10 New And Upcoming Metalcore Bands To Watch in 2023
by Jesse James Smith
As we end the year 2022, the music industry is back in full swing after the disaster that was Covid. 2021 was the rebuild and 2022 was the first time that it felt back to normal. There was so much that happened during 2022 that for the first time since Warped Tour it felt Metalcore as a whole was back in the limelight and is starting to seep its way into what is mainstream music (as far as rock and metal can be). When we talk about up and coming acts, I can’t stand when some publications show a limelight on bands that have been killing it in the scene for a couple years. Maybe not in headlining status, but definitely have their name spread in the higher levels of the circuit. Here at Ghost Killer Entertainment made a list of 10 up and coming metalcore acts that you may or may not have heard of yet, but have all made waves in their own way this year that we felt they needed some acknowledgement. So without further ado, here are the Top 10 Upcoming Metalcore Acts going into 2023.
Stain The Canvas
Forming in 2019, Stain The Canvas has been making pretty significant waves in the scene. Coming all the way from Italy, the band has an old school emo metalcore sound but with an updated twist. Even though they have been at it since 2019, 2022 was undoubtedly their year. With the help of the InVogue records team the band took the scene world by storm with the incredible songs and guests they had on some of the tracks like The Word Alive, Outline In Color and probably the most shocking to everyone was Nick from Get Scared. The band released a massive amount of singles leading up to their sophomore album “All Fine / eniF IIA” Which had songs like “Stolen Youth” and Condemned”. Gaining rapid popularity, the band is set to head out on their biggest EU/UK run with Atilla in February 2023.
Grieve
Grieve is a heavy metalcore act from the sunny state of Florida. If you know anything about Florida metalcore, the downtempo/down tuned scene out there is ridiculous and breeds some of the best bands, Grieve is no exception. The band's first releases were in 2018, but 2022 is the year we believe they really stepped up their game with the release of their EP “Empty, Like Me”. Tracks like “Erase Me” and the title track “Empty, Like Me” showcases their energetic writing ability as well as how fucking nasty this band is. We wanted to show them some love because they are definitely a favorite over here at GKE
Saving Vice
Saving Vice is a emo metalcore band from the upper east coast of the USA, mainly the New England area. The band has been firing on all cylinders since inception but the big breakout song happened in 2020 with their cover of “Another Life” by Motionless In White. But in 2022 if you are in the metalcore scene, Saving Vice is a name that I non-stop here being a part of everyone's conversation of breakout bands. Touring relentlessly, the band has been SUPER active and just continues to grow. It was a big story in 2022 about the Lil Xan tour debacle involving Saving Vice and Dropout Kings who took matters into their own hands and saved a tour on their own. The band has been incredibly active in 2022 putting out a total of 7 tracks this year, one of them being a collaboration with another band on this list! My personal favorite song they released this year is the song “White Rabbit” which has one of my favorite choruses of 2022. I heard 2023 is going to be even bigger for the band so keep your eyes peeled.
Late 9
Late 9 is another New England post hardcore/metalcore act that really caught our attention, so much so that they signed to our label this year! In 2022 the band has gained so much attention they have gained over 5x the streams as the year prior. Releasing 3 singles with us this year gained 150k streams and the numbers keep going up! They have been active in the local New England scene and 2023 is gearing up to be an even bigger year with more shows and maybe… juuuuust maybe… a new EP. Songs like “Tidal Waves” and “Down Again” have connected with the scene and brought back the nostalgic 2010 post hardcore sound that not many bands have really tapped back into. Late 9 is one of the bands with the most potential leading into 2023.
We Were Giants
We Were Giants is another GKE band, but this one has been with us for a hot minute and continues to blow us away. Notably, the band had a breakout song with their rock cover of “Hot Girl Bummer” in 2020 and then in 2021 was the monumental cover of “Welcome to the Black Parade” That was released GKE’s 2nd My Chemical Romance compilation album. Still riding the high on these tracks in 2022, the band released a re-imagined version of their song “The Reaper” as well as an acoustic version of “Stay” by The Kid Laroi. If you enjoy incredible vocals that are paired with a huge cinematic sound with insane breakdowns sprinkled in then you will absolutely adore We Were Giants. Again, another band that is set to have an unstoppable 2023 with a scheduled record release on January 20th. Be on the lookout!
Patient Sixty-Seven
Patient Sixty-Seven are one of those incredible internet bands that have just continued to pump out hits like they were Mike Tyson. The band has really taken the internet persona and RAN with it, but do not get this twisted, they are not a joke AT ALL. In fact, this Aussie band went on their first headlining tour and ABSOLUTELY CRUSHED IT. Being able to pump out content is the name of the game in 2022 and Patient Sixty-Seven is one of the top bands to do this and have some of the best music to come out charting #107 Top New Artist Albums on Billboard and #69 current hard music albums with the release of their album “Wishful Thinking”. This is also the band that did a collaboration with another band on this list, Saving Vice, on the songs “Damage Plan” and “Dying To Watch” which absolutely RIP! They are making their USA debut at the 2023 Blue Ridge Rock Festival which is a huge deal and I think this is going to be one of the scene’s powerhouses coming in the next year.
