24-7 Spyz are an American rock band from the South Bronx, New York, formed in 1986, originally consisting of Jimi Hazel (guitars), Rick Skatore (bass), Kindu Phibes (drums), and P. Fluid (vocals). The band plays hard rock, heavy metal, funk metal and rap metal songs which incorporate elements of jazz, R&B, soul, reggae and hardcore punk. The fact that they are African Americans playing variations of heavy metal led critics to compare them to bands such as Living Colour and Bad Brains. After several lineup changes, the band broke up in 1998, but reformed in 2003 before releasing their first new album of original material in over a decade in 2006. As of 2021, the lineup of the band includes Hazel, Skatore, and drummer Tobias Ralph.
Within Temptation is a Dutch symphonic metal band founded in April 1996 by vocalist Sharon den Adel and guitarist Robert Westerholt. They have been classified by critics as gothic metal and symphonic metal, although each album contains other influences outside these genres. Their most prominent and well-known sound is described as symphonic metal, although their earlier material, such as debut album Enter, was mostly gothic metal, with Enter also having a hint of doom metal. In an interview, den Adel said they fell into a symphonic rock genre with various influences. In another interview, den Adel stated that "We consider ourselves more an atmospheric melodic symphonic metal/rock band... In my opinion, we are not a gothic band but we have gothic elements".
Angra is a Brazilian power metal band formed in 1991. They have released ten regular studio albums, five EPs, and three live CD/DVDs to date. Led by Rafael Bittencourt, the band has gained a degree of popularity in Japan and Europe.
Mägo de Oz are a Spanish folk metal band from Begoña, Madrid formed in mid-1988 by drummer Txus di Fellatio. The band became well known for the strong Celtic feel to their music strengthened through their consistent usage of a violinist and flautist. The name for the band was chosen, according to founding member Txus, because "life is a yellow brick road, on which we walk in the company of others searching for our dreams." On the 26th of October, 2018, the band played a special concert to celebrate their 30th anniversary, playing with a symphony orchestra at the WiZink Center in Madrid.
Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "melodic folk metal".
Sweet Savage are a heavy metal band from Belfast, Northern Ireland, formed in 1979. Future Dio and Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell was an early member. Since forming in 1979, Sweet Savage have released three studio albums, three singles and one demo. Their latest album, Regeneration, was released in 2011.
Heathen is an American thrash metal band originating from the San Francisco Bay Area, active from 1984 to 1993 and again from 2001 onwards. Despite never achieving commercial success, the band is often credited – alongside Exodus, Testament, Forbidden, Death Angel and Vio-lence – as one of the leaders of the Bay Area thrash metal scene of the mid-to-late 1980s, and they have gone through several lineup changes, leaving guitarist Lee Altus as the only constant member. To date, Heathen has released four studio albums: Breaking the Silence (1987), Victims of Deception (1991), The Evolution of Chaos (2009) and Empire of the Blind (2020).
Sabaton is a heavy metal band from Falun, Sweden. The vast majority of their albums are written about historical events, mainly wars and significant battles. Sabaton has been referred to as one of the "big four" power metal bands, along with Helloween, Blind Guardian, and DragonForce. They are one of the most successful metal bands in Swedish history.
Andreas "Andi" Deris is a German singer, best known as one of the three co-lead vocalists of the power metal band Helloween, and co-founder and former lead singer of the metal band Pink Cream 69.
Zoé is a Grammy Award and Latin Grammy Award-winning Mexican rock band. It was initially formed in Mexico City in 1994, although membership started to stabilize in 1997. The band has achieved success in Mexico and most Spanish-speaking countries with albums such as Rocanlover, Memo Rex Commander y el Corazón Atómico de la Vía Láctea and Reptilectric.
Cynic is an American progressive metal band formed in Miami, Florida in 1987 and later re-formed in Los Angeles, California in 2007, where the sole surviving member, Paul Masvidal remains to this day. Cynic incorporates elements of progressive rock, alternative, and metal.
Desaster are a German black/thrash metal band formed in Koblenz in 1988. Their lyrical themes involve war, hate and Satanism.
Black Tide was an American heavy metal band from Kendall, Florida. Formed in 2004, the band last consisted of Gabriel Garcia, Austin Diaz and Cody Paige (drums). They released their debut album, Light from Above, on March 18, 2008 through Interscope Records when Garcia was 15 years old. Their second album, Post Mortem, was released on August 23, 2011. Black Tide's EP Bite the Bullet was released on November 12, 2013 by InnerCat Music Group, a Miami-based boutique label. On October 16, 2015 band released their last album Chasing Shadows. On July 22, 2016 Garcia announced on his Instagram that the band is over and he is concentrating on his solo project.
Alestorm are a Scottish heavy metal band formed in Perth, Scotland. Their music is characterised by a pirate theme, and as a result, they have been dubbed a "pirate metal" band by many critics and their fanbase. The group currently consists of lead vocalist/keytarist Christopher Bowes, bassist Gareth Murdock, drummer Peter Alcorn, keyboardist/harsh vocalist Elliot Vernon and guitarist Máté "Bobo" Bodor.
Deaf Havana are an English alternative rock band from Hunstanton and King's Lynn, Norfolk, England. The band was formed in 2005 at the King's Lynn campus of The College of West Anglia.
Dead by April is a Swedish metalcore band from Gothenburg, formed in 2007 by Pontus Hjelm and Jimmie Strimell. The current band lineup consists of Pontus Hjelm, Christopher Kristensen, Marcus Wesslén and Marcus Rosell (drums). Despite many line up changes throughout their career, both Marcus Wesslén and Pontus Hjelm have remained consistent since their debut album.
Born of Osiris is an American progressive metalcore band formed in 2003 in Palatine, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Ronnie Canizaro, lead guitarist Lee McKinney, rhythm guitarist/bassist Nick Rossi, drummer Cameron Losch, and keyboardist/vocalist Joe Buras. Born of Osiris has played at various festivals including the Summer Slaughter Tour and the Music as a Weapon Tour 4.
Callejon is a German metalcore band founded in Düsseldorf in 2002. The band writes and sings the majority of their lyrics in German.
Jody Has A Hitlist were a pop punk band from Dublin, Ireland. They formed in April 2009, from previous bands such as Steer Clear and The Upgrades, and have since performed alongside artists such as Lostprophets, The Used and Kids In Glass Houses. In 2010, they were nominated for the Most Promising New Artist award at the Meteor Awards.
10 Years is an American alternative metal band formed in Knoxville, Tennessee in 1999. The band consists of lead vocalist Jesse Hasek, lead guitarist Brian Vodinh, rhythm guitarist Matt Wantland, bassist Chad Grennor, and drummer Luke Narey. The group has gone through multiple line-up changes since their inception, with Vodinh and Wantland being the only remaining founding members. To date, they have released ten studio albums, their most recent being Descontructed in 2022.
