Rising Stars: Rock

They announce their arrivals as only rock’s rising stars can — with walls of noise that are massive and capable of delivering one hell of a crunch, yet each constructed, stone by stone, in their own distinctive way. While there’s no definitive acid test that can confirm which of these rockers will soar majestically into the next decade, a reliable indication is the onset of spontaneous rhythmic fist-pumping, a condition guaranteed by the sonic immensity of Apocalyptica’s “Not Strong Enough” and the old-school fretboard firestorm of Alter Bridge’s “Isolation.” Neon Trees straddle the pop-rock divide with ease on “Animal,” while Canada’s Finger Eleven pole-axe their way through “Living In a Dream.”

Catch more of rock’s rising stars in Next Steps.

Catch a falling star, put it in your pocket — so the saying goes . . . but catch a rising rock star, and it’s gonna burn one nasty-looking hole in your duds, so our advice is to stand back as this next batch of sonic meteors leaves a vapor trail across the firmament of our collective consciousness. Have no doubt, here in Next Steps is where the rising stars of rock blast their own paths to immortality as Red drops a handful of ball bearings into a metal blender on “Feed the Machine,” the splendidly named Pop Evil fights a gnarly rearguard action on 2010’s “Last Man Standing,” and Hail the Villain masterminds the explosive anti-heroics of “Runaway.”

More stars make their way up the rock ladder, in Deep Cuts.

We wouldn’t give you anything but the very best of rock’s up-and-comers, so lend an ear as Minnesota’s New Medicine administers the tough treatment of “Laid” — the flaming opener from 2010’s Race You to the Bottom — 16 Second Stare orchestrates the hard stomp of “Hellraiser” (invigorated by the decision of frontman Chris Davis to step out from behind the drum kit and grab the mic), and Kat Perkins from Scarlet Haze recruits guest guitarist Ron Thal (Guns N’ Roses) for sexed-up debut single “Reach Down.” And if Drive A dare to drop a dash of pop into tracks like “Are You Blind” don’t think it dilutes the impact of the L.A. outfit’s assault on your eardrums.

Step up, ladies, gentlemen, metal-heads, shred-cadets, power-chord-connoisseurs, and anyone else who likes nothing better than having their ears set on fire by a searing fretboard run: It’s time for a guided iTunes tour through the best and brightest (and hugest and heaviest) of rock’s rising stars. While pop trends come and go, the foundations of rock are immovable — but it’s all about harnessing the volcano, and like molten lava, the core sonic material can be directed along any number of avenues and alleyways. So take your pick: Hinder are here with their glam-slammin’ “All American Nightmare,” Cage the Elephant channels the unique alt-vibe of “Shake Me Down,” and Hollywood Undead unleashes the rapcore of “Hear Me Now.” Brace yourself: These are the best of tomorrow’s rock gods, today.