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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

The four neo-punk/pop upstarts from Toronto who make up Sum 41 formed the band while they were all still in high school, and the youthful exuberance of those days can still be strongly felt in their 2000 debut EP HALF HOUR OF POWER. The endearingly b…

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/…

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…

Coming out of the grass-roots Gilman St. punk scene of the early-1990s Bay Area, Green Day exploded into the mainstream with their third album, 1994's DOOKIE. The trio's punk energy and pop hooks, influenced by first-generation punks like the Buzzcoc…

New Jersey hardcore band My Chemical Romance achieved a surprising degree of success with their Goth-tinged, woe-is-me take on punk. Labeled everything from emo and pop-punk to post-hardcore and screamo, My Chemical Romance are one of several bands f…

Those who mourn MIA grunge rockers Alice In Chains may find relief in some of AIC's late-'90s musical offspring, especially Godsmack (named after an Alice In Chains song). Leader Sully Erna has a voice that's a dead ringer for that of Layne Staley, a…

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 …

Starting out in the late 1990s, pop-punk band Yellowcard got together in Jacksonville, FL, but eventually migrated to California, where they built a grass-roots following through their indie releases. One thing in particular that set Yellowcard apart…

Hardcore revivalists-turned-goth-punks AFI ascended to a new level of stardom when they decided to slap on some eyeliner and embrace their inner Robert Smiths. After several independent releases, the Southern California-based outfit released their ma…

California skate-punk trio Blink 182 employed a snappy mix of punk-pop and humor that appealed to a whole new generation of rock fans too young to have fully appreciated Green Day's initial impact. These third- (or fourth-) generation punks became th…

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…

Though the band's detractors consider them derivative at best and a direct knock-off of fellow agro-rockers Incubus at worst, Hoobastank's many fans couldn't disagree more. The California-based trio has built an impressive following and an equally im…

Melodic hard rockers Shinedown hail from Jacksonville Florida and feature vocalist Brent Smith guitarist Jasin Todd bassist Brad Stewart and drummer Barry Kerch Snapped up by Atlantic Records during the early 00s flurry of post-Creed and Nickelback s…