Opting for a bark over a bite is the trap that most rock bands fall into. But turning up to 11 and high-fiving your bandmates as you blow another eardrum is rendered pretty [ketchup] pointless if your chorus hits home like a Boris Johnson bellyflop. The loud/louder/REALLY LOUD dynamic can only ever be as good as the song allows it to be. It’s an approach that Bedford four-piece Don Broco are keen students of. Having formed officially in 2008 after a number of years playing together, and in various other bands, at Bedford Modern School, vocalist Rob Damiani, guitarist Simon Delaney and drummer Matt Donnelly have honed the art of rock music with a gloriously melodic edge. Joined by new recruit Tom Doyle on bass, the quartet’s debut album is one of the most adrenaline-veined, hook-heavy rock debuts of the year.

Formed in 2009 and signed by Hopeless Records shortly after, We Are The In Crowd is a band that had all their dominoes poised and ready to fall in their favor in quick succession. Armed with an irresistible combo of male and female vocals that express a give-and-take that feels like an eavesdropped conversation with a dash of battle of the sexes, before joining in choruses of mutual understanding emerged with straightforward, brutally honest pop songs that only those in the throes of young adulthood could convey. Whether it's a feeling of being tongue-tied, or heartbroken, or betrayed, each emotion earns a new life through the words and music of this quintet.

Never Shout Never is an American Indie pop band, formed in Joplin, Missouri in 2007. The group has released three full-length albums and two EPs. The name "Never Shout Never" originally referred exclusively to Christofer Drew Ingle before the touring band, previously referred to as "The Shout", all became "Never Shout Never" with Ingle as front man. Never Shout Never's fourth full-length album, Indigo was released November 13, 2012.

We Are The Ocean are a four piece rock band from Loughton, Essex, England, consisting guitarist, vocalist Liam Cromby, bass guitarist Jack Spence, guitarist Alfie Scully and drummer Tom Whittaker. Vocalist Dan Brown left the band in 2012. They are signed to Hassle Records in the United Kingdom and SideOneDummy Records in the United States. Over the course of their career they have released three LPs: Cutting Our Teeth in 2010, Go Now and Live in 2011 and Their third LP, Maybe Today, Maybe Tomorrow was released on 17 September 2012 through Hassle Records in the United Kingdom and SideOneDummy Records in the United States.

Bleeding Through is one of the most important bands to take the mixture of metal and hardcore to international prominence in the last decade, touring with Ozzfest (twice) as well as Vans Warped Tour, MTV's "Headbanger's Ball: The Tour" and with Slayer, Marilyn Manson, AFI, HIM, Machine Head, Senses Fail, Parkway Drive and more. They have been featured on the cover of Revolver (twice), Metal Edge, Outburn, Under The Volcano and Chord. The group emerged from the underground to sell a combined 300,000 albums and have accomplished what few at this stage of their career have pulled together: The Great Fire, their newest album, is their most extreme. Declaration is heavier, darker, angrier, more pissed off, faster and more epic than anything in the band's already impressive catalog.

Title Fight is an American hardcore band from Kingston, Pennsylvania, United States, formed in 2003. Title Fight plays music in the vein of Jawbreaker, Kid Dynamite and Lifetime, taking influence from such melodic punk rock acts as Saves the Day and emo bands Knapsack and Seaweed.[2] They signed to SideOneDummy Records on January 19, 2011 and have toured the United States with bands such as New Found Glory, Bayside, Comeback Kid, Four Year Strong, Set Your Goals, A Day to Remember and Rise Against.

Attack Attack are one of the biggest metal bands to come from the Midwest with a homebase in Columbus, OH. The band sold over 250,000 records and have been touring non-stop for 3 years bringing their insane over the top live show to every corner of the world. The band has been a staple on The Van’s Warped Tour appearing on it 3 consecutive years. “This Means War” is the third full length release from Attack Attack! The record is the band’s heaviest record to date. It is also a concept record about war and the emotions that it has over a soldier fighting. The band’s 2012 consisted of massively successful headline tours across the US and a few member changes on bass and vocals. Vocalist Phil comes from the band I Am Abomination with a full time spot as the frontman in Attack. The band is currently in the studio working on their fourth studio record, a very heavy record but their most commercial record to date. With nearly 2 million Facebook friends and a large foothold across Twitter, YouTube and a real history or touring – 2013 shows that they don't intend to slow down anytime soon.

