One of the few bands to land a record deal outside the borders of South Korea -- their home -- metal outfit Mahatma formed in 1993 and quickly built a worldwide reputation for powerful, hard-hitting metal. Part of the Dope Entertainment family in South Korea, Mahatma released a number of albums domestically before catching the attention of Japanese label Soundholic and French label Listenable, which helped get the band its first European release, Perseverance, in 2008. ~ Chris True