EVILYN
'The End'

South London is now being graced by one promising band known as Evilyn, these four lads take influences from a range of different bands such as Muse, 30STM, A7X and AFI, whilst threading together their own unique sound package as found on their double A side 'The End', interestingly enough this music could also be taking influence from bands like Bauhaus and the whole goth, punk and new wave styles, so the music itself has a whole range of different times flowing through it, but the release is sure to capture much attention as a starting point for this band to build achievements on, sure the second song has some comparisons to steampunkers Fearless Vampire Killers, but Evilyn are a different kettle of fish and it's that obvious fact that makes them a one to watch in 2013.

Download the double A-side here: http://evilyn.bandcamp.com/album/the-end

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

BLACK MARKET SEROTONIN
'Something From Nothing'
SUPERSTAR DESTROYER

At first it seems that 'Something From Nothing' the debut album by Manchester's Black Market Serotonin is a redeveloped 80's synth rock megalithic release, but closer inspection reveals elements from David Bowie and the modern sounds of Deftones, Porcupine Tree and Muse, evidently drawn from their collaborative mix of progressive rock and synth elements and also how the trio manage to keep their unique sound going without deviating to established sounds. 'Something From Nothing' is an album that oozes delicious riffs, sensational drumming and emotional vocals, all of which when brought together deliver a sound that will echo throughout 2013 as the band set their eyes on exploding all over the British rock scene.

Download This: "The End of History"

'Something From Nothing' is out Monday 29th April 2013 via Superstar Destroyer Records

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

AYS
'Suburban Haze'
LET IT BURN

On the dawn of their 10th anniversary, Germany's self-confessed Hardcore Punk addicts AYS unleash hell with their upcoming new EP 'Suburban Haze', oozing vocals that are guaranteed to make you sick in the stomach as well as killer riffs and powerful drumming. However that's just the basics of it, the intricate composure and face-smacking sensation that comes as a result by the all-out assault by this five-man machine, AYS are gearing themselves up to slaughter Europe with their killer sounds, just make sure health and safety are on sight as there may be a moshpit within a moshpit. 'Suburban Haze' should also come with a health warning that serious headbanging may also be induced, the next step from these Germans will be an interesting one.

Download This: "Orphans"

'Suburban Haze' is out 8th March 2013 via Let It Burn Records

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

KING & COUNTRY
'Mountains'
Self-Released

"Snowdonia is set to experience a new style of earthquake"

The amazing thing about the Welsh rock and metal music scenes is that it seems to be always the southern regions that produce said music, a modern example comes in the form of King & Country of whom comprise of four laddies hailing from Bridgend and the musical talents derived from elements that come from the classic pop punk / post-hardcore style, namesake on par with Lower The Atlantis and newcomers Mallory Knox, but what sets aside 'Mountains' as a must have EP this year is that the four tracks extrude a variation of sound to cater for many tastes and with their evident display of punching the right musical notes, King & Country are sure to set the nation on fire with their sensational rock anthems.

Download This: "Soldiers"
For Fans of: The Blackout, Story of the Year, Lower Than Atlantis

"Mountains" is out 6th May 2013 via the band and online digital retailers

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

GET OFF MY SHOES
'Let's Not Rush Out And Tell The World'
THANKS BUT NO THANKS

Somewhat of a newcomer to the European front-line, or are they? Three years in and Belgium's hottest new Indie rockers come rolling into town to drop their highly-anticipated debut EP 'Let's Not Rush Out And Tell The World', it features a catalogue of songs whirling around the core of the release in all different directions, taking on board influences from bands like Bloc Party and Weezer, they are sure to make an impact in 2013 and perhaps may wind up on the covers of Kerrang! Magazine. 'Let's Not Rush Out And Tell The World' is the new sound of Indie Rock and it is a damn good starting point for this five-piece, so instead lets rush out and tell the world that Get Off My Shoes are now Belgium's hottest rock export.