Sonic Boom Six (often shortened to SB6) are a five-piece band from Manchester, United Kingdom. Their eclectic sound combines different elements of several genres and has been described by Kerrang! as "taking ska, pop, grime, dubstep, punk and metal apart, then rebuilding them as a hyperactive hybrid"

They’ve performed over 1,500 shows in 43 states and 13 countries. They’ve appeared at music festivals around the world like Japan’s Summersonic Festival and England’s Download and Sonisphere Festivals sharing the bill with artists like Radiohead, Kiss and Iron Maiden. They can count among their fans everyone from hip hop legend, Chuck D from Public Enemy, who has joined the band on stage, to former WWE world champion and bestselling author, Mick Foley. They’ve been slapped with a multimillion dollar lawsuit by The Beach Boy’s, Mike Love, which found the band being deposed alongside Brian Wilson in a true story that has more twists and turns than a movie. They’ve broken down international barriers when they were the only American band to perform at China’s massive Midi Festival. Now, the six piece Ventura, California rock band prepares to celebrate their 15th anniversary, and the release of their new record Happy To Be Alive with an appearance at this years Hit The Deck Festival.

Attention Thieves are a four piece Rock band from Reading who formed in 2010. Immediately their energetic live shows and infectious songs captivated audiences and began to stir things up in the music scene. The band has a sound which is catchy and commercial yet will still have the respect of the underground, combining many genres. Attention Thieves have continued to tour up and down the country building a strong fan base and name for themselves in the UK. They released EP look a little closer, the EP was put in to all major stores with distribution from Warner Brothers. The EP received great reviews from major magazines and support/airplay from major radio stations and TV channels.

Black Dogs: an unstoppable pack of northern bastards. Black Dogs have impressed the likes of Dan Carter at the Radio 1 Rock Show, receiving several plays on the show over the last few months. 2013 will see them deliver their shamelessly aggressive debut album, combined with their raw and intense live show they will take the UK metal scene by force. The band have shared the stage with the likes of Bring Me The Horizon, Feed the Rhino, Silent Screams, Heart of a Coward and many more in recent months. Confirmed for Hit the Deck Festivals 2013 is already looking bright for Black Dogs.

Hit The Deck are happy to announce the addition of the Scottish metal band BLEED FROM WITHIN to line up. In support of their previous two albums the quintet from Glasgow has already played numerous shows and tours alongside bands such as Soilwork, All That Remains, After The Burial, Suicide Silence and Caliban. Additionally they have been frequent guests on European high profile festivals such as Download (UK), Sonisphere (UK), Hevy Fest (UK), Graspop (B), Summerbreeze (D) or Pukkelpop (B).

Canterbury are an English rock band, formed in Farnham, Surrey, in 2005. The band consists of guitarist and vocalist Mike Sparks, bassist and vocalist Luke Prebble, guitarist James Pipe and drummer Scott Peters. The band have wowed audiences across the UK on tour with the likes of The Automatic, Enter Shikari, Against Me, Twin Atlantic, You Me At Six, We Are The Ocean and Deaf Havana.

Dead End Path is a Hardcore band from Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, USA. Released their first Demo in 2009 and an EP called “Death Walks Beside Us” on Triple-B Records in 2010. They released their first LP on Triple B records in 2011, called Blind Faith.

Departures are a melodic hardcore five piece from Glasgow, formed in 2007. Having released a split CD & 7" in 2009/2010 the band really started to create a major buzz and energy within the British hardcore scene with the release of their debut album, 'When Losing Everything Is Everything You Wanted', on FITA Records in 2011, promoting a unique brand of passionate modern hardcore, taking influences mainly drawn from early 2000's hardcore, with strong melodic guitar riffs and emotional lyrics and subject matter.

Crushingly heavy, darkly atmospheric, emotionally poignant, and never less than utterly enthralling, Devil Sold His Soul combine devastating force and haunting melody in a unique and involving blend that is as hypnotic as it is moving. In the eight years since their inception (Location: London, England / Year: 2004), the band have inspired a passionate and devoted following in the UK underground, touring relentlessly and exercising an extreme level of quality control over their musical output, every release maintaining their signature sound while marking a profound leap forward from that which preceded it.

Dingus Khan consist of not one, not two, but three drummers - to keep your heart beating. Accompanied by three (ladies...please) bass players - to keep your foot tapping. A singer, with a guitar to melt young girls hearts (and moisten their under-crackers) and an electric ukulele wizard, just to keep you on your toes. Let Dingus Khan play their Rock and Roll music my boy, and let them play it hard and fast. Then slow and steady. Then Hard and Fast.

