5 Unique Modern Rock/Metal Bands And What Makes Them Stand Out
Rock and Metal music has grown increasingly popular, leading to the music scene becoming very saturated. With such a high density of bands, there is no shortage of artists that are trying to imitate other bands or just follow along with a sound that has already been explored. Here's our top picks of the bands that break the mold.
Polyphia
Who Are They: Polyphia is a 4-piece band from Plano, Texas
Style of Music: Progressive Rock / Math Rock
Why They Are Unique:
Polyphia is quickly becoming the flagship of progressive rock. What makes the band so interesting is not only the incredible technical skill of all of the musicians but also where they draw their influence from. Polyphia originated as a hardcore/metalcore band and still keeps some of that inspiration, but they also introduce elements of rap, mainstream hip hop, and even jazz / bossa nova. They often include electronic elements, trap beats, and bass drops. The guitars and bass play very complicated riffs that harmonize and blend together multiple melodies in their distinct style. The band is mainly instrumental but on their latest album, "Remember That You Will Die" there are multiple songs that feature vocalists. If you haven't heard of Polyphia, be sure to check them out!
Ice Nine Kills
Who Are They: INK is a 5-piece band from Boston, Massachusetts
Style of Music: Heavy Metal/Metalcore
Why They Are Unique:
The holy grail for fans of horror, Ice Nine Kills features lyrics based on pop-culture horror movies such as (Psycho, American Psycho, Jaws... etc.) They mix melodic singing and bigger-than-life choruses with brutal breakdowns with screaming and memorable one-liners. Ice Nine Kills is known for playing live shows with masks, multiple costumes, and props such as knives and chainsaws. Their music videos are very cinematic and often include blood-soaked reenactments of death scenes from horror movies. With a talent in not only music but also cinematography, Ice Nine Kills is a very unique band that you should certainly look into!
Igorrr
Who Are They: Igorr was a single-person project that grew into so much more
Style of Music: Heavy Metal mixed with multiple genres
Why They Are Unique:
Created by French Producer / Musician Gautier Serre, Igorrr is a vastly unique band that is hard to classify into a genre. Igorrr has songs that are very different from each other but many include elements from ethnic styles, heavy metal, opera, classical composure, dubstep, and so much more. This is really some of the most innovative music that exists, it's very hard to draw a comparison of Igorrr to any other modern band. Igorrr eventually changed from a one-man project to a full band when a guitarist, drummer, and 2 vocalists were added to the lineup. Igorrr is a band that you have to experience to understand, check them out!
Chelsea Grin
Who Are They: Chelsea Grin is a 4 person band from Salt Lake City, Utah
Style of Music: Deathcore
Why They Are Unique:
Chelsea Grin was formed in 2007 and was one of the original deathcore bands that helped the genre take off. Songs like "Recreant" are classic and loved songs by the deathcore community, but since then Chelsea Grin has really evolved and experimented as a band. If you listen to their earlier music and then some of their recent songs like "Origin of Sin" you will immediately notice the introduction of new elements. The band mixes in lots of piano, orchestral sounds, droning effects, and in "Sing to the Grave" they introduced a dubstep-sounding guitar tone. Overall Chelsea Grin is an incredibly heavy band that has grown to match the modern era of heavy music and stayed relevant in a changing industry.
Nail Bite
Who Are They: Nail Bite is a 5-piece band out of Pennsylvania
Style of Music: Heavy Metal mixed with other genres
Why They Are Unique:
Nail Bite is an unsigned band that has been gaining a ton of traction lately. If you dive into their discography you will quickly discover that most of the songs have a completely different influence mixed with heavy metal. Some of the different styles include; swing, dance, pirate metal, ethnic, dubstep, rap, and so much more. The diversity in their music is incredible, yet they still manage to keep their distinct "Nail Bite" sound. Their new album "Welcome to Partyland" was just released and gives a great demonstration of the variety of music that Nail Bite offers. For a young and new band, they have been gathering a lot of hype and are a group you need to keep an eye on!
What modern band stands out to you? Let us know in the comments below!
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