While heavy metal band Disturbed displays all the expected aggression and angst of its peers, it has achieved a wildly successful, chart-busting popularity, bolstered by a melodic complexity and frontman Dave Draiman's persuasive swagger. Formed in C…

Heavy metal was in danger of losing its hold on the mainstream by the early 1990s, but Korn helped jolt the genre back to life again. Combining rage-purging, rapped/shouted vocals and explosively heavy riffs, these rap-metal pioneers spawned a slew o…

System of a Down may be seen as part and parcel of the nu-metal explosion of the late-'90s, but their style is less akin to the likes of Limp Bizkit and Korn than to vintage thrash from the '80s, spiced with a touch of hardcore punk. The band's sound…

Not since the days of Kiss have any rockers completely hidden their faces as thoroughly from the public as Slipknot has. Formed in 1996, each member of this nine-man Iowa group hides behind a mask … la Insane Clown Posse. Appealing to the Korn/Limp B…

This nu-metal outfit was formed in Peoria, Illinois, USA in 1996 by Gurrg (b. Greg Tribbett; guitar), Spag (b. Matthew McDonough; drums), Kud (b. Chad Gray; vocals), with Ryknow (b. Ryan Martinie; bass) added to the line-up two years later. Always co…

These Vacaville, CA boys first got together in high school, influenced by the likes of Rage Against the Machine and Faith No More, they constructed their own rap-metal hybrid. Papa Roach was no overnight success; they toured relentlessly, building up…

Rob Zombie formed the New York City-based punk/metal band White Zombie in 1985. As frontman, Zombie also shaped the group's aesthetic, a bizarre blend of horror/sci-fi imagery, combined with a trashy go-go/hot-rod look. After numerous indie offerings…

The members of Three Days Grace began bashing punk chords when they were in their teens carving a derivative yet energetic sound that fueled their live performances Three Days Grace was formed in Norwood Ontario Canada in 1997 by Adam Gontier vocals …

Although they are very much their own band, Staind are often linked to Limp Bizkit, whose singer Fred Durst was instrumental in aiding the band's career. Early on, Durst suggested that lead singer Aaron Lewis integrate solo acoustic touches into the …

US alt-rock band formed in 2000 by Ben Burnley (vocals/guitar), Aaron Fink (guitar), Mark James Klepaski (bass), and Jeremy Hummel (drums). Fink and Klepaski were both previously members of alt-metal band Lifer, while Fink had attended high school wi…

This Dallas, Texas, USA-based quartet made an immediate impact on the rock scene with their refreshingly diverse debut, Sinner. Stevie Benton (bass) and Mike Luce (drums) attended high school together in Dallas, but parted company when Luce moved to …

Taking their musical cue from their friends in Korn, Limp Bizkit bottled the rage of metal and merged it with vocalist's Fred Durst's white-boy rapping skills. With the kind of rock-star excess missed by some in the mid-late 1990s (due largely to Gun…

Hard rock acts with a Christian message became quite common in the new millennium, as chart-toppers such as Creed and P.O.D. helped pave the way for newer bands such as Chevelle. Comprising three brothers, Sam Loeffler (drums), Pete Loeffler (vocals/…

This Memphis, Tennessee, USA-based hard rock act was formed in 1996 by Josey Scott (vocals), Chris D'abaldo (guitar), Wayne Swinny (guitar), Dave Novotny (bass), and Paul Crosby (drums). The quintet, all of whom were veterans of the Memphis music sce…

Originating from Los Gatos, California, USA, this nu-metal outfit was formed by Chris Brown (b. 1981, Los Gatos, California, USA; vocals/guitar) and Peter Charell (b. 1982, California, USA; bass) in 1997, when they began playing hard rock covers in h…

Initially mentored by Nine Inch Nails mainman Trent Reznor, Marilyn Manson created an accessible, highly successful variant on the former's electronic-tinged industrial rock. Manson took shock-rock to a whole new plateau in the late-1990s, influenced…

Hard rockheavy metal band Crossfade is based in Columbia SC where its members reside The group came together in the late 90s with the merging of singerguitarist Ed Sloan with bassistbackup singer Mitch James and drummer Brian Geiger as the power trio…

Unbeknownst to most Nirvana fans, its drummer David Grohl was also a singer/guitarist/songwriter who wrote numerous songs during his tenure with the band. After Kurt Cobain's death in 1994, Grohl decided to head out on his own and formed the Foo Figh…

While a select few hard rock bands incorporated rap into their sound (Anthrax, Faith No More, etc.), it was Rage Against The Machine that perfected and popularized the rap-metal genre in the 1990s. Unlike the aforementioned bands, the Los Angeles-bas…

Though journalistic shorthand often finds Nickelback dubbed "the Canadian Creed," the band found success on its own terms right from the start with the 2000 debut album THE STATE. It may be true that the band's heavy guitars, pounding drums, and dram…