Since metal’s inception, the U.K. has produced countless killer heavy bands that have defined generations: Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Motorhead and many others have thrilled us with their takes on the genre, continually refusing to conform and sticking a middle finger up to the masses in the process. But while Britain is home to some of metal’s finest legacy bands, there’s a multitude of talent that’s come through in the last decade or so, in the process taking heavy music to new places and onto the playlists of new listeners.

From ethereal prog to the extremes of death metal, here are the 11 bands defining the U.K.’s metal scene in 2019:

10 Best U.K. Metal Bands

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