Download This: "We're Going Down But We Don't Care"
For Fans of: Weezer, BlocParty, Foals, Two Door Cinema Club

'Let's Not Rush Out And Tell The World' is out Monday 1st April 2013 via Thanks But No Thanks Records

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

THE MARQUIS OF VAUDERVILLE
'The Great Promenade of Fools & Ghosts'

Steampunk is almost certainly on the up-rise as a recognized musical form of art, bands dress in Victorian style dress and play an eclectic music mix, Dallas' The Marquis of Vauderville is no exception, weaving together a luscious mix of progressive rock and psychedelic punk rock to deliver their nineteen-track opus 'The Great Promenade of Fools & Ghosts' of which spews out similarities to that of David Bowie (Ziggy Stardust), Pink Floyd and The Cure, consequently this is another album that most rock fans will adhere to, however for the Goths, Steampunks and passionate people of Victorian times, this is a memento of epic proportions.

Download This: "Bright Star Hope"
For Fan of: The Cure, David Bowie, Pink Floyd

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

LETS TALK DAGGERS
'Fantastic Contraption'
TANGLED TALK

Built and constructed to ignite riots simultaneously across the rock scene, Lets Talk Daggers may require anger management as they unleash their upcoming mini-album 'Fantastic Contraption', what emerges initially from this release is a mixture of brutal slaying drums that are sliced apart by the savage sounds of the riffs and vocals together. Some may dub them 'anarcho-punk', but in reality they are a gruesome mix of punk hardcore, screamo, alternative rock and fast music, faster than your last ejaculation, that said as the band pumps out more fluidity in their music, it gets to the point where The Dillinger Escape Plan and Fall of Troy come head on together and the result is grizzly, besides the release title may be an indirect Wallace & Gromit pun.

For Fans of: Fall of Troy, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Blakfish.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

'Fantastic Contraption' is out via Tangled Talk Records on 25th March 2013

APHERIUM
'The Cycle'

What happens when a band forms and broods in a place that is hardly known for rock or metal bands? Total hegemonic chaos, arising from the knowledge that bands like Apherium know they are fighting to put their home town of Yeovil on the map, but when taking into account their debut album 'The Cycle' and the sound they aim to deliver, it can't be helped but notice that this could be a winning score. Pinching influences from mainly Post-Hardcore, Punk Rock and Thrash Metal, Apherium weave together a sound that may prove yet to be the one that will attract the major media outlets to sniff the scent left behind as 'The Cycle' cements itself in rock history, sure there is room for improvement, especially in the volume department, but apart from that the band sheds out some slick sick and savage sounds.

Download This: 'In The Light'

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

MILESTONE
'Medicate The Night'

On 13th May 2013, South Wales will experience an earthquake, no not another Metalcore band trying to be the next Bullet For My Valentine, but rather a new rock release. Milestone the four-piece rock 'n' roll boy-band are preparing to unleash their debut EP 'Medicate The Night' upon the masses, listeners can expect to hear classic rock sounds derived from the likes of the Foo Fighters that seem to sound out across the entire release, whilst the atmosphere that is set in motion covers the entire room with the feeling of getting down, dirty and drinking a bottle of Jack Daniels. After all, 'Medicate The Night' should cast new light on the region and for the band, shine a light to join the league of exciting British rock bands in the year 2013.

'Medicate The Night' will be out on Monday 13th May through all digital outlets.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

THE HYPE THEORY
'Heartsick'
SMALL TOWN

Chelmsford Pop Punk / Power Pop maestros The Hype Theory have the honor of releasing their latest single 'Heartsick', continuing on their powerful ballad like sound manufactured over the years, this is a promising sign that their next album will be the apocalypse many alike will be waiting for. With angelic vocals that can only equate to the power experienced in a tornado outbreak, the music follows suit with fist-punching beats and slashing riffs that together added with the vocals, concoct to make The Hype Theory. 'Heartsick' shows the lighter side of the band also towards the end with the faint fading of an acoustic guitar that just adds another dimension to this sensational group.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

'Heartsick' is out 22nd April via digital outlets

Fans can pre-order the single here: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/heartsick-single/id627696605?uo=4

The band's second album "Captives" is to be released 27th May and a free album release show will follow 3 days after.

