Rock am Ring

After changing their name twice and recruiting several new members, including current vocalist Chester Bennington, the band settled on the name Linkin Park and began recording much of the material for their debut album “Hybrid Theory”, which was released shortly after the band signed with Warner Brothers in 1999.

“Hybrid Theory” was a breakthrough success for Linkin Park and quickly sold almost five million albums in its first year, with single “One Step Closer” demonstrating Chester Bennington’s dynamic vocal range and style. Linkin Park’s ability to bring nu metal to a mainstream, radio-listening audience has meant that the release of its five subsequent studio albums has bought the band ever-increasing success, and has turned Linkin Park into one of the most successful rock bands of the new millennium.

Singles “In the End” and “What I’ve Done” have been hugely successful across the globe and have demonstrated the band’s range and growth over the years. Linkin Park’s influences come from various sources, but Mike Shinoda has noted that Public Enemy has been a huge inspiration to them. The band has attempted to emulate Public Enemy’s three-dimensional sound by experimenting with the interplay between Mike Shinoda’s rap, Chester Bennington’s melodic rock voice and the band’s accompanying hard rock sound.

Linkin Park has collaborated with numerous other artists over the years including Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes, and Steve Aoki, among others. The versatility of their music has won them fans all over the world and it is no surprise that Linkin Park was the first rock band to attain over one billion views on YouTube.

In addition to this, the group has won two Grammy Awards and multiple MTV awards for their extensive discography. No strangers to hard work, the band has toured extensively promoting their own albums as part of their own Projekt Revolution – which has featured acts such as Snoop Dogg and Cyrpess Hill – and to raise money for various charitable causes over the past few years. With this level of talent and such a strong work ethic, one thing is for sure: Linkin Park won’t be going away anytime soon.

Featuring Dexter Holland (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman (lead guitar), Greg K (bass) and Pete Parada (drums), the beginnings of the band started in 1984, coming together under the moniker, Manic Subsidal. In 1986, they changed their name to The Offspring, A string of independent releases followed, with the band slowly gaining a footing in the West Coast punk scene.

Their self-titled debut appeared in 1989 to moderate success. Yet with their second record, "Ignition," The Offspring became underground favorites, finding fans of their relentless, power chord-driven punk. By 1994, fortunes were abut to change dramatically for The Offspring, with the release of their third album, "Smash." Despite being released on an independent label, "Smash" became a hit of the same name, propelling the band to stardom overnight, selling over four million records. Taking their cues from Nirvana and their quiet/loud dynamics, The Offspring found a string of singles make their way to chart success, with "Self-Esteem" and "Come Out And Play" gaining significant airplay.

Despite major labels knocking at the door, The Offspring decided to stay at the small independent, Epitaph, touring extensively thereafter across the US. After two years, the band caved and decided to join major label Columbia Records, a move that caused controversy amongst punk fans, garnering accusations of selling out. Regardless, their third album, "Ixnay on the Hombre," arrived in February 1997, a record that whilst maintaining positive critical acclaim, it failed to reach the same heights of success as "Smash."

In 1998, "Americana" attempted to regain the band's momentum, finding a hit with the pop-punk single, "Pretty Fly (for a white guy)," returning the quartet to mainstream success. "Conspiracy of One" was to be their next release, a record they threatened to offer as a free download online but their record company denied them this desire, with the record receiving a conventional release in 2000.

Three years later, The Offspring had recorded a new album of material, with "Splinter" offering a return to form. Subsequently, they embarked on international tours during which they found legions of fans across several continents. In 2005, a Greatest Hits was released, featuring new music in the single, "Can't Repeat." Their relentless touring schedule may have set new music releases back, but in 2008, they returned with "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace," displaying a hotly anticipated return to form. Still hard at work over twenty years into their career, "Days Go By" was released in 2012 displaying a more mature sound for their fans.

The current lineup of Limp Bizkit as of 2014 consists of: Fred Durst - Vocals, Wes Borland - backing vocals and guitar, Sam Rivers - backing vocals and bass guitar and John Otto on the drums. The band are currently signed to Cash Money Records, Flip and Interscope.

The band was formed whilst Fred Durst was in a string of unsuccessful bands. As young lad Fred Durst was a fan of breakdancing, hip hop and punk rock; an unusual combination some would say, but it was the basis upon which Limp Bizkit thrives upon. Fred got Sam Rivers to join by persuading him to leave the band he was in at the time they then also recruited John Otto who is the cousin of Sam Rivers. The band would later be joined by Wes Borland in 2004.

Limp Bizkit to date have released 6 studio albums and plan on releasing a 7th album in 2015 titled "Stampede of the Disco Elephants". Their first album "Three Dollar Bill Yall" was not very successful but this was turned around by their second album "significant Other" the album climbed to the number 1 position after it managed to sell 643,874 copies within its first week of going on sale.

Limp Bizkit won the Maximum Vision Award for their song "Nookie" They have also been nominated for 3 Grammy awards, 3 American Music Awards and successfully won Favorite Alternative Artist in 2002.

The group has sold over 130 million albums worldwide with minimal support from the radio or mainstream media. Its music has gone silver, gold, and platinum over 600 times. It has won Grammys, Brit Awards, and countless other accolades. Iron Maiden played over 2,500 live shows, which are still regarded as some of the best out there.

Iron Maiden’s hard-hitting sound practically defined the genre of heavy metal and inspired bands like KISS, Metallica, and Avenged Sevenfold. Combine that with the band’s intelligent lyrics on topics like history, mythology, war, society, and literature, and it’s easy to understand why its appeal hasn’t faded.