Soothing and vicious in turn, they juxtapose gentle harmonies with frantic ferocity; relaxed strumming followed by thrashy beats, time signature changes and other interesting meanderings that you’ll just have to find out about for yourself. There’s a comforting feeling of control about all of it though – as if EMPRESS know exactly what they’re doing. They know what they’re doing because they’re finally making music that speaks to them; music that they love.

After being tipped in Kerrang! Magazines '20 New Bands You Need To Hear for 2012', this year looks to be an exciting one for Oxfordshire quartet Evarose. Forming in late 2010, the all female rock collective were soon turning heads with their comical video for debut single, 'We Can Pretend Anyway'. The video, playlisted on both Scuzz TV and Kerrang! TV, has ammassed nearly 100,000 views online and led to the 2011 release of the bands debut E.P 'Creation Divide'. The five track release was a glossy affair laden with catchy hooks and was received to critical acclaim by the UK music press.

Formed in 2002 in the legendary San Francisco Bay Area California USA, First Blood set out to create straight-forward and crushing metal-edged hardcore music with a pissed-off, in-your-face message. "We just wanted to play music that was right to the point so kids could sing-along and let out their aggressions on the dancefloor," states frontman Carl Schwartz. The band have lit the radar screens in more than 30 countries worldwide, with devoted listeners across the United States, Canada, Europe, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Hong Kong, Phillipines, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, and beyond. Sharing the stage with world-class acts such as Cro-Mags, Comeback Kid, H2O, Ignite, Sick Of It All, Agnostic Front, Hatebreed, Madball, Terror, Napalm Death, Exodus, Gorilla Biscuits, Earth Crisis, Strife, The Path Of Resistance, Stick To Your Guns, Death Before Dishonor, Gallows, Born From Pain, Decapitated, and many more, First Blood has become an unstoppable force and staple of the hardcore community.

What can we say about The Front Bottoms? We know we love them: a punk band that uses acoustic guitar, indie-rock dance grooves, Springsteen-y keyboard lines (this they might deny). It’s hook-filled… it’s anthemic… it’s confessional. Maybe Joni Mitchell by way of Green Day? They must have heard some Replacements along the way, and it seems like what Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers did for the Boston suburbs these guys are doing for Bergen County, NJ. But they still leave us scratching our heads. Just what the hell have the Front Bottoms alchemized? “We like to keep it familiar so that it’s not too intimidating,” says singer-guitarist Brian Sella, “but we always make sure it’s not immediately recognizable.” It’s true, you just can’t quite put your finger on ‘em but Bar/None Records invites you to try to peg these guys with the release of their self-titled debut The Front Bottoms.

Brighton based Gnarwolves formed in the later stages of 2011 and became an instant fixture of the local punk scene once they self-released their debut tape, 'Fun Club'. The trio quickly gained a reputation for playing house shows, skating and partying, and it wasn't long before the word spread, being named as Punktastic.com's "Ones To Watch" for 2012.

Hand Of Mercy is a 5 piece Hardcore band from Sydney, Australia. Since their inception, the band has built a strong following with their own brand of fun, catchy yet brutal style of Hardcore/Mosh earning them a reputation as one of Australia’s most up and coming bands. They’ve shared the stage with some of the country’s and the world’s most high profile hardcore acts such as Parkway Drive, The Amity Affliction, Unearth (USA), A Day To Remember (USA), Underoath (USA), The Ghost Inside (USA), As I Lay Dying (USA), August Burns Red (USA) and many more. …

UK Heavyweight groove metal quintet, laying waste to the touring circuit with a brutally heavy noise that leaves every crowd gasping for air from nothing but a chaos filled live show! Recently releasing their debut album Hope & Hindrance which has been critically acclaimed it is no wonder that this UK monstrous unity are on the tip of everyones tongues as they continue to push forward.

Hundredth (formerly The Hundredth) is a Melodic Hardcore band from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Hundredth has played many tours, including Scream The Prayer, Over The Limit II Tour as well as the Returners Tour.

The James Cleaver Quintet met at a Chris Eubank convention in Hull. It was a love of good quality profiteroles and fresh water fish (particularly Sturgeons) that brought them together. They started off as an N-Dubz cover band, playing all the hits from “Papa Can You Hear Me?” to “Better Not Waste My Time” and back again, but cranking things up a notch by throwing a Bulgarian folk twist into the mix. To reiterate, The James Cleaver Quintet must not be allowed to get in the way of the bigger question: why are we here? They enlighten our lives daily, they brought up a generation and in conclusion, The James Cleaver Quintet truly is, The James Cleaver Quintet.

