If anybody who posts on this board does not know
Nomad Soul from Herne/Bochum, they should bury themselves in shame.
Respawn are a thrash metal band from Berlin that are wildly popular among metalheads here. I have to argue though that while they are brilliant live, their studio work leaves something to be desired.
A band I am personally more fond of than Respawn is doom/death metal band
Android Empire, also from Berlin. They aren't as popular though, and their only release so far is a demo with six tracks on it.
Winter's Verge is the first Cypriot metal band to get an international record deal. They play good though fairly standard power metal, however spiced up with a few (never too much) Greek elements here and there.
By now, there is hardly any European metalhead who has not heard of
Alestorm, the swashbuckling, plundering and ravaging pirates from Scotland. Their music is just great fun which shouldn't be taken seriously at any time, obviously.
Speaking of Swashbuckling,
Swashbuckle seem to be a promising new band, who also carry the pirate theme, albeit with a more straightforward thrash approach.
Powerwolf are one of my personal favourites when it comes to newcomers. A mystical power metal band (obviously) that make a lot out of the fact that their lead singer is from Transylvania.
Definitely worth checking out, as they sound like a good mix of Maiden and Ozzy!
Stuck in the 80's? Then no-frills old-school thrash band
Warbringer is the thing for you. 'Nuff said.
Of course, I have to mention
Airbourne, a hard rock band from Australia. Sound familiar? Well, these guys are the 21st century version of AC/DC, and I am going to lean out the window and say they are actually a tad better.
Volbeat are currently surrounded by a hype as being the new, big thing. I personally don't have much use for them, but they seem to be the biggest new band on the market currently.
Eluveitie are a folk/Celtic metal band from Switzerland who are currently on a wave of success thanks to the whole folk/pagan metal wave.
Geist are one of the darkest and best black metal bands currently out there, and they are already surprisingly well-known (by underground black metal standards) in Germany. Their German lyrics may be a put-off, but the music is pure, black gold.
Heidevolk is another one of those European pagan/folk metal bands, and it's not easy to say what makes them stand out. I personally just think they're very good. They have dedicated their music to the history of their homeland, the Dutch province of Gelderland. ...
Equilibrium is
yet another pagan/folk band from Southern Germany, and they are pretty good too.
Rise to Addiction is notorious for having been founded by two ex-members of Blaze. Their music doesn't quite live up to the name (except for the track,
Falling as One), but they are still a very good, groovy heavy metal band.
I'll let Yax introduce Ripper Owens.
