Heavy metal is a constant, ever-evolving entity – one so
primal and cathartic that it has the potential to outlive every person reading
this. And, of course, any good metal fans wants the genre to thrive for as long
as possible, but to do so, it is up to us to support up-and-coming bands. As
Slayer’s impending split harrowingly reminded us this year, the old,
commercially secure guard will not be around forever; it is the fans’ responsibility to
seek out and support the next generation of rockers as much as possible.
However, the metal underground is vast, with countless bands
releasing music every day. So how do you sort the wheat from the chaff? That’s
the purpose of this list: to not only promote the best up-and-comers of this
year, but also gift you with some magnificently brutal tunes you should not
overlook.
To clarify, not every band on this list will be ones that
had never done anything before 2018 rolled around. A handful may have released
some stand-alone singles or even an EP or two. But if the past twelve months
saw a young artist unveil a debut album and/or show promise with productivity
and unique music, they are definitely up for contention.