“They just tour like there’s no tomorrow and they put on a wicked live show!” Mimi Barks names five young metal bands everyone needs to know

Mimi Barks Press Shoot 2024
(Image credit: Nathan James)

Off the back of her debut album This Is Doom Trap dropping this year, Mimi Barks has become one of the most talked-about artists in all of heavy music. So, when the solo act recently hit London’s Camden Assembly with her backing band, we got the three of them to pay it forward. What, we wondered, are their favourite new artists at the moment?

You’ll find the trio’s answers below, with their full responses available in an embedded video on Metal Hammer’s Youtube channel. If you fancy knowing more about Mimi and her confrontational music, make sure to check out a special bundle of Hammer issue 391. It comes with a t-shirt, an exclusive cover, a temporary tattoo and a signed art card, all exclusive and Mimi-themed. Order yours now and get it delivered directly to your doorstep.

Metal Hammer 391 Mimi Barks bundle

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A divider for Metal Hammer

Tailgunner

Charles: “Tailgunner are like the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. I’ve known the guys for years. I just proper respect their work, they’ve proper grown. Their first album, Guns For Hire, was just massive. I’m buzzing to hear their second album, I know that will come up at some point. They just fucking tour like there’s no tomorrow and they put on a wicked live show.”


Raven Gray

Mimi: “I got Raven on the new record, This Is Doom Trap. I linked up with her over in Los Angeles and we’ve been living together for a while. I got her to support me on her tour because I think her work is incredible. She’s totally underrated for the quality of the music that she puts out.”


House Of Protection

Charles: “They’re very new. They’ve done one show so far. But they’ve released a bunch of songs. They’ve done an EP already. It’s massive. It just sounds huge. There’s a music video [for Pulling Teeth] where there are drums in the middle and motorcycles spinning around. It’s insane!”


Snayx

Monticolombi: “We met them at Download last year. They were on just after us and they were insane. Such good energy. Brighton boys, we’ve become good friends with them and they are, for Snayx, a bunch of ratty boys. They are so fun!”


Pengshui

Monticolombi: “They’re boys! We’ve played with them a bunch of times and they’re so sick. They’re, like, the most fucking seasoned band for a new band. All of them do so much stuff. [Bassist] Fatty has Submotion Orchestra, [vocalist] Illaman is one of the best fucking MCs out there. Just did a tune with Flux Pavilion. They’ve been doing it for time and all of a sudden were like, ‘Let’s just do this hardcore grime band.’”

Mimi Barks gives us five great young bands everyone needs to know about | Metal Hammer - YouTube Mimi Barks gives us five great young bands everyone needs to know about | Metal Hammer - YouTube
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Matt Mills
Contributing Editor, Metal Hammer

Louder’s resident Gojira obsessive was still at uni when he joined the team in 2017. Since then, Matt’s become a regular in Prog and Metal Hammer, at his happiest when interviewing the most forward-thinking artists heavy music can muster. He’s got bylines in The Guardian, The Telegraph, NME, Guitar and many others, too. When he’s not writing, you’ll probably find him skydiving, scuba diving or coasteering.