5 New Bands to Disrupt Your Playlist This December

December brings a fresh batch of standout new artists and the talent keeps getting stronger. Your picks help us uncover what’s next, turning this series into a community spotlight powered by your favourite new bands. Big thanks to everyone who shared — we couldn’t do this without you! Let’s dive in.

PAVÉ

PAVÉ are a Manchester-based rock band who have been steadily making a name for themselves since forming in 2019. Their sound mixes heavy guitars and punchy rhythms with big, melodic vocals, giving their music both power and emotional pull. This blend has helped them stand out in the UK alternative scene and build a fast-growing fanbase.

The band made a significant leap forward in 2024 with the release of their debut EP, ‘ARE WE ABOVE THE SECRETS WE KEEP?’. The record introduced a confident, fully formed sound, packed with emotional weight. Standout tracks include ‘aren't YOU scAREd to be ALONE?’, ‘THE END OF US’ and our personal favourite: ‘SLOW MOVEMENTS’.

Momentum carried into 2025 with the release of ‘Whatever The Cost’, a track that clearly feels made for big stages. It marks a step up in both confidence and songwriting, showing a band unafraid to aim higher. There’s a sharp focus to the production and an urgency in the performance that sets it apart from their earlier work, cementing PAVÉ as one of the most exciting rising bands around right now.

Autumn Fires

Autumn Fires are a five-piece pop-punk band from Milton Keynes, UK, formed in 2020 during lockdown. The band came together through a mix of college friendships and online connections, bonding over late-night Call of Duty sessions when in-person rehearsals weren’t possible. That sense of connection and energy still runs through everything they do.

Driven by lively guitars and punchy, emotive vocals, Autumn Fires blends modern pop-punk with strong influences from the 2000s and 2010s. Their sound pulls from bands like Paramore , All Time Low, Neck Deep, State Champs and The Story So Far, balancing upbeat, bouncy instrumentation with heartfelt lyrics. Fronted by Charlotte Haimes on vocals, the band have developed a sound that feels both nostalgic and fresh.

Their most recent single, ‘Fall For You’, arrived in November 2025, showcasing their continued growth and ambition. With their fourth EP, ‘BLOOM.’, on the horizon in 2026, Autumn Fires are gradually carving out a name for themselves in the UK pop-punk scene and are definitely among the bands to watch.

C-GATE

C-GATE is a Japanese metalcore band based in Tokyo. Their sound is direct, heavy and built for the live floor.

Drawing influence from bands like Knocked Loose, Kublai Khan TX and Alpha Wolf — while remaining deeply rooted in Japanese hardcore and metalcore — C-GATE blends global heaviness with a distinct local twist. Their music pairs crushing metalcore with unexpected elements: Nintendo-inspired tones, mechanical textures and playful hooks that surface when you least expect them.

In 2023, the band released their album ‘NO FUTURE’, featuring the standout single ‘Bident’ with Yukina of HANABIE. Searching for the final element the track needed, the band realised Yukina’s unmistakable voice was the perfect addition, bringing contrast, character and intensity. Other highlights from the album include ‘SAMSARA’ and ‘OAO’ (featuring Japanese pop-punk band UNMASK aLIVE).

Released this year, their latest single ‘FORCE’ clearly defines C-GATE’s direction forward. Stripped of excess and laser-focused, it’s a song built to hit hard from start to finish.

MOTHER VULTURE

Trying to pin down MOTHER VULTURE with a single label feels pointless. The Bristol band thrives between styles, fusing the physical intensity of turn-of-the-millennium hardcore with elastic, riff-driven rock that’s gritty, playful and loud — yet never lingers long enough to feel predictable. Fronted by the untamed Georgi Valentine, the quartet made a storming impression with their debut album, ‘Mother Knows Best’, released in 2022.

With tour dates scheduled through to March 2026 and their upcoming album ‘Cartoon Violence’ arriving on January 15th, MOTHER VULTURE are a band clearly gaining unstoppable momentum. Their newest single, ‘Treadmill’, demonstrates their versatility, moving effortlessly between screaming and clean vocals. The song opens with a vibe reminiscent of Queens of the Stone Age, with a hint of Foo Fighters, before transitioning into a uniquely haunting second verse sung in Bulgarian that lands with unexpected power.

Alien Chicks

Alien Chicks are a London-based three-piece who thrive on unpredictability. Rooted in post-punk but unwilling to stay in one lane, the band pulls ideas from jazz, rap and math rock, twisting them into sharp, rhythm-heavy songs. But beneath the playful surface sits a darker edge, with lyrics that reflect the strange, fractured atmosphere of modern Britain through satire, surreal imagery and biting observation.

Earlier this year, Alien Chicks released their second EP, ‘Forbidden Fruit’, a record that captures the band at their most inventive. Standout tracks ‘Mr Muscle’ and ‘Say Fish’ are built on shifting tempos, jazzy flourishes and bursts of rap-leaning vocals, constantly changing direction while maintaining a tense, forward momentum.

That intensity is pushed even further on their latest release, ‘Illuminati’. Driven by dark, heavily rapped vocals, the track collides electronic punk, dub weight and rap-rock aggression into a furious DIY statement aimed at the music industry. It channels a Beastie Boys / RATM vibe, both in its confrontational delivery and uncompromising message. The result is a raw anger, meant to challenge the listener.