These will definitely make it to the top 20. In the parentheses a song that justifies the position and a good start to check out)
Nekromantheon - Rise, Vulcan Spectre (Rise, Vulcan Spectre)
Totally in love with this old school thrash with lots of interesting flavours and definite personality. For lovers of old school Slayer (83-86, emphasis on Hell Awaits), Darkness descends, Pleasure to Kill, Schizophrenia and the like. Also, I pick up a vibe from early Entombed and Whiplash's Power and Pain. Their 2010 Divinity of Death is also a GREAT album but they really found their voice here.
Deathhammer - Onward to the Pits (Fullmoon Sorcery)
Speed metal, deathrash, some (80s) black, very old school, terrible album cover and it really oozes charm and character, the vocals play a key role to that. Love it to bits.
Testament - Dark Roots of the Earth (Throne of Thorns)
Not a masterpiece but fucking great. Skolnick really shines on this one. And Throne of Thorns IS a masterpiece.
Pharaoh - Bury the Light (The Wolves)
Good, ballsy, non-cheesy power metal. Not their best but solid and very enjoyable.
Heart of Cygnus - The Voyage of Jonas (Isles of Ice)
I can't fathom that this band has no contract. This is their 4th album, another concept and from the name you get the idea: Fans of proto-metal, very early Iron Maiden and of course Rush, Queen (early) and prog rock, should definitely pay attention. I am not a HUGE fan of any of the above (apart from Queen) but this really stole my heart. Great sound and I dig the fact they proudly say they are a metal band. From all the vintage 70s shit that is plaguing the market (Witchcraft, Ghost, Devil's Blood, Graveyard and all that stuff), this is by far the only thing that actually got me hooked.
Bio-Cancer - Ear Piercing Thrash (Spread the Cancer)
Greeks, kids right out of school and the fuckers are rabid. Definitely check this out if you are a fan of the more speedy, raw, Morbid Saint, Sadus kind of thrash. Very catchy. They need some more variety but half the album is great already.
Striker - Armed to the Teeth (Lethal Force)
Canadian old school heavy metal worshippers. The interesting thing about these dudes is that they pick from a lot of sources apart from the obvious ones. They dig US Metal (like Helstar) and german metal like Grave Digger (not the vocals!). Also a healthy dose of hard rock. Overall, it's the songs themselves that make this so catchy and enjoyable.
...and Tenacious D - Rize of the Fenix (not metal but I enjoyed the fuck out of it)
Catchy as fuck, amazing vocal performance by Jack Black (seriously) and tons of hooks and adult School of Rock enthusiasm.
The list with potentials is very long at the moment:
Candlemass, Diablo Swing Orchestra, Overkill, Kreator, Accept, Orange Goblin, Napalm Death, Terrorizer, Tantara, Thrashist Regime, Hexen, Angel Witch, Trail of Murder (still fresh and still not sure what I think - this interests me as it features the two main songwriters of Tad Morose and of course Urban Breed on vocals), Gojira, Headspace, Slingblade, Tankard, Black Pyramid. And more.