Enox
Enox is that band, what band? That band. Enox has been the band with potential for a while now, but in 2021 they started to see a little more attention, but with their release of their debut album “Euphoria” and the use of social media like tiktok, the band has taken matters into their own hands and have gained a MASSIVE amount of attention. Now, coming out of Georgia, the band is the poster children for the term DIY. In 2022, the band has made multiple runs around the country as headliners and have noticeably grown their audience as well as industry attention. This heavy progressive metalcore act is going to be a force going into the new year with the massive amount of momentum they have gained. Songs like “Radiance” and “Stacker” are great and fan favorites but anyone who already knows the band knows that “Blame Shift” is a banger. Racking up 1.2m streams, that song is known for having one of the best breakdowns. I got to hear some of the new songs that they’ll be releasing next year and trust me, it’s S tier. Again, ENOX is that band.
Dreamwake
Dreamwake is personally my #1 band of 2022 that has completely blew me away and to be honest is my favorite band right now. Yet another band from the New England area, Dreamwake is a mix of progressive metalcore and synthwave. For those who don’t know what synthwave is, it’s a style of music that resembles 80’s synthpop and is heavy on the 80’s neon aesthetic. I first heard of Dreamwake on Tiktok and when they showed the ending of their song “Night Rider” that has a saxophone in the breakdown, I was immediately hooked like a fish. This was the first time they had this mix in any song and I really hoped they would stick with this style of music. Sure enough, come April 2022, the band released their EP “Virtual Reality” and it is my #1 EP of the year. The intro “Neon” is perhaps one of my favorite intros to an album ever and their EP in full is dripping with the Sax. In 2022 for the release of this EP, they Headlined a show that sold out at Webster Theater in Connecticut which is a huge feat for a band with no tour experience. They also went out on their first run with another band on this list, ENOX, who from what I heard went over so well with fans and promoters. For me, Dreamwake is the next big thing in the progressive metalcore scene and will be talked about in the same sentence with bands like Erra, Invent Animate, and Currents.
Dark Divine
Dark Divine is a brand new band that is on the InVogue records roster much like Stain The Canvas. What is different about them is they are basically BRAND NEW. Only having one single come out in 2021, they released everything else including their EP “Halloweentown” in 2022 and is rapidly gaining traction both with fans and radio. With the Trinity of Terror tour being a gigantic success, Dark Divine follows the goth aesthetic much like Motionless In White and sounds like a mix of Ice Nine Kills and Motionless In White but was able to make their own identity and wave in that style of music. With the release of their EP, Octane sirius radio station has started playing their songs regularly, and the band in 2022 also went on their first tour with legacy band Famous Last Words. Being brand new in the scene and making this much noise the band has a bright future moving into 2023 with the sound that people say is what they wanted MIW to sound like after “Creatures”. They have a tour announced for early 2023 where they are direct support for the band Limbs. Judging by the way the scene is moving, Dark Divine is in the fast lane to be the big up and coming band in the darker side of metalcore.
The Gloom In The Corner
The Gloom In The Corner has been a prominent Australian band for a while now, but this theatrical band this year took it up a notch with their signing to metalcore powerhouse label Sharptone Records and the release of their album “Trinity”. The bands songs follow the story of a fictional character called “Sherlock Bones” and Trinity is the 3rd installment of the story, we here at GKE love a good concept. Like I said, the band has been banging since inception in 2017 but with the recent powermoves made in 2022 I believe they are going to be coming to the world’s stage in the upcoming year making them one of the bigger upcoming artists in 2022. Songs like “Pandora’s Box” and “New Order” have been on repeat, especially at the gym. The song “New Order” that features Taylor Barber of Left To Suffer is one of the most unique and exciting tracks of 2022 and reaffirmed my belief in this band. I think it’s time to bring the band to the States.
For the first time in a while it feels like Metalcore as a genre is fun and fresh again. Old bands coming out of “retirement” and new bands breaking through the scene in a DIY fashion that is showing great success. From the tippy top to the bottom unknown bands, Metalcore is growing rapidly again like it did back in 2010. What is really cool is some of the bands that made 2010 so special are still making waves in the scene, but it’s also the new blood that is paving the way for the rebirth. Now there are so much more than just 10 bands that are making huge strides in the scene, so I advise to do a deep dive and see who is around and coming up in your local scenes. You never know who the next breakout artist is going to be and where they come from.