THE DOLLYROTS
'The Dollyrots'
ARRESTED YOUTH

If your looking for an upbeat pop-punk rock album, look no further than The Dollyrots self-titled album, this features twelve tracks of the best Pop-Punk combinations that can ever be produced, from the trippy 'I wanna go'; featuring cleverly executed autotune and a get-up and party atmosphere which resides throughout the whole spine of the album, this is one band to watch out for, if The Dollyrots were a motorbike, they would be a Harley-Davidson, lively, ready to rock and full of attitude. So the resounding message is that if you have a party and your stuck for the total party anthem, The Dollyrots promise to bring their fourth album covered in American attitude to the celebrations room, fans of the Ting Tings and Bowling For Soup will drool over this album as it sums up the statement that experimenting with rock music is not dead.

[10] RHYS STEVENSON

BOWLING FOR SOUP w/ THE DOLLYROTS + PATENT PENDING
'One Big Happy'
BRANDO / QUE-SO

Usually when a split happens, the bands on it are so alike it becomes an album on its own accord, but when Bowling For Soup teamed up with The Dollyrots and Patent Pending a storm started brewing, sure the three all play similar enough types of rock but the overall sounds are different, from Bowling For Soup's laid back slick alternative rock to The Dollyrots' fired up punk rock and finally to Patent Pending's sensational Pop Punk infusion. So when Bowling For Soup are on the airwaves, the sound that comes out is a relaxing one, however when The Dollyrots get their sexual punk rock on the forefront, the mood-swing has already been activated and the feeling of letting your hear down becomes imminent and this feeling carries right on into the realm of Patent Pending who fill in the gaps of the exploded speakers, caused by this sensational masterpiece, all in all listeners will have 'One Big Happy' feeling.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

TRASH MONROE
'Addiction Of Duplicities Part 1'

Southend quintet Trash Monroe make their next release a short and quick one, the two track single 'Addiction Of Duplicities Part 1' delivers lust, blushing beauty and the fundamental elemental sounds of pure rock music. Dedicated to the late Paul Raymond Rowe, this dedication comes with a bountiful of emotion and feeling as band connects with the listener through two sensational songs. With this now under their belt and their next major release in sight, there is no way that this musical tour-de-force will ever stop, buckle up and batten down the hatches, Trash Monroe are sure to explode on the national scene.

[7,5] RHYS STEVENSON

THE HYPE THEORY
'Glory Days'

The debut album 'Glory Days' is blasted out by The Hype Theory at such a force the River Chelmer has been reported to have tidal waves going out to sea, however for the quintet from Chelmsford, Essex, this is a sensational release, full of get-up-and-go atmospheric elements and is so funked it it would make any local rave look like the high school summer ball, but put this on full volume and let your hair down as the guitars gear up the drummers drumming for the vicious vocals to arrange the atmospheric attitude that only The Hype Theory can deliver, full of energy, gravity-defying songs and a chemical reaction that gets anyone off their feet, as for this bunch, they are truly in their 'Glory Days'.

[8.5] RHYS STEVENSON

MECHANICAL SMILE
'Into The Surface'

Scotland has had a history of producing unbelievable rock bands and that is not going to stop now, with Kilmarnock's Mechanical Smile delivering their latest offering in the form of their 2012 EP 'Into The Surface', featuring the best pop / alternative rock of the modern era, this quartet deliver the female equivalent of Franz Ferdinand and yet will appeal to fans of Nirvana and Biffy Clyro, uniquely organised, the EP starts off with the fast 'Afterlife' and then immediately drops the tempo for the second track 'Look Closer', before kicking up again for the third track 'Arrows' and the fourth 'We Are Forever', there is something for everyone here, some would say this is the perfect companion to burns night, shame they didn't do a cover of 'auld lang syne'; perhaps their next release may have this.

