Ten 21st Century Rock Bands You Can’t Ignore (U.K. Version)

Photo : By Lies Vercaemere [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The same old cliche “there are no good bands anymore” has resonated throughout rock and roll history. In the 1960s, many fans of artists like Buddy Holly and Duane Eddy hated the new psychedelic and heavy sounds of artists like the Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, and even The Beatles. Fans who came of age in the 1960s often referred to 1970s bands like Queen, Foghat, and numerous others as incomparable to the great 1960s artists. Every decade since the birth of rock and roll, the same argument has been made by fans who do want to let go of the music of their childhood.

Now, bands like The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen, and Elton John Pink Floyd are legendary artists above everyone else. However, hundreds of great bands from each decade have remarkable catalogs of work and legions of dedicated fans. Despite the “no good bands anymore” argument, that trend will always continue. Furthering our argument, many rock fans tend not to look across the oceans for new music. In this article, our new writer, Ollie, who hails from the U.K., looks at some of the most exciting bands that fans from the European continent are celebrating in today’s modern rock world.

Ten 21st Century Rock Bands You Can’t Ignore (U.K. Version)

Despite the current popularity of genres like R&B and EDM in 2016, there remains a considerable scene of rock bands, all of which are a credit to the genre. The contemporary bands in this list deliver some of modern rock’s most exciting and memorable material and demand – and deserve – your immediate attention. You can’t miss out on these excellent acts.

# 10 – Babymetal

An excellent example of the type of band that could only “happen” in the age of social media, Babymetal is three Japanese teenagers who manage to combine the unlikely combination of heavy metal and idol-style J-pop to create extraordinary music. They’ve even caught the attention of the American general public, with the excellent Metal Resistance being the highest charting album by a Japanese artist since 1963.

#9 – Twin Atlantic

Their distinctive Glaswegian accents give an exciting edge to the music of Twin Atlantic. As does the frank thoughts on the state of rock displayed on theior single Free (“I fell in love with rock n roll / Until I found out it was false… …Where’s your passion / Where’s your fire tonight?”) which indeed display an impressive confidence in their enviable FooFighters-inspired output.

# 8 – Slaves

The current poster boys of the British punk scene, Slaves are injecting radio with a healthy of dose of politics, in an attempt to snap millennials out their understandable apathy. The cutesy artwork of their Are You Satisfied album hides an irresistibly twisted take on modern Britain.

#7 – Royal Blood

The brooding rock of Royal Blood is reminiscent of bands like Led Zeppelin and Queens of the Stone Age, and it’s sometimes hard to comprehend how a two-piece band produces such great music. Their self-titled debut album was met with critical acclaim and was the fastest-selling rock album in the UK since Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds three years before.

# 6 – Enter Shikari

Though their recent albums have failed to reach the heights of 2009’s seminal Common Dreads, Enter Shikari is one of those bands that must be seen to be believed. Their live performances are legendary, a hedonist mosh pit of memorable guitar riffs and insane electronic loops.

# 5 – Pvris

Rock has always been a male-dominated genre, but luckily, people like Lyndsey Gunnulfsen, lead singer of Pvris, represent kick-as* women at the forefront of rock music. The infectious songs of Gunnulfsen and her band mix post-hardcore with electropop and some devastating synth, making their album White Noise a must-listen.

# 4 – Biffy Clyro

In terms of stadium-sized sing-alongs, you could compare these Scottish rockers to Queen – it’s almost impossible not to get caught up in huge songs like Bubbles, Mountains, and Many of Horror. To give you an idea of their skills as showmen, Biffy has headlined the world-famous Reading Festival on two separate occasions.

# 3 – The 1975

Matt Healy, the lead singer of The 1975, is undoubtedly the current pin-up of rock music, and it’s not hard to see why. As well as being very good-looking, the mellow and stripped back, almost ethereal, sound of tracks such as Girls and Somebody Else suggest immense talent and a sensitive maturity beyond his years.

# 2 – The Arctic Monkeys

When he’s hit his stride, it’s remarkably easy to mistake Alex Turner for a young Elvis, and it’s not just because of his quiff. Turner effortlessly demands attention from the crowd, whether he’s stalking the stage to slinky tracks like Do I Wanna Know or gyrating to the still extraordinary I Bet You Look Good On the Dance floor, you can’t ignore The Arctic’s.

# 1 – Bring Me the Horizon

Launched initially as a deathcore band over a decade ago, as the fan base of BMTH has grown, so too have the eclectic elements that make up their sound. The album Sempiternal has obvious electronic influences, while its 2015 follow-up That’s the Spirit is notably less aggressive than their earlier work. With the ability to move effortlessly with the times, there can be no doubt that Bring Me the Horizon will be captivating audiences for years to come.