Iron Maiden formed on Christmas Day of 1975. Bassist Steve Harris put together a short-lived original lineup, with only Harris and guitarist Dave Murray remaining in the band to the present day. By 1978, the rockers found vocalist Paul Di’Anno, whose raspy voice fit the group beautifully. Finding the right people occupied the group throughout the rest of the ’70s, and was a challenge for much of the band’s career, but it was by no means stagnant during this time.

Iron Maiden’s self-titled debut album dropped in 1980. It landed at number four on the UK Albums Chart and was lauded by journalists around the world. Iron Maiden included fan favorites like “Transylvania,” “Phantom of the Opera,” and “Running Free.” The group’s headline tour of the UK gained it devoted fans, as did its stints opening for Judas Priest and Kiss on tours. Its show at the Reading Festival in the UK 1980 drew 40,000 fans.

The band released Killers, its second studio album, in 1981. With better production and songs like “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” this album inspired decades of speed metal to come. Iron Maiden’s success launched a world tour that took it to the United States for the first time.

1981 saw the dismissal of Paul Di’Anno due to drug use and his replacement by Bruce Dickinson, who remains the lead singer today. Over the next ten years, the band’s eight subsequent albums like The Number of the Beast (1982), Piece of Mind (1983), and Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988) are living testaments to the prolific creativity and work ethic of the group.

By the end of the ’80s, Iron Maiden was arguably the best metal band in history. Its live shows had progressed to unprecedented grandeur, with a 100,000-watt sound system and highly-innovative light shows. It toured with groups like Anthrax and headlined events like Roskilde Festival in Denmark.

Bruce Dickinson departed from the band on August 28, 1993, playing a final farewell concert to mark the occasion. It wasn’t until the turn of the millennium that he rejoined. The band’s next album, Brave New World, was a return-to-form with progressive elements and complex melodic work. Brave New World charted around the world and re-established Iron Maiden’s place at the top of the metal world.

The band continued releasing cutting-edge albums in the 2000s and 2010s, from 2002’s Rock in Rio to Senjutsu in 2021. The intervening decades have seen the band tour the globe extensively and take its infamous live shows to even greater heights. From stadiums to outdoor festivals and beyond, Iron Maiden is uniquely able to captivate tens of millions of fans, elevating its art to new levels while pushing the boundaries of what metal is and can be.

Catch the band in concert — it’s an experience you’ll never forget.

Papa Roach’s music style has been largely debated and the band has been referred to under many different genres. These include hard rock, electronic rock, alternative metal, nu metal, rap rock and rap metal. Generally, however, they are simply referred to as a rock band.

Papa Roach formed in 1993, when two of its members discussed the potential of a band on their school football field. Jacoby Shaddix and drummer Dave Buckner started the band and were soon joined by bass guitarist Will James and lead guitarist Jerry Horton. During these early days the band played every gig they could get, balancing school with performing. A year later they released their first EP, bizarrely entitled ‘Potatoes for Christmas’. In 1996 James was replaced by Tobin Esperance. In 1997 the band released their first full length album, entitled the self-explanatory ‘Old Friends from Young Years’. Their last two independent releases were in 1998 and 1999. The latter EP, ‘Let ‘Em Know’, earned them a record deal by DreamWorks Records.

Since signing and entering the mainstream market, Papa Roach have continued to garner a steady stream of support and success, touring with esteemed bands such as Guns N’ Roses. However, one of their earliest tracks, ‘Last Resort’, still remains their most popular single to date. They have toured worldwide, indicating just how successful the band has become since their early days. The current line up now consists of original, Jacoby Shaddix, Jerry Horton, Tobin Esperance and Tony Palermo who replaced Buckner after he entered rehab.

Despite their mainstream success, Papa Roach remain indie at heart. Their name is an indication of the real bond between the members and the history between them: Papa Roach was the nickname of Shaddix’s step-grandfather, who committed suicide in 2006 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. The band paid homage to him with the song ‘Roses on my Grave’.

Breaking Benjamin currently consists of Benjamin Burnley on guitar and lead vocals, Shaun Foist as the drummer, Keith Wallen on guitar and backing vocals, Jasen Rauch as the lead guitarist, and Aaron Bruch on bass and backing vocals. Although the line up of the band has altered considerably over the years, the refreshing alterations of band members appears to have, if anything, strengthened the sound and dynamics of the band. After the band entered their hiatus in 2010, Mark Klepaski and Aaron Fink were dismissed from the band, parting under sour circumstances.

With their earlier albums such as "We Are Not Alone" ranking so high on the charts and producing the single "So Cold" which reached number 2, apprehensions surrounded the idea of rekindling the band, in fear that their talent and drive may have dwindled. Since they reformed however, their career is looking fresh and exciting. With four previous studio albums under their belt, the alternative metal band have an exciting back catalogue to play from, that every single member knows inside out, regardless of their length of time in the band. Anticipation for new material is high, and the talented musicians are sure to create some exciting new material.

The immediately recognizable masked gang formed in 2005 when members J-Dog and Deuce were so impressed with the reaction to a song they had put on Myspace that they recruited friends Shady, Johnny 3 Tears, Charlie Scene, Funny Man and Da Kurlzz to form the group.

Uncommonly the band quickly finished their debut album ‘Swan Songs’ in just one year but it took a subsequent two years to find someone willing to put the album out as they intended. Eventually A&M Records agreed to release the album uncensored and were pleasantly surprised when the album shot to 22 in the charts shifting over 21000 copies in its first week.

They followed up the album by touring with Skrillex and by releasing a CD/DVD called Desperate Measures. All not was well though as around this time one of the group’s founding members Deuce left the band. Whilst the circumstances of his departure remain unsure, they filled his role by bringing in former American Idol contestant Daniel Murillo who has carried on strong since.

