Bullet For My Valentine (GB)



Bullet for My Valentine are a Welsh metalcore band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is composed of Matthew Tuck (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Michael Paget (lead guitar, backing vocals), Jason James (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Michael Thomas (drums). They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. Financial difficulties dictated the name change, which was followed by a change in music direction. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Slayer. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene.

Bullet for My Valentine's debut album, The Poison, was released on 3 October 2005 in the United Kingdom and on 14 February 2006 in the United States to coincide with Valentine's Day, in a nod to the band's name. The album entered the Billboard 200 in the US at number 128. It was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. The band made appearances at the Download Festival and Kerrang! XXV, and undertook a US tour with Rob Zombie. Bullet for My Valentine's second studio album, Scream Aim Fire, was released on 29 January 2008 and debuted at number four on the Billboard 200. The band's third album, Fever, was released on 26 April 2010 and debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. The band has sold over one million albums in the United States and over 3,000,000 albums worldwid^ie and are the most-successful act in the Kerrang! Awards category of "Best British Band" with three wins.

Matthew Tuck

Jason  James



http://bulletformyvalentine.com/



The Sounds (S)



The Sounds are a Swedish indie rock band. Formed in Helsingborg in 1999, the group's musical style has been compared to New Wave acts such as Blondie, The Cars, the Epoxies and Missing Persons.

Their debut album, Living in America, was released in 2002, with the follow-up Dying to Say This to You on 21 March 2006. Their third album, Crossing the Rubicon, was released on 2 June 2009, and their latest, Something to Die For, was released on 29 March 2011.

Maja Ivarsson

http://www.the-sounds.com/

Volbeat (DK)



Volbeat is a Danish metal band which was formed in Copenhagen. They play a fusion of rock and roll, heavy metal, schlager and rockabilly. They are inspired by classic rock and roll artists such as Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash, as well as modern hard rock, groove metal, alternative rock and hardcore groups. Their current line-up consists of vocalist and guitarist Michael Poulsen, bassist Anders Kjølholm, guitarist Rob Caggiano, and drummer Jon Larsen. The band is signed to Dutch label Mascot Records and has released five studio albums and one DVD. All of their studio albums have been certified certified gold in Denmark. Their second album Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil received platinum status, and their 2010 release Beyond Hell/Above Heaven was subject to widespread international critical acclaim, receiving double platinum in Denmark, platinum in Finland and Germany, and gold in Sweden and Austria. Volbeat's fifth album entitled Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies was released worldwide on April 9, 2013.

Michael Poulsen



Official website

Rammstein (GER)




Rammstein is a Neue Deutsche Härte band from Berlin, Germany. The band was formed in 1994 and consists of Till Lindemann (lead vocals), Richard Z. Kruspe (guitar and backing vocals), Paul H. Landers (guitar, backing vocals), Oliver "Ollie" Riedel (bass guitar), Christoph "Doom" Schneider (drums and electronic percussion) and Christian "Flake" Lorenz (keyboards). Since their formation in 1994, Rammstein has had no changes in their band line-up.

Their songs are usually in German, but they have also performed songs entirely or partially in other languages such as English, Spanish, French and Russian. As of 2009, they have sold over 25 million records worldwide. Rammstein's award-winning live shows are known for their pyrotechnic performance and theatrics. Rammstein's entire catalogue is published by Universal Music Group.







In Flames (S)

In Flames is a Swedish metal band from Gothenburg, formed in 1990. Since the band's inception, they have released ten studio albums and one live DVD. As of 2008, In Flames has sold over 2 million records worldwide

In Flames, being one of the pioneers of a new music genre, have influenced many bands and most notably they were a direct influence on the new wave of metalcore. Many metalcore bands such as Trivium, Darkest Hour, Killswitch Engage, Slowlife, As I Lay Dying, and Still Remains name In Flames as one of their biggest influences. In Flames is also a direct influence on many of the melodic death metal bands that have followed. Melodic death metal bands such as Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, and Blood Stain Child also include In Flames as one of their biggest influences.

Anders Fridén

Peter Iwers

Niclas Engelin

Rival Sons (US)



Rival Sons is an American rock band from California|San Francisco,

In 2008 guitarist Scott Holiday, drummer Michael Miley and bassist Robin Everhart formed the band. Miley had heard of singer Jay Buchanan before. They contacted him through MySpace and after a failed attempt, they were able to convince him to join the band.



Jay Buchanan

http://www.rivalsons.com/



Paramore (US)



Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York.

The group released its debut album All We Know Is Falling in 2005, and its second album Riot! in 2007, which was certified Platinum in the US and Ireland and Gold in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK. Brand New Eyes, Paramore's third album, was released in 2009 and is the band's second-highest charting album to date, going platinum in Ireland and the UK, and gold in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Paramore's 2013 self-titled fourth album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts in the United States. It was also the No. 1 album in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico.



Taylor York

Hayley Williams

Airbourne (AUS)



Airbourne are an Australian hard rock band formed in Warrnambool in 2003. They are often compared to the rock band AC/DC. Mainstay members are Joel O'Keeffe on lead vocals and lead guitar, his brother, Ryan O'Keeffe on drums, and David Roads on rhythm guitar and backing vocals. They were later joined by Justin Street on bass guitar and backing vocals. Their debut album, Runnin' Wild, was released in June 2007 and peaked in the top 30 on the ARIA Albums Chart.

It appeared on the United Kingdom Albums Chart and United States Billboard 200. Their second album, No Guts. No Glory. was issued in March 2010 and reached the top 20 on the ARIA Chart, top 40 in the UK and also appeared on the Billboard 200. Their third studio album Black Dog Barking was released on May 21st 2013.



Joel O'Keeffe

http://www.airbournerock.com/

Green Day (US)

Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, drummer Tré Cool and guitarist and backing vocalist Jason White, who became a full member after playing in the band as a session and touring guitarist for 13 years.

Cool replaced former drummer John Kiffmeyer in 1990, prior to the recording of the band's second studio album, Kerplunk (1992).

Green Day was originally part of the punk scene at 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley, California. The band's early releases were from the independent record label Lookout! Records. In 1994, its major label debut Dookie released through Reprise Records became a breakout success and eventually sold over 10 million copies in the U.S. Green Day was widely credited, alongside fellow California punk bands Sublime, The Offspring and Rancid, with popularizing and reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the United States.

Green Day's three follow-up albums, Insomniac (1995), Nimrod (1997), and Warning (2000) did not achieve the massive success of Dookie, though they were still successful, with Insomniac and Nimrod reaching double platinum and Warning reaching gold status. The band's rock opera, American Idiot (2004), reignited the band's popularity with a younger generation, selling five million copies in the United States. The band's eighth studio album, 21st Century Breakdown, was released in 2009 which achieved the band's best chart performance to date. In 2012, 21st Century Breakdown was followed up by a trilogy of albums called ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! released on September, November and December 2012 respectively.

They are one of the world’s best-selling groups of all time, having sold over 75 million albums worldwide. The group has won five Grammy Awards: Best Alternative Album for Dookie, Best Rock Album for American Idiot, Record of the Year for "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", Best Rock Album for the second time for 21st Century Breakdown and Best Musical Show Album for American Idiot: The Original Broadway Cast Recording. In 2010, a stage adaptation of American Idiot debuted on Broadway. The musical was nominated for several Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Scenic Design.