Emerging from the vibrant underground scenes to mainstream success, the 2010s witnessed a surge of new rock and metal bands that revitalized the genres with innovative sounds and energetic performances. Each year of the decade had its standouts, contributing fresh voices to the rock and metal panoramas. Here’s a spotlight on some of the best new rock and metal bands that emerged each year during the 2010s:

2010: Ghost

Hailing from Sweden, Ghost burst onto the scene with their melodic blend of heavy metal and rock with an occult theme. With their debut album “Opus Eponymous,” they hinted at a compelling future for heavy music.

2011: The Joy Formidable

This Welsh alternative rock band made waves with their debut full-length album “The Big Roar,” offering a powerful sound driven by ethereal vocals and expansive guitar work, marking them as one to watch.

2012: Gojira

Although not exactly new having formed in 1996, French metal band Gojira received widespread acclaim in the 2010s, particularly with their 2012 release “L’Enfant Sauvage,” which showcased their environmentally conscious lyrics and progressive musicality.

2013: Deafheaven

Blending black metal with shoegaze, Deafheaven’s “Sunbather” album pushed the boundaries of genre and brought them to a broader audience, redefining what metal could be in the process.

2014: Royal Blood

This British rock duo stormed onto the scene with their self-titled debut album. Royal Blood offered a fresh take on blues-influenced rock music with hard-hitting riffs powered just by bass and drums.

2015: Nothing More

While formed earlier, Nothing More’s self-titled album re-released in 2014 brought them to prominence in 2015. Their engaging live performances and meaningful lyrics stood out among peers.

2016: Greta Van Fleet

Drawing comparisons to Led Zeppelin with their classic rock revival sound, Greta Van Fleet ignited interest with their debut EP “Black Smoke Rising” showcasing powerhouse vocals and ripping guitars.

2017: Code Orange

With their aggressive blend of hardcore punk and metalcore, Code Orange’s third studio album “Forever” broke them out of the underground circuit into wider acclaim.

2018: Marmozets

Marmozets showed off their math-rock influenced style mixed with punk energy on “Knowing What You Know Now,” drawing attention for its unique soundscapes within the alt-rock genre.

2019: Rival Sons

Their sixth studio album “Feral Roots,” finally brought California’s Rival Sons to greater mainstream success. Their soulful brand of hard rock anchored by powerful vocals was a standout this year.

These bands are just a snapshot of new talents that have established themselves in recent years. They contributed significantly to keeping rock and metal innovative and alive throughout the 2010s.