Reformed they began to work on album number two which became ‘American Tragedy’, an album that continued to improve on the group’s existing successes after it sold over three times as many copies as ‘Swan Songs’ in its first week and peaked at number 4 in the album charts.

Constant touring and more successful albums have cemented Hollywood Undead’s position as the premiere Rap Rock group of the modern day. Whilst their masks continue to change, the group remain committed to their unique sound and will no doubt remain popular for years to come.

Bush consists of four talented members, Gavin Rossdale, Robin Goodridge, Chris Traynor and Corey Britz. The British boys formed after Gavin Rossdale departed from his former band, named, Midnight. He met former guitarist for the band King Blank guitarist Nigel Pulsford in 1992 and the pair decided formulate a band. Once the pair had found their feet they went on to take on bass guitarist Dave Parsons and drummer Robin Goodridge.

Once complete, the band had to chose a name, interestingly, they decided on the name "Bush", which was based on the place named, Shepherd's Bush in London, which was a main meeting place for the band.

The band released their debut album which was named "Sixteen Stone" in 1994 which notably peaked at number 4 on America's the Billboard Music Charts. Furthermore, their second album, released two years ago, titled, "Razorblade suitcase", reached a remarkable number one in America and also reached high in the charts in many countries in Europe.

The British band unfortunately separated in 2002, with an eight year gap. However, after the band made amends and in 2010 they began work on a new album, "The Sea of Memories". They went on to release this the following year. The album was very successful and their single "The Sound of Winter" made number one, surpassing both the rock and alternative charts.

The Hives are a walking, talking, rocking, screaming and stomping argument against anyone who has lamented the death of the “real rock star”. Anyone who thinks that rock and roll music has become too anonymous nowadays would do well to see these Swedish mentalists do what they do best, cos everything they do makes them pretty much unforgettable.

According to the band, they formed in 1989 but under a different name and sound than the one they have today. Enter shadowy manager/Svengali figure Randy Fitzsimmons, who in 1993, took the group and turned them into The Hives that we know and love to this day.

A demo recorded in 1994 got them signed to Swedish skate punk label Burning Heart , an E.P called “Oh Lord! When? How?” followed the next year and by 1997 they released their first album “Barely Legal”. It was then they began touring and honing their utterly unmissable live show, something that would eventually make them one of the most critically acclaimed live bands in the world.

Come the turn of the century, they released their second album “Veni Vidi Vicious”, and Creation Records legend Alan McGee (AKA The man who signed Oasis), just so happened to catch the video for the “Hate To Say I Told You So” single on German TV. He signed them to his label Poptones and released the compilation album “Your New Favourite Band”.

This proved to be a wise choice; the album went top ten in the U.K and broke them overseas, especially in the USA. Since then they’ve released three more studio albums and toured anywhere that’ll have them. They’re one of the bands that any rock fan should be proud to have around right now, and they’re right at the top of their game.

Best known for her role in the TV series "Gossip Girl," Taylor Momsen also formed The Pretty Reckless in 2009, playing alongside Mark Damon (bass), Jamie Perkins (drums) and Ben Phillips (lead guitar, backing vocals). The band play a brand of hard rock influenced by the likes of Nirvana, Joan Jett Hole that is very accessible.

Their debut album "Light Me Up" (released August 27, 2010) achieved moderate success, most notably with the single "Make Me Wanna Die." Following this album release they embarked on an international tour, also featuring as part of the line up for the Vans Warped Tour. Following this success, they were invited to perform as the support act for Marilyn Manson and Evanescence, which helped to establish new fans and grow The Pretty Reckless' popularity.

Their second studio album "Going to Hell" released in 2014 saw the band achieve a new level of success. The singles "Kill Me," "Going to Hell" and "Heaven Knows" were well received, with "Heaven Knows" topping both the UK and US rock charts. The Pretty Reckless achieved a number one spot with two of their first hit singles "Heaven Knows" and "Messed Up World," the first time a female-fronted band has done so. The band also had a song featured on the "Kick-Ass" soundtrack, with the single, "Make Me Wanna Die."

The band is comprised of frontman Andy Biersack, guitarists Jake Pitts and Jinxx, bass player Ashley Purdy and drummer Christian “CC” Coma, but they were born out of Biersack’s imagination; he came up with the idea for the band and put them together, with everything from their name to their glam metal-influenced image being planned meticulously by the singer, who’s a few years younger than the rest of his bandmates. The group’s image is probably their defining characteristic - their dress code involves black leather pretty much exclusively and facial makeup is obligatory - but it’s something that they’ve begun to tone down as they entered the most recent stage of their career, one that saw them release their most successful record to date, “Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones”.

That album, a concept record, saw the band lurch away from metal and towards the hard rock style that their hit single “Fallen Angels” had hinted at back in 2011. By naming their most recent record after themselves - “Black Veil Brides” dropped in October of 2011 - they’ve solidified the notion that this iteration of the band’s sound is the one that they ultimately want to define them, and their live shows have shifted accordingly; rather than being the unhinged punk rock affairs of old, they’re instead far more focused on musicianship and connection with the audience than ever before.

Mastodon is an American metal band formed in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. in the year 2000. Their music is categorized as sludge metal or progressive metal.

The band is comprised of drummer Brann Dailor, guitarist Bill Kelliher, bassist Troy Sanders and Guitarist Hinds. The foursome met at a High on Fire concert and formed Mastodon after getting along right away. After recording a demo in 2000, Mastodon was signed to Relapse Records in 2001. They released their debut album “Remission” in 2002 and the sophomore album “Leviathan” followed in 2004.

