Nonpoint, Spineshank, et (Hed) P.E.

Regulars within the For Lauderdale metal scene, Rob Rivera and Elias Soriano formed Nonpoint in 1997. Their intention was to ride the wave of nu metal experimentation coming out of their corner of Florida. Determined to put some material out into the world, the band self-released their first album “Separate Yourself” in 1998. The work picked up some buzz and ultimately won the band representation from MCA Records.

Nonpoint’s first album on the MCA Records label was 2010 release “Statement”. The band aggressively toured the album throughout the US and promoted their tracks through festivals such as Ozzfest. The constant promotion finally paid off as sales of their album peaked and the album placed in the US Billboard Hot 200 chart and single “What a Day” hit the number 24 spot in the US Mainstream Rock chart.

With the momentum and fan base the band’s constant touring and promotion had won, Nonpoint released “Development” in 2002 and the album charted over a hundred spots higher on the US charts than its predecessor. With this success under their belts and the fresh influences of a new label at their disposal, the band released the 2004 album “Recoil”, where single “The Truth” earned the band its highest chart placement yet reaching the number 22 spot on the US Mainstream Rock Charts.

The band continued to pick up fans through constant touring and album releases between 2005 and 2014, all of which paved the way for the release of their most successful work to date: “The Return”. This 2014 album climbed to the number 39 spot on the US charts after the band generated excitement around its release via social networking sites such as Facebook.

Formed by frontman Jared Gomes (aka M.C.U.D (MC Underdog)) and guitarist Wes Geer, the two met amidst the Orange County, California, hardcore punk scene. The duo soon recruited the help of guitarist Chizad, bassist Mawk and drummers B.C. Caught and DJ Product © 1969 and named themselves ‘Hed’, short for Higher Education. Soon after changing their name to (Hed) P.E. for legal reasons.

Before long, the group had built a devoted following; known for their aggressive and energetic live shows, they signed with Jive Records, and released their eponymously-titled debut in 1997. The album highlighted the strong punk, metal and rap influences including the likes of the Beastie Boys, Black Sabbath and Rage Against the Machine, however the album performed poorly in the charts and led to the band owing Jive Records a considerable amount of money.

(Hed) P.E. released their second studio album “Broke” in August 2000, following an guest appearance on the Black Sabbath tribute album “Nativity in Black II” where they covered the single “Sabbra Cadabra”. Following the release (Hed) P.E. embarked on the U.S. Ozzfest tour alongside the likes of Korn and Systems of a Down. The release of the band’s subsequent album “Blackout” (2003) marked a change of label and personnel for the band, with a move away from Jive to Koch Records and welcoming guitarist Jaxon and drummer Moke to the mix.

The band’s fourth album “Only in Amerika” released in 2004 reached No. 186 on the Billboard 200, compared to No. 33 for the album’s predecessor. In 2006 (Hed) P.E. signed with Suburban Noize Records through which they release their fifth studio album “Back 2 Base X”, which focused on actual instrumentation as opposed to digital and studio enhancements. Similar to “Only in Amerika” the album’s political commentary gets lost in the overly aggressive and offensive nature of the lyrics. Subsequently the band has released the albums “Insomnia” in 2007, “The D.I.Y. Guys” in 2008, “New World Orphans” in 2009, “Truth Rising” in 2010, and “Evolution” in 2014.