pioneers of crushing electronic metal, with flashes of Drum ‘n’ Bass and Dub amongst punk and hardcore.

Fear Factory - still going strong after 30+ years, Fear Factory were arguably the first band to combine screaming with melodic singing. Their 1998 album ‘Obsolete’ is perhaps the best place to start.

White Zombie were pioneers of industrial-tinged metal, as well as integrating multiple samples from movies in a way that clearly influenced Slipknot, BMTH and others. Rob Zombie continues to have a hugely successful solo career, but White Zombie is where it all started.

Godflesh were, and still are, just plain nasty. Only a 2-piece, using a drum machine rather than an live drummer, Godflesh make an industrial racket that has clearly influenced the heavier, more abrasive side of modern metal.

Neurosis aren't for the faint-hearted. For sheer power and heaviness, it is hard to beat the weight of albums like ‘A Sun That Never Sets’.

A lesser-known, but incredible band to check out from the early 2000s is Boy Hits Car. Their self-titled album from 2001 is perfect from start to finish, with the quirkiness of System of a Down, the classic instrumentation of Led Zeppelin and the tunefulness of Linkin Park.

There is no other band on Earth who sounds exactly like Slipknot, but here are some bands to check out if you’re a fan of the ‘knot:

Code Orange: Their most recent album ‘The Above’ divided opinions because of its forays into alt-rock, but they still absolutely crush it. The most Slipknot-esque of their albums is ‘Underneath’, or if you want to hear one single song then check out ‘Grooming My Replacement’.

Machine Head should never be discounted the way they sometimes are. Over their career they may have had one or two duds, but they are without question one of the best metal bands of all time, and even recent songs such as ‘Choke On The Ashes Of Your Hate’ bring Slipknot-esque levels of heaviness.

Bleed From Within, who supported Slipknot on their 25th anniversary tour in 2024, reach Slipknot levels of heaviness on songs such as ‘In Place of Your Halo’.

Don’t forget Spineshank, who were one of the most promising bands of the nu metal era. Their 2nd album, 2000’s ‘The Height of Callousness’, is ferocious - like a river of piranhas knawing on your foot.

There is a genuine danger in listening to Tallah. In fact, they even named their 2022 album The Generation of Danger. Both vocally and musically, Tallah an unhinged, brute force.

Of course, it is hard to forget Vended, two of whose members (Simon Crahan and Griffin Taylor) are sons of Slipknot’s Corey and Clown. Vended are genuinely impressive, and if they can build on their debut then they are worthy future successors to the Slipknot throne.

Slaughter to Prevail secured a 2026 headline slot at Bloodstock Festival on the strength of their brutal album ‘Grizzly’. For sheer ferocity, with accessibility that tends not to come with deathcore, they are unmatched.