Today is a good day, folks…

We’ve just confirmed we’ll be working with Sumerian Records, to bring you all the best up & coming Metal/Rock/Punk albums from their impressive roster of artists.

Their whole catalogue will be available in-stores from late February, to coincide with two of their biggest acts, Asking Alexandria & I See Stars, being in the country for the madness & brutality of the Soundwave Festival.

Other exciting acts on the label include After The Burial, Born of Osiris, Circle of Contempt, I The Breather, Stick To Your Guns, Veil of Maya, and many more!

Below is a bunch of words about some of the bands, if you’re so inclined to read more about them. But, to actually sample some of the music, feel free to skip them and head straight to the videos to psych yourself up!

See you in the pit!

ASKING ALEXANDRIA

Hailing from York, in the UK, Asking Alexandria have been breaking out of the underground music scene with a sound that is both heavy and hard-hitting, yet catchy and melodic. Time and time again, the same regurgitated hardcore sound is shot out and fed to kids all over the world. Asking Alexandria decided they wanted to try something a little different, they felt like showing everyone that there was more to hardcore than just breakdowns and hardcore riffs.

Combining hardcore music with european trance, soft catchy melodies and a sound more mature than just your average play by numbers hardcore outfit, Asking Alexandria are here, and they are here to stay. 2011 will see the boys releasing their debut album, and follow-up EP in Australia, along with touring the country on Soundwave festival, and all Bring Me The Horizon sidewaves. Don’t be left behind, join the party!

I SEE STARS

Among members of the ‘iPod generation’, musical stylistic boundaries became less relevant than ever, as shuffle mode made consistency of genre a non-issue for listening experiences. I See Stars are a product of this free-thinking phenomenon; the band’s debut album features often dramatic shifts between metal, emo-core, and dance club beat-infused pop music with vocoder-altered vocals, often in the same section of the same song. In fact, on tunes such as ‘Save The Cheerleader’ and ‘Big Bad Wolf’, listeners clicking on two different sections of a track might be forgiven for thinking they had stumbled upon a mash-up, or even two different bands’ tunes edited together.

I See Stars would like to welcome you all to the party of a lifetime, which kicks off on February 25th with the release of their much anticipated sophomore album, ‘The End of the World Party’. I See Stars ring in the new year with a bang as they embark on a headlining American trek dubbed, ‘The End Is Near Tour’. The run also features Close Your Eyes, Abandon All Ships and Us, From Outside. Upon completion of the tour I See Stars will head over to the UK and their first trip to Australia, as part of the Soundwave Festival, as well as supporting Silverstein & Blessthefall on their Sidewaves.

AFTER THE BURIAL

An uninhibited eight-stringed dual barrage of frenetic riffs and dynamic chord progression is exactly what the crushing new AFTER THE BURIAL delivers with pinpoint precision. The highly acclaimed new album, In Dreams, is quickly going to raise the bar for all others within the metal genre as this group effectively unleashes a frenzy of jaw-dropping dual guitar dynamics that is backed by a captivating energy and groove resulting in an overall unrelenting output of punishment. This Minnesota quintet is hell-bent on forging their own unique path within the extreme metal genre and In Dreams proves that they are well on their way to that very goal.

BORN OF OSIRIS

BORN OF OSIRIS are mature well beyond their years and this dynamic extreme progressive juggernaut has now perfectly honed all of their collective talents to create what will soon be a pinnacle release for the metal genre. This ground-breaking six-piece group creates an epic mix of intricate and memorable melodies with challenging time signatures that still hold an infectious groove, all while maintaining sheer, tasteful brutality. Their much anticipated third full-length album, set for an early 2011 release, is going to serve the scene the much needed wake-up call it so much needs.

VEIL OF MAYA

The Chicago based VEIL OF MAYA encompasses the good old American blue collar work ethic and have definitely taken the hard road to success grinding it out on the road through countless tours over the years, but now that backbreaking schedule is paying off tenfold. This quartet are one of the few very bands that can authentically mix elements of progressive metal, melodic death metal, thrash and hardcore brutality together effectively, all while keeping the listener constantly interested with baited breath wondering just what is coming next. This is exactly why they will have a career for years to come. VEIL OF MAYA’s dynamic second full-length album, [id], was met with rave reviews and quickly caught the attention of the underground with it’s refreshing and unique approach.

Asking Alexandria “A Prophecy”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0sT7xfC3QY

Asking Alexandria “The Final Episode”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLQBebfEXpc

I See Stars “What This Means To Me”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teJV2esrZQU

Born of Osiris “Now Arise”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CGwnwKaF10

Veil Of Maya “Unbreakable”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mO9IPeudhsw

Stick To Your Guns “Amber”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40hymbrQznE

Upon A Burning Body “Carlito’s Way”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9fmSEEogps