[7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

ALL SHE WROTE
'Weathered'

Bit of an eclectic mix going on here, putting together the already dominant Post-Hardcore with some spicy lashings of Alternative Rock, this is of course All She Wrote's latest single 'Weathered', a promising sign that more of this great stuff is to come, designed for the fans of bands like Lostprophets and A Day To Remember, this London mob are sure to make a scene in the next year or so, with 'Weathered' now lock and loaded and ready to fire at the mainstream rock/metal fans, All She Wrote are the new kids on the block and a band to watch out for in 2013.

[7] RHYS STEVENSON

SKELETON KID
'The Graveyard Disciples'

Bournemouth's Gothic Punksters Skeleton Kid make no mistake in delivering their debut EP 'The Graveyard Disciples' in ballistic style, razor-sharp riffs cutting holes in the bleak atmosphere left by their Gothic persona and yet the EP itself characterizes itself around bands such as Motley Crue and Marilyn Manson, whilst keeping that middle-finger attitude in check. One could not help but to somehow relate them to Misfits and Wednesday 13 at the band's core, definitely the darker side of punk rock. Fresh on the scene and only been going nearly two years, the band have amassed a name for themselves and are sure to in the near future gain attention from major British media.

[9] RHYS STEVENSON

BIRTHRITE
'If It 'Ay Bost, Dow Fix It!'

So what exactly is steampunk? Well take the Victorian era, mix it with a futuristic technological emphasis (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and Atlantis: The Lost Empire are the best literary work examples) and you end up with pure excellence, and that is what Black Country quartet Birthrate are all about, excellent innovation. Take on board their latest offering 'If It 'Ay Bost, Dow Fix It!', it has clear 70's rock influences stretching from Bauhaus and the whole Gothic Rock renaissance area to fast elements residing in the Motorhead vein. Playing music their way but on the same wave-length as Suffolk's Fearless Vampire Killers, Birthrite are a class apart, full of eccentricity in their music and are sure to create a buzz for themselves, with their military style drumming on 'bullet soldier' and their funky 'square dance', this is a totally unique ensemble and a momentous release.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON

DARWIN PROPHET
'Don't Panic' w/ 'Don't Panic single'

David Bowie just got a revamp, well morphed into steampunk as Darwin Prophet take on board his classic rock style and whip it up with some excellent literary influences from one Oscar Wilde, what follows is a beautiful and elegant style of rock that is emerging slowly, steampunk is sure to grow in size and with bands like Darwin Prophet who have just released their latest offering 'Don't Panic'. The vocals are of the gothic rock style and the music is soothing yet danceable if doing the waltz, in the end 'Don't Panic' is a release that will power Darwin Prophet forward and with it, sheer brilliance will ignite. The 'Don't Panic' single is a delightful piece of musicianship too, with 4-5 tracks that acted as a build up to the album release, it truly is a work of art

[8] + [7.5] RHYS STEVENSON

DRACHENFLUG
'Blau'

Reminiscent of Subway To Sally, German quintet Drachenflug (Kite Flying) released their latest album 'Blau' back in 2009 and strange as it may seem, mixing the German language to the steampunk style of music actually is very effective, however the issue of the language barrier is there. This is the sort of album that would bode well at Oktoberfest, because it is simply relaxing and soul-soothing. That said, the immersing of traditional folk music elements adds a slight Pagan feel to it, that said 'Blau' is an album that would appeal to any music fan, it has a bit of everything, from the folk elements of the flute to the rock/metal elements in the drums and the rest of the music making a composition of pure easy listening, bring on 'schwarz', 'rot' und 'gelbe'.

[8] RHYS STEVENSON