Mastodon’s “Leviathan” is a concept album, whose theme revolves around the novel “Moby Dick” by Herman Melville. The album received honorable mentions in UK music magazines “Kerrang!” and “Terrorizer.” Mastodon’s work also gained popularity in the video gaming industry. Songs off of “Remission” appeared in video game “Tony Hawk’s Underground,” the single “Iron Tusk” from “Leviathan” was featured in “Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland,” and the single “Blood and Thunder” appeared in “Guitar Hero: Metallica” and “Need for Speed: Most Wanted.”

In 2006 Mastodon ended their contract with Relapse Records and signed with Warner Bros. Music. The third album “Blood Mountain” boosted Mastodon to commercial success. The album reached No.9 on music magazine Rolling Stone’s best albums of 2006 and they performed the single “Colony of Birchmen” with Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age at the MTV Music Video Awards in 2007. Mastodon was also nominated for their performance of the same single at the 2007 Grammy awards. “Colony of Birchmen” also debuted on video game “Rock Band 2” and “Blood Mountain” single “Sleeping Giant” was made popular on video game “Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock.”

The album “Crack the Skye” was released in March 2009 and focuses on the themes of wormholes, Stephen Hawking’s theories, and out-of-body experiences. Scott Kelly from the band Neurosis guest features on the singles “Crack the Skye,” “Aqua Dementia,” and “Crystal Skull.” Drummer Dailor provides the vocals for the single “Oblivion.” The album was promoted on American show “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and on the European leg of the Metallica tour “World Magnetic Tour” in 2009. Artist Paul Romano provides the artwork for the album covers and backdrops for Mastodon. Mastodon cites metal bands like Neurosis and Melvins and 1970’s artist Thin Lizzy as their musical inspiration.

Originally named The Emergency, We Came As Romans formed of high school seniors Sean N. Zelda, Dave Stephens, Jonny Nabors, Mark Myatt and Joshua Moore and played a number of shows in the Detroit, Michigan, U.S. area. Soon after Jonny Nabors and Sean Zelda were replaced by Sean Daley and Larry Clark and the name changed to We Came As Romans.

The band’s first full length album “To Plant A Seed” was released in November 2009 produced alongside Joey Sturgis, the album made a big debut on the Billboard charts reaching No.6 on the Top Heatseekers chart and No. 25 on Top Independent chart. After the release of the album the band left on the ‘Leave It to the Suits’ tour with Of Mice & Men and Broadway, and featured on the ‘Punk Goes Pop Volume Three’ where they covered Justin Timberlake’s “My Love” and placed We Came As Romans on the national tour circuit.

We Came As Roman’s tour scheduling is a thing to behold and the majority of 2010 and 2011 was spent touring around the majority of the U.S. and Canada as well as a couple months in New Zealand and Australia. The band has a proclivity for elaborately titled tour names including: ‘Scream It Like You Mean It Tour’ and ‘We Are Not Meaningless Tour.’

Released in September 2011 We Came As Romans’ third studio album “Understanding What We've Grown to Be” took a darker turn for the band whilst maintaining the bands overall positivity and brotherhood. The album was greeted with excellent reviews and commercially performed better than its predecessor, reaching No. 20 on the Billboard Top 200. Following the release, the band continued their pattern of relentless tour scheduling travelling to UK/Europe, Australia, the Philippines, Japan, Russia, as well as North and South America, alongside the likes of The Used, Megadeth, NOFX, Suicide Silence and The Devil Wears Prada.

The band’s most recent and most popular album “Tracing Back Roots” has solidified the band's position in the pop/punk genre and has seen lead singer Dave Stephens leave the screaming voice behind entering a new era of wider accessibility to their music.

Trivium began with a talent show at the Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Way back in the year 2000, one of its acts was a fourteen year old guitar player by the name of Matt Heafy, whose performance of Metallica’s “No Leaf Clover” caught the eye of Trivium’s very first singer Brad Lewter. Impressed, the vocalist asked him to try out and soon after, Heafy was an official member of the band.

The band started gigging soon afterwards and after some time, Lewter left the band, allowing Heafy to take over lead vocal duties as well as playing rhythm guitar. It was with this set up that Trivium went into the studio and recorded their debut album “Ember To Inferno”, releasing it in October 2003. The album was enough to tour with Machine Head off the back of it, who in turn, introduced them to the folks at iconic metal label Roadrunner Records.

It was their second record however, that made the band what they are today. Released on Roadrunner in March 2005, “Ascendancy” wasn’t a hit immediately but thanks to positive critical reception, word of mouth and an utterly astonishing set at the 2005 Download Festival, it went on to make their name on the world stage. Over 100,000 copies sold in the U.K alone later, it became one of the decade’s touchstone metal albums.

Since then, they have remained near the top of the metal world as one of the century’s first true success stories. The likes of "Like Light to the Flies", "Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr" and "A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation" are new metal standards that thousands of garage bands practise to this day. There really is no higher compliment than that when it comes to rock and roll. No true metal head can go wrong with a Trivium gig, highly recommended.

All of the original members of Architects were intently involved with the Brighton music scene due them all growing up in the surrounding areas. They cross several genres with their technical music, the primary influences have been noted as ranging through artists from hardcore punk and heavy metal music with Meshuggah, Converge, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Gojira and Thrice all noted as influencers. Sam Carter who was a drummer and studied drums at the Brighton Institute of Modern Music before joining Architects, had performed in multiple local bands, one of which had the opportunity of supporting Enter Shikari. Architects was born in 2004 when Drummer Dan Searle and his twin brother Guitarist Tom Searle began the project under the name Counting Days, until the addition of Matt Johnson, guitarist Tim Hillier-Brook and Tim Lucas on bass guitar continued as Architects.