LostAlone are a British rock band from Derby. Since their inception, LostAlone have toured in the UK and mainland Europe supporting a number of major artists such as Enter Shikari, Paramore, My Chemical Romance,Evanescence and 30 Seconds to Mars on their Into the Wild Tour, as well as completing several European headline tours. They received their first major award nomination when they were nominated for "Best British Newcomer" at the Kerrang! Awards in 2007.

The anthemic candour of Midlands four-piece Max Raptor fuses classic British punk attitude with an astute sensibility to a ballsy riff, forthright narrative and infectious hook-fuelled chant. Having spent the last year touring, playing live and writing and recording debut material, building up a head of steam, a reputation for raucous and energetic live shows and a fan base in the process. Cutting their carnivorous teeth on the live circuit with the likes of Billy Talent, Blood Red Shoes, Oceansize, Ash and The Stranglers on tour.

Maybeshewill is a British instrumental band based in Leicestershire, UK. The band is comprised of James Collins (Drums), John Helps (Guitar), Matthew Daly (Keyboards) Robin Southby (Guitar), Jamie Ward (Bass) The band follow a steadfastly DIY ethos by trying to be as self sufficient as possible and consequently they record, mix and master their own records, run a record label, booking agency, recording studio and promote shows in their home town. They have released three albums and numerous EPs, singles and remix compilations. In the UK and Europe their albums are available through Function Records and in Japan through Xtal.

A rock / pop band from The New Forest, Hampshire. They officially release their E.P This Island last year and look set to be the band to watch in 2013.

Rolo Tomassi are an experimental metal band from Sheffield, England. Their name is taken from the fictional character Rollo Tomasi in the film LA Confidential. The band formed in 2005 and set their local scene alight by playing a synth driven technical mix of styles and genres difficult to define in a single word.

"Skies In Motion are a 5 piece metal band from Derby, with elements of hardcore and melodic death metal. Fueled by their passion for creating music, they always deliver an energetic live show. With their debut EP "Dreamer" and a constant list of upcoming shows, they are definitely one to watch"

Stick to Your Guns is a 5 piece hardcore band from Orange County, California. Very heavily influenced by the orange county hardcore scene, their music, message, style, and sound can perhaps be compared to bands like Bleeding Through and Throwdown. Currently they are signed to Century Media/Sumerian Records and have released four full-length albums to date.

Life’s a bitch, but it’s really the moment when we give up, shelve our dreams and harden our hearts that we truly die. For the members of rising pop-punk quartet Summerlin, that’s no way to “live,” and the band’s raw, aggressive pop punk is a rallying cry for anyone who dreams of escaping their dreaded daily grind, and boldly shouting their true intentions to the world.

With a foundation steadily built from self-released recordings and self-booked tours, This or the Apocalypse signed to LifeForce Records. Their first commercial debut, “Monuments”, reached American shelves on September 07 and the rest of the world the following month. The album ripped along at a driving pace, thoughtfully interchanging syncopated polyrhythmic grooves, striking melodies, and a passionate approach unheard in heavy music. With inspiration taken from vintage poetry and classic literature coupled with Armellino’s tenacious and honest vocal delivery, the album offered listeners a welcomed change of pace from typical heavy music themes.

With their steady ebb and flow of warm, effects-laden sounds, northern California’s Whirr (Formerly Whirl) give the sounds of 90s shoegaze a widescreen update for the post-millennial era. The young sextet’s walls of lush guitars, breathy vocals, dreamy synth and thunderous drumming propel listening ears into a near-cinematic realm where instantly catchy melodies and emotional, enveloping atmospheres hang perfectly in the balance.

Walter Schreifels is a singer/songwriter/musician playing in many influential bands across the last 3 decades including Youth Of Today, Gorilla Biscuits and Rival Schools. Hit The Deck are extremely proud to announce he will be playing a solo show on our very own acoustic stage across both Bristol and Nottingham.

Jonah Rzadzinski Matranga (born Jonah Sonz Matranga, August 11, 1969, Brookline, Massachusetts) is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist who has released a variety of solo material under his own name and onelinedrawing, and has previously been part of the bands Far and New End Original. Hit The Deck are proud to announce his will be playing the acoustic stage in Nottingham this year.

Vinnie Caruana, frontman of punk icons I Am The Avalanche and seminal post-hardcore band The Movielife, Is back in the U.K with his solo work that spans across his entire musical career.