The Chapman Family, from Teesside, released their debut album Burn Your Town in 2011, followed by the Cruel Britannia EP last month. Their unique blend of politically charged, hard-hitting/ unforgiving, feedback-infused alt-rock has won them as many friends as enemies. Hyped and championed for their chaotic stage shows by the likes of NME and Radio 1, forgotten while recording their debut album, and then hyped again with Burn Your Town’s release and ironic destruction during the riots and warehouse fire last year, the band are set to “wake people out of their bland middle-of-the-road Cameron and Brit School-endorsed cultural coma”. Cruel Britannia is their statement of intent, being called “this generation’s God Save The Queen” by Drowned In Sound (9/10) and “Angsty, cliché-free brilliance” by NME.

Bored with the minimalism of recent years, ethereal rock quartet Dyonisis formed in a fit of intoxicated inspiration around 2005. Fusing elements of rock, trip hop and folk, Dyonisis create deceptively gentle, hypnotic landscapes out of which the vocal harmonies of singers Nel and Lou sting forth. This is psychedelia for the broken-hearted. With three critically acclaimed releases under their belt and an ever increasing UK fanbase, the Sheffield-based foursome are about to make their first foray onto the continent as special guests for German gothic chart toppers ASP.

In This Moment began in Los Angeles in 2005, when Maria Brink (vocals) and Chris Howorth (guitars) met at an open jam. Their debut album, Beautiful Tragedy, landed the band on the 2007 and 2008 editions of Ozzfest. Their first collaboration with producer Kevin Churko (Slash, Ozzy Osbourne, Shania Twain) came with the release of 2008’s The Dream – earning them a slot on the 2009 Warped Tour and Kerrang! TV/Box TV rotation in the UK. Their third album, A Star-Crossed Wasteland (2010), was their highest-charting album in the US Billboard charts. Fourth album Blood was recorded with producer Churko late last year at The Hideout Studio in Las Vegas, their third with him at the helm.

London-based rock siren Lahannya, frontwoman of the band that bears her name, personifies the evolution of today’s musician from record-label puppet to self-made, independent entrepreneur. Dystopia is the third full-length album the band releases on her own label, Kabuki: despite the absence of major-label backing, Lahannya has been winning over audiences on tours and at festivals across Europe and is a regular on the covers of the European gothic and rock press. With Dystopia, Lahannya again defies narrow genre definitions with her explosive cocktail of industrial rock infused with plenty of metal attitude, strong gothic sensibility and a sprinkling of pop appeal.

The Manic Shine break moulds with their aptly named ‘metamorphic rock’, a raucous blend of heavy guitar blues, progressive rock and all the irreverent synth chaos of 21st-century electronica. The Manic Shine are filling out small venues across the UK (25 shows in June alone) and getting excited blog coverage for their virtuoso playing chops. With a sold-out showcase at this year’s Great Escape and tastemaker support from BBC Introducing’s Tom Robinson and NME, the band is set to prove that their brand of genre-hopping technical wizardry is where modern rock music is at.

Mutiny On The Bounty are enjoying Europe-wide critical acclaim for their brilliant new album Trials, delivering their own unique brand of Minus The Bear/Fall Of Troy-esque  ‘math rock’. The Matt Bayles (Mastodon/ Fall Of Troy/Pearl Jam)-produced album, recorded in Seattle, will be released through Best Before Records on August 27 in the UK. Trials shows the band at their best, balancing cutting, aggressively edged guitars, soaring melodies with new electronic elements, while always keeping an organic feel to their complex musical delivery. This summer sees the band play numerous festival across Europe sharing the stage with the likes of Biffy Clyro and Refused.

From his humble origins as a teenage metalhead in Vancouver, Canada, to his current status as one of the most admired and lauded figures in the rock and metal worlds, Devin Townsend has been many, many things along his long, meandering artistic road, but one thing he has never been is boring. Over the last 20 years, Devin has amassed an astonishingly diverse and deep catalogue of mind-blowing music. This autumn will see him release his much anticipated new album Epicloud, as well as play an already sold-out show at Roundhouse in London under the banner of The Retinal Circus.

Violet Bones are a rock‘n’roll band from Cambridge who pack an incredible amount of animation and spirit into their singalong post-punk anthems. Their DIY work ethic has earned them two UK tours, including support slots with Ash and New York Dolls, as well as a sold-out showcase at The Great Escape. Violet Bones are an incredible live act with radio-friendly singles. Their debut album Decline Of Vaudeville is licensed to Global/Rough Trade for Europe. The band are available for licensing in the UK.