After the release of their debut album Nightmares in May of 2006, the band were offered the opportunity to tour with several prolific artists including Beecher and Bring Me The Horizon, yet due to the age of the members at the time they had to book several weeks off college in order to continue their touring schedule. After their first album, Architects sound was forced to change dramatically due to the departure of lead vocalist Matt Johnson He was replaced by local musician Sam Carter who had been described by Searle as an 'easy choice'. After their next album 'Ruin' which took them on large headline tours in both the UK and the US they revealed they had been signed to Century Media Records for a three album deal. The first release was 'Hollow Crown' which made the first dent on the UK charts, placing it at #117 and was promoted with the band completing a 19 date headline tour of the United Kingdom before supporting Parkway Drive in Australia.

Their next album 'The Here and Now' was released in 2010 and saw the band's sound following a more commercial direction, with sales figures reflecting this as they charted at #57 in the UK, a substantial gain compared to its predecessor. Critics enjoyed the album, but fans were not impressed with the departure from the heavier, more technical sound they had first been attracted to. They slowly began to remedy this with their next releases, returning to the music they were first inspired to make, the outcomes were greatly rewarded as the 2014 release 'Lost Forever//Lost Together' saw them crack the top 20 of the UK and Australian album charts whilst making their first dent on the US billboard.

Social Distortion’s far spanning presence within the music industry might come as a surprise to many. The group formed in the late 70s but did not release their first album until the 80s of which was one of only two albums released within the decade. Despite the band’s infrequent releases during their start, these early recordings have become staples within the punk cannon.

The group was founded by frontman Mike Ness at the end of 1978. The band expanded into a line up including the brothers Rikk and Frank Agnew on guitars and Casey Royer on drums; however, once bassist Dennis Danell joined the band the remaining members left to form the Adolescents. Danell eventually graduated to guitars and continued on as the band’s only consistent founding member alongside Ness.

The group released their first single “Mainliner/Playpen” in 1981 through the O.C. affiliate label Posh Boy. Their single “1945” also was issued that year on the Rodney Bingenheimer compilation album “Rodney on the ROQ”. A year later the group went on an international tour supporting Youth Brigade, hitting stops around the US and Canada.

Social Distortion self-released their debut album “Mommy’s Little Monster” through 13th Floor Records in 1983. After this release the band started gaining worldwide recognition and were featured in documentaries and on popular TV channels such as MTV.

Though the band was pushing their career in an interesting direction in the early 80s and had proven themselves essential figures in the hardcore/skate punk music circuit, they disbanded in 1985 as a result of Ness‘ incapacitating drug addiction.

After Ness was released from his drug rehabilitation program he jumpstarted Social Distortion’s career, this time taking a whole new approach. The group’s new sound sported country outlaw influences touching on Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Marty Robbins, and Hank Williams. The band also took cues from neighboring southwestern cow punk bands like the Meat Puppets and X. Even some of the Rolling Stones’ crossover stage to American Honky Tonk can be heard in the music of Social Distortion.

Social Distortion showcased their newly found style with 1988’s “Prison Bound”. The album was regarded as a mature step for the band and laid the template for their future releases. Their self-titled 3rd album featured a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” and entered the Billboard 200 rising to No. 128.

The group’s follow up album “Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell” was a huge commercial and critical success, becoming the band’s best selling album in their career. The album included their single “Bad Luck”, which peaked at No. 2 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. Social Distortion took yet another hiatus, but returned in 1996 with their album “White Light White Heat, White Trash” (a clear pun of the Velvet Underground’s seminal noise-rock album). The album exhibited a much harder sounding tone than it’s predecessors’ and winded up at No. 27 on the Billboard 200. It featured the single “I Was Wrong” as well as a cover of the Rolling Stone’s “Under My Thumb”. The album was preceded by a compilation album of the group’s early recordings “Mainliner: Wreckage from the Past” and was followed by the live album “Live at the Roxy”.

Social Distortion’s next studio album “Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll” did not come out until 6 years after the release of “White Light, White Heat, White Trash”. The album received very positive reviews earning the No. 456 spot in Rock Hard magazine’s book of “The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of all Time”. Additionally it landed at No. 31 on the Billboard 200. The band’s greatest hits album followed in 2007 and their 7th studio album “Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes” came out in 2011.

After Creed came to an end in 2004, members Mark Tremonti (lead guitar), Brian Marshall (bass) and Scott Phillips (drums) joined forces with ex-The Mayfield Four singer and guitarist, Myles Kennedy. Forming Alter Bridge, the band quickly got to work on their debut album, "One Day Remains," which found great success, eventually being certified Gold. The virtuosic guitar talent of Tremonti and the powerful vocals of Kennedy helped the album stand apart from Creed's discography.

After touring globally in support of the album, the band left their label, Wind Up, and moved to Universal imprint, Republic. Returning to the studio for their second effort, 2007's "Blackbird," Alter Bridge found success with the lead single, "Rise Today," finding widespread positive critical acclaim, displaying a greater songwriting influence of Kennedy.

In 2009, Creed reformed and Alter Bridge was put on the back burner by the members, with Kennedy joining Slash's touring band. Yet a year later, Alter Bridge was back in full force, returning with the album, "AB III." A live album of their stadium-sized performance, "Live at Wembley: European Tour" soon followed, which displayed their anthemic abilities. Praise continued for Alter Bridge with their fourth record, "Fortress," which was released to positive acclaim in 2013.

The band was formed in 1996 by partners Robert Westerholt and Sharon den Adel who have remained constants throughout the band’s career. After signing to DSFA Records, the band released their first album ‘Enter’ and immediately began touring both nationally and internationally in places like Germany and Austria.

The band took their time to develop new material and even built their own studio during off time from touring. In 2000 they released ‘Mother Earth’ which would turn out to be an important breakthrough moment for the band even if it didn’t seem so at first. After moderate sales in the album’s first few weeks, the release of the single ‘Ice Queen’ reached unexpected heights when it went to number one in the Belgian charts and forced the album up the chart. It has now sold over 750,000 copies in Europe.

