Six Hot Spots For 2010

Plutonium Orange
Featuring members of Swallow the Sun, Finland’s Plutonium Orange weave together an awesome amalgamation of music genres, putting their fingers upon everything from Black Sabbath right through to Metallica, Monster Magnet, Danko Jones, The Hellacopters. The end result is gritty, high-powered and full of killer riffs, definitely a band to keep an eye on.


Oblique Rain
Hailing from Portugal, Oblique Rain fuses the despondent and dark melodies of Katatonia with the progressive intricacies of both Opeth and Porcupine Tree. So, how can you go wrong when you intertwine influences from three of the most engaging and interesting bands of this decade? The band’s second full-length record ‘October Dawn’, just recently released, is a stellar work that will surely appeal to fans of the aforementioned acts.


The Dillinger Escape Plan
It’s fair to say that the forthcoming ‘Option Paralysis’ is an important album for The Dillinger Escape Plan; in a unexpected move the New Jersey group signed with French independent label Season of Mist last year, claiming that the music industry is changing and they needed to readapt to those changes. Their fourth effort will reveal whether or not The Dillinger Escape Plan are still in the leadership of a genre they’ve helped create, while still being able progress their sound into uncharted territory.


Deftones – Eros
Enshrouded in tragedy due to the terrible car accident that victimised bassist Chi Cheng (now steadily recovering from a coma), Deftones’ new album ‘Eros’ was initially planned for a spring release but was postponed to 2010, as the band was unsatisfied with the way it turned out and decided to rewrite some parts of it. Honestly, Deftones remain one of the most fascinating and distinctive bands in the world and has yet to disappoint, so expect nothing but pure brilliance from ‘Eros’.


Mnemic
One of the most overlooked bands in the recent history of metal music, Denmark's Mnemic have always produced solid and quality metal with industrial leanings. While most of fans of the genre are attracted to the prospect of a new Fear Factory album with Dino Cazares back onboard, I on the other hand am keeping an eye on Mnemic and eagerly waiting for their forthcoming album ‘Sons of System’.


Men Eater
I've had a soft spot for this band ever since their debut album ‘Hellstone’ came out in 2007. Their powerful and groovy stoner rock had a certain charm that conquered me immediately. Two years forward, the Portuguese four-piece are back with their sophomore work ‘Vendaval’ and it doesn’t fail to impress. Men Eater have fined-tuned their skills to top performance and their music roars like the engine of a muscular Mustang V8.


David Alexandre