If the Battle of the Bands finals were held at an all-ages venue, no one could touch Seven Degrees From Center. This is a strong endorsement, but these guys have a following of kids who won’t be able to legally drink until after the next presidential term. Five hundred or so showed up for their CD release party earlier this year at the Emerson Theater. More modern rock than metal, think Incubus without the turntables. 7DFC is the only band to return from playing the finals in the original Battle of the Bands.

Rhymefest is up against his own reputation as the kingpin of rap in Indy. He flows with a unique sensibility, fusing rap with whatever strikes his interest, be it alt-country or pop or you name it. His new single “Bout to Get Ugly” is a track that is ready to spin in any club, anywhere, and is guaranteed to get people dancing. Rhymefest is a prospective frontrunner for the prize, based on the reaction of those who have only seen him in the first two rounds and his established following. It also doesn’t hurt to have MabLab as your backing band.

Blood clots are no match for the doominess of Devil To Pay. Steve Janiak’s brush with mortality this year almost put the doom rocker out of commission. Although they aren’t against incurring some sympathy votes, Devil To Pay has an advantage as being the only band to return from last years BoB II finals. They rock hard and heavy in their black T-shirts and are recommended for fans of Queens of the Stone Age and their predecessor band Kyuss. Ask Steve nicely and he’ll probably show you his skin graft.

The Malcontents have been the biggest new buzz band since last year found The Slurs. They are a ska band that can be a rough critical sell, but on the base level of pure energy and entertainment these guys and doll are right on with their live show. While Johnny Socko is the Indy ska incumbent, the young guns in the Malcontents are really making a name and having a blast doing so. They have been developing a draw that is pretty menacing to the competition and are favored by many to win it all.

Adding more of an indie rock flavor to the Brit rock fare, Samsell is not dissimilar in style from the band from which the members splintered, The Shivers. Heavy traces of the Cure and current U.K. pop/rock bands are present in their melodies and guitar tones. Indy is generally pretty warm to indie Brit stylings — which strengthen their chances as the only band of their kind on the bill.

What the hell is “rasta metal”? It’s loud, heavy, energetic and jaunting. Sonus Ventorium is a fusion group that blurs the edges of modern rock and metal, as it congeals with agro reggae. These guys were the underdogs of an extremely dense night of great bands in last week’s second round victory, defeating favored bands The Fuglees and the Common.

Eighty-Three Feet rivals Sonus Ventorium for the most bizarrely drawn style. The song “Airball” sounds like Danzig’s “Can’t Speak” crossed with a little hip-hopless “Full Trucker Effect” by Johnny Socko with Chris Cornell on lead vocals. These fellows have the biggest mountain to climb as the band with the least saturation in the music community as well as an intangible style.

As previously stated, this is a hard lineup to handicap. The way to winning the Battle of the Bands is to play a flawless set to grab the judges’ votes and make sure everyone you’ve ever known is in the voting attendance. No matter how it’s predicted or calculated, it is a sucker’s game.

The Third Annual Battle of the Bands Finals will be held this Thursday, Aug. 21, at the Vogue. Doors open at 8 p.m.