This announced Within Tempation’s place as a musical force to be reckoned with and since then, all their albums have debuted at number one or two in the Dutch charts as they continue to play huge dates in even more places round the world. By 2007 they were even touring the US and UK.

Their music has appeared all over from video games like Guitar Hero to TV shows like The Tudors showing the unusually broad appeal of the band’s metal sound. With their diverse musical history the band has always had a habit of defying stereotypes and surprising listeners.

Though the band did not put out their debut album until 2005 they began recording as early as 1999. Sabaton’s recording sessions took place in The Abyss studio where noteworthy doom metal bands like Children of Bodom, Overkill and, Dispatched have recorded. The band’s recordings attracted a couple of record labels, one of them being the Italian label, Underground Symphony. This label issued the band’s first commercially distributed album, which was the 1999-2000 compilation, “Fist for Fight”. The album was largely seen as a promotional tool as it was released with the intent to get people excited about the band’s upcoming albums.

Sabaton’s first official LP was supposed to be their 2002 recorded album “[[]]”; however, it was shelved for 2 years and eventually discarded. The band finally put out their second album and first commercially released LP entitled “Primo Victoria”. The band signed on with the label Black Lodge for this release and would go on to put out their next album “Attero Dominatus” through this label. At this time the group recruited keyboardist Daniel Myhr for the band. This allowed the group’s previous keyboardist/singer, Joakin Broden, to take full reign over vocals.

In 2007 Sabaton released “Metalizer”, which was an accumulation of their early demo recordings and their previously unearthed debut album. The band’s follow up record was based on the book “The Art of War” by the Chinese military leader Sun Tzu. The group was increasingly getting more recognition and by 2009 they were playing festivals such as Atlanta’s ProgPowerUSA and Bloodstock ’09 in Derby. They also toured throughout Europe during this time, which included a 18 show stint in the UK supporting DragonForce. The band’s next album “Coat of Arms” came out on 2 October 2010 and peaked at No. 2 on the Swedish Albums Chart. It’s lyrics were heavily inspired by World War II and its closing track “Metal Ripper” was an instrumental piece paying tribute to a long list of the band’s musical influences.

The band experienced a crucial line-up change in 2012, with four members leaving, making singer Broden and bass player Sundström the only remaining members. The newly comprised band released “Carolus Rex” in 2012 and went on a large scale North American tour in the Spring of 2014.

Shortly afterwards Sabaton put out their commercially successful album “Heroes”, which debuted at No.1 on the Swedish Album Charts. The group has built a substantive reputation for themselves in the metal community, particularly one in their homeland in which they host their own festival. In addition to touring extensively around the globe the band also has an annual cruise called ‘Sabaton Cruise’ that embarks every November.

The band’s website loudly proclaims that their work ethic and attitude basically corresponds directly to one of their lyrics - “you don’t deserve what you haven’t earned” - but the band themselves had hardly been slogging it out for years before their own breakthrough came along - the group were not long out of school when they put together the original lineup of Parker Chest Hole Cannon on lead vocals, Kelen Capener on bass, Ryan Torf behind the drums and Kevin Geyer and Kevin Ambrose playing guitar. That same lineup still exists today, although with William Levy having replaced Ambrose on six-string duties.

The band have released two albums to date, and their first, ‘Under Soil and Dirt’, saw them move a step closer to the holy grail for pop punk bands, the Warped Tour, by playing both its UK leg and its warm-up, Road to Warped, in their native U.S. in 2012. They built up enough of a fanbase through events like that - as well as through high-profile support slots to the likes of New Found Glory - to secure them a slot on the tour proper in 2013, around the time they were promoting album number two, ‘What You Don’t See’. They returned to the tour in 2014, alongside the likes of Bowling for Soup and The Devil Wears Prada, and are lined up to be a key fixture on the Pop Punk’s Not Dead Tour of Europe in winter 2014, too.

Referencing Kurt Vonnegut’s apocalyptic novel, “Cat’s Cradle,” Ice Nine Kills deliver a brutal, potent brand of metalcore that certainly lives up to the theme of Vonnegut’s classic. Formed in high school in 2006, after preliminary lineup changes, Ice Nine Kills settled on Spencer Charnas (vocals), Justin deBlieck (guitar/vocals), Justin Morrow (guitars/bass) and Conor Sullivan (drums). Their early music looked to pop punk, ska and post hardcore for influence, releasing an early album in 2006, “Last Chance to Make Amends.” After the album, the band reshuffled and forged a more heavier sound, after they settled on their new lineup in 2007.

In 2007, their first EP arrived, titled “The Burning,” on Red Blue Records. The success of this first release landed them several high profile support slots with the likes of As I Lay Dying, A Day to Remember, Thursday and Paramore, shows which took them across North America.

Ice Nine Kills caught the attention of Ferret Records with their experimental metalcore, who signed the band to their roster in 2009. The band soon got to work on their second full-length, “Safe Is Just a Shadow,” which gained positive critical acclaim from a number of media outlets. The band then joined Warped Tour on several dates that year, before embarking on a headline tour in 2011. In 2012, they also gained a place on the All Stars Tour, opening for big names including Suicide Silence, Dance Gavin Dance and Attila.

Ice Nine Kills returned with new music in 2013, after releasing the EP, “The Predator.” The release was a hit, debuting at number nine on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. After another round on the All Stars Tour with Every Time I Die, they start work on their third album. The result was 2014’s “The Predator Becomes The Prey,” which scored the band their first entry on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, reaching number 153.

Reminiscent of a 1990’s DIY bedroom-recording approach, Basement is comprised of vocalist Andrew Fisher, guitarists Alex Henery and Ronan Crix, bassist Duncan Stewart, and drummer James Fisher. A year after forming the group released their debut output the EP “Songs About the Weather” in May 2010, which the success of led Basement to sign with Run For Cover Record in August 2010. Produced by Jesse Cannon, Basement’s debut full-length “I Wish I Could Stay Here” was issued by Run For Cover Records in June 2011. Earning a host of stellar reviews from online music publications, the album introduced the band’s melodic aggression to a much wider audience. In support of the release Basement embarked on their first ever series of worldwide tours which including shows in Australia, America, and Europe.

A year later in October 2012, Basement’s sophomore album “Colourmeinkindness” hit the shelves courtesy of Run For Cover Records. Once again extolled by the critical press, “Colourmeinkindness” was produced by Sam Pura, and supported by a few shows towards the tail end of 2012. Following a farewell gig at the Camden Underground in London, Basement announced an indefinite hiatus, with guitarist Alex Henery moving to Boston, Massachusetts, to work for Run For Cover Records. In January 2014 however, some subtle hints on their Twitter account led fans to believe the hiatus had run its course, and true to their beliefs Basement returned to release the EP “Further Sky” in July 2014. Featuring two new songs and a cover of Suede’s “Animal Nitrate”, the well-received record was produced by Dan Goudi.

The Subways named themselves after the underground walkway that they used to hang around in, and made a name for themselves in time-honored fashion; by gigging and recording prodigiously during their early years. They recorded everything they came up with, releasing new batches of home recorded songs via their website at the same time that they were playing as many love shows as possible. Their break came in 2004, when they won a competition for unsigned bands to play at Glastonbury.

They followed up that opportunity with appearances at Reading and Leeds, their first tour of the UK, and the release of single ‘1am’, which was played by John Peel on Radio 1. By the time they released their debut album, ‘Young for Eternity’, in 2005, they had secured a sizeable fanbase in their home country, and were playing to much bigger rooms. That secured them a contract with Warner Bros. for second album ‘All or Nothing’, which they recorded with Nirvana producer Butch Vig in Los Angeles. They followed it up with the ironically-titled ‘Money and Celebrity’ in 2011, having secured their position as one of the UK’s best-loved young rock bands. They remain more or less constantly active on the live circuit in the UK and Europe.

The band was originally formed under the name Numb by vocalist Nate Barcalow, guitarist Alex “Grizz” Linares, drummer Alex Pappas, and bassist Derek Doherty. The band signed with Drive- Thru Records and added guitarist Randy “R2K” Strohmeyer to the lineup. Additionally, it was at this time that the group also changed their name to Finch. They released their first EP entitled “Falling Into Place” in 2001 and it sold over 6,000 copies within its first week of release. Led off by three singles, "What It Is to Burn", "Letters to You" and "New Beginnings," the band released their debut full-length album, “What It Is To Burn” in 2002. They set out on tour around parts of the world, and despite having mixed reviews, the album was generally well received. After the tour, the band went back into the studio, to record new material for their second album.

During the time of this recording, the band largely fell from the public eye, and experienced some lineup changes in 2004. Replaced by Marc Allen, Alex Pappas left the band due to musical differences; and later formed the band Redgun Radar. Additionally, Finch went through three different record labels, Drive-Thru Records and MCA Records, which was then purchased by Geffen Records. All of this pushed back the release of their second album, “Say Hello To Sunshine” which wasn’t released until the summer of 2005.

In 2006 the band made an announcement that they would be going on an indefinite hiatus. The hiatus lasted until late 2007 and they again became more active in 2008. Their new shows brought about the release of a self-titled EP in July 2008. Despite the series of announcements and a few single releases, the band announced that they were broken up in 2010. However, the break-up didn’t last long, because in 2012 they came together again to play a show for the anniversary of the release of “What It Is To Burn.” They were originally slated to play only one performance of the album in California, however they later announced extra dates, eventually becoming a full-fleged tour. Post tour the band recorded and released few songs, and in 2014 the band took part in the Vans Warped Tour.

Prior to the formation of Don Broco in 2008, members had met at Bedford Modern School and played in a number of local bands. Vocalist and frontman Rob Damiani subsequently began writing songs with the assistance of guitarist Simon Delaney, drummer Matt Donnelly, and bassist Luke Raymer. With several songs under their belts, Don Broco performed a series of local shows before individual members went off to university, with a promise that when they returned the band would take precedence.

Upon graduating, the band booked a host of new shows in Leeds, Birmingham, and Manchester which significantly raised their exposure. The gigs led to a pair of shows at Camden Crawl and Download Festival, and an exclusive support slot opening for the post-hardcore group Enter Shikari. With the considerable buzz this generated for Don Broco, the band issued their debut, self-recorded single “Dreamboy” in 2010. Whilst failing to make an impact on the chart, the single was supported by further relentless touring, a habit for which they would become known. By February 2011 the band had released the single and video “Beautiful Morning” as well as the EP “Big Fat Smile” on EmuBands. The record was supported by more heavy touring alongside the likes of Lower Than Atlantis and We Are The Ocean. The same year the band performed at a series of festivals including Download, Sonisphere, Alternative Escape Festival, Slam Dunk, and Reading and Leeds festivals.

In early 2012 bassist Luke Rayner announced he was leaving the band, following which Don Broco signed with Search and Destroy Records. Led by the single “Priorities”, Don Broco’s debut full-length album of the same name was released in May 2012. Rising to No. 25 on the UK Albums Chart, the record earned a host of esteemed reviews, and spawned the subsequent singles “Hold On” and “Whole Truth”. The band’s sophomore album, “Automatic”, peaked at No. 3 on the UK Single Chart, upon release in 2015.

By and large, I think it’s safe to say that heavy metal bands who take heavy metal seriously have missed the whole point of the genre by a country mile. Ronnie James Dio didn’t pose with a sword and shield singing about killing dragons for new metal bands to dress entirely in black and do nothing but grimace for entire concerts, after all! Heavy metal is an inherently ridiculous genre, what else can one say about a genre that began with bored geeks writing songs about the devil and/or their Dungeons and Dragons campaigns?

It takes a very special band to be able to pull off serious metal and in the form of Tesseract; we have a group whose music could make them stand alongside System Of A Down, Faith No More and Behemoth as heavy bands you don’t laugh at or even with. The band began with its guitarist Alec “Acle” Kahney, who wanted to branch out into more experimental solo work while still performing with his band Mikaw Barish. As Kahney put more and more of his time and effort into his solo work he started posting clips of his guitar playing on internet forums like Sevenstring.org and taking the feedback he’d get into account.

A few others were composing, producing and releasing music completely independently as well, and the resulting genre, a mix of progressive metal, ambient and electronica, was called Djent. Named after the onomatopoeic word for the palm muted guitar riffs that they played, this meant that Kahney was at the forefront of an entire movement. As interest in what he was creating grew and grew, he started to turn his demos and riffs into full songs and put together a full band that came together in 2007. He christened the resulting band Tesseract and their first release came the same year, a demo CD containing parts of what would later make up their debut album.

Since then the band has released two critically acclaimed studio albums, 2011’s “One” and 2013’s “Altered State”, which sealed their reputation as not just one of the most exciting new bands in British metal but also one of the most artistically accomplished. How many other bands have included a 27 minute song split into six suites on their debut album? How many have then followed that up with a second album that’s a 51 minute continuous piece of music divided into four sections? Very, very few, that’s who. What’s more is that it’s working. That second album? The 51 minute continuous piece of music? Charted on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

The band have toured with everyone from Periphery to The Devin Townsend Project and in 2014, sold out London’s 1’145 capacity Scala with ease. There is a bright future ahead for these guys and they’ve achieved the success they’ve had through sheer integrity and without a hint of compromise. They are the future of heavy music, and that is very good news indeed.

Comprised of band leader, vocalist and guitarist Danko Jones, bassist John Calabrese, and drummer Rich Knox, the group first appeared in 1996. For two years Danko Jones patiently raised their profile through word of mouth live performances including supporting the likes of The New Bomb Turks, Nashville Pussy, The Make-Up, and The Chrome Cranks. By 1998 the group decided to head to the studio and recorded a self-produced collection of songs, released as the EP “Danko Jones”. Issued by Sonic Unyon Records, the EP raised the band’s profile as did its successor “My Love Is Bold” in 1999. Led by the single “Bounce” which generated national radio play, the EP was subsequntly nominated for the 2000 Juno Award for Best Alternative Album.

The compilation “I’m Alive and On Fire” arrived in 2001 on Bad Taste Records, which was promoted by a European tour including shows in Denmark and Sweden. Despite having not released a full-length album, the band’s European popularity far outweighed their success in the U.S., with future tours featuring a host of European dates. In 2002 Danko Jones released their debut studio album “Born A Lion” on Bad Taste Records. Earning popular reviews from the critical press, the album was supported by intense touring including an opening slot on The Rolling Stones’ “40 Licks” World Tour.

Two years later the band’s sophomore album “We Sweat Blood” hit the shelves earning two Juno nominations for Best Rock Album and Best Video (“Lovercall”). Despite being dropped from Universal Canada’s roster, Danko Jones marched soon undeterred and toured alongside Turbonegro, Sepultura, and The Bronx in America before heading once again to Europe. Following shows in the Netherlands, Germany, and South Africa, the band released their third studio album “Sleep Is the Enemy” in February 2006. Marked by their first Canadian tour in four years, the record was followed by months of intense touring. In 2008 Danko Jones issued the full-length “Never Too Loud”, produced by Nick Raskulinecz, followed by the studio album “Below the Belt” in 2010.

The following year Danko Jones released the EP “Mouth to Mouth” and embarked on another tour to test out new material. The full-length “Rock and Roll Is Black and Blue” subsequently arrived in 2012, led by the single “Just a Beautiful Day”, followed by “Fire Music” in 2015.

Combining technically driven guitar with impassioned vocal delivery, letlive.’s brand of progressive post-hardcore, spans various genres including alternative metal, experimental rock and hardcore punk. The band’s debut came in 2003 with the EP “Exhaustion, Salt Water, and Everything in Between" released on At One Records, with the line-up consisting of vocalist Jason Butler, bassist Christian Johanson, lead guitarist Ben Sharp, rhythm guitarist Keeyan Makif, and drummer Alex Haythorn.

letlive.’s full-length debut “Speak Like You Talk” arrived two years later in 2005 and marked the beginning of a series of line-up changes that resulted in Butler remaining the only original member in 2007. The band’s popularity grew at this point with a extensive touring schedule across Canada and the U.S. and the group returned to the studio to release their sophomore album “Fake History” in 2009. The album, released on Tragic Hero Records, was supported by another relentless tour including parts of Europe and produced by Kit Walters.

After Bring Me the Horizon frontman Oliver Sykes saw a letlive. performance in 2008 he arranged for the band to sign with Epitaph Records who rereleased the band’s sophomore album. With greater exposure the album earned high praise both critically and by fans and led to appearances at Download Festival, Leeds Festival and support slots for Enter Shikari, Your Demise and Underoath.

Subsequently, letlive. released their third full-length album in July 2013 peaking at No. 74 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and No. 62 in the UK album chart. Featuring the singles “That Fear Fever” and “Younger” the band proved their critical and commercial viability; achieving universal acclaim.