Shoegaze is a subgenre of indie and alternative rock characterized by its ethereal mixture of obscured vocals, guitar distortion and effects, feedback, and overwhelming volume. It emerged in Ireland and the United Kingdom in the late 1980s among neo-psychedelic groups who usually stood motionless during live performances in a detached, non-confrontational state. The name comes from the heavy use of effects pedals, as the performers were often looking down at their pedals during concerts.
The Killers are an American rock band formed in Las Vegas in 2001 by Brandon Flowers and Dave Keuning. After going through a number of short-term bass players and drummers in their early days, both Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. joined the band in 2002. The band's name is derived from a logo on the bass drum of a fictitious band portrayed in the music video for the New Order song "Crystal".
Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Rooted in hardcore punk and melodic hardcore, Rise Against's music emphasizes melody, catchy hooks, an aggressive sound and playstyle, and rapid tempos. Lyrically, the band is known for their outspoken social commentary, covering a wide range of topics such as political injustice, animal rights, humanitarianism, and environmentalism.
Andrew Piran Bell is a Welsh singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and DJ. He is one of two vocalists and guitarists of the English rock band Ride, and was formerly the bassist of Oasis from 1999 until their breakup in 2009. Bell was also a member of Hurricane #1 as well as Liam Gallagher's post-Oasis project Beady Eye until their breakup in 2014.
Skillet is an American Christian rock band formed in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1996. The band currently consists of husband and wife duo John Cooper and Korey Cooper along with Jen Ledger and Seth Morrison. The band has released eleven studio albums, two of which, Collide and Comatose, received Grammy nominations. Two of their albums, Comatose and Awake, are certified Platinum and Double Platinum respectively by the RIAA, while Rise and Unleashed are certified Gold as of June 29, 2020. Four of their songs, "Monster", "Hero", "Awake and Alive", and "Feel Invincible", are certified Multi-Platinum, while another two, "Whispers in the Dark" and "Comatose", are certified Platinum, and another four, "Rebirthing", "Not Gonna Die", "The Last Night", and "The Resistance" are certified Gold.
Hurricane #1 are an English rock band, formed in Oxford in 1996. The band were formed by former Ride guitarist Andy Bell, along with vocalist / guitarist Alex Lowe, bassist Will Pepper and drummer Gareth "Gaz" Farmer. After releasing two albums, Hurricane #1 (1997) and Only the Strongest Will Survive (1999), the band broke up. Bell went on to join Gay Dad and then eventually Oasis, while Lowe ventured into a solo career. Fronted by Lowe, the band reformed in 2014 and released their third album, Find What You Love and Let It Kill You, in November 2015.
The Hellacopters are a Swedish garage rock band that was formed in 1994 by Nicke Andersson, Andreas Tyrone "Dregen" Svensson (guitar), Kenny Håkansson (bass) and Robert Eriksson (drums). Andersson had been the drummer for death metal band Entombed and Dregen was taking a break from his full-time band Backyard Babies. Dregen and Eriksson had been roadies for Entombed, while Håkansson was a childhood friend of Andersson's. The Hellacopters were initially conceived as a side project for Andersson and Dregen, but it eventually became the main songwriting and performance vehicle for Andersson. The band, together with The Hives, is considered one of the most important Swedish bands in the garage rock revival and one of the most influential rock bands in Sweden.
Michael Trempenau, better known as Mike Tramp, is a Danish singer best known for his work with the glam metal band White Lion, which he was the sole continuous member of the band until their disbandment in 2013. Since 1998, he has also released several solo albums. In 2012, Tramp went on a solo acoustic tour releasing acoustic albums in both 2013 and 2014. He returned with a full band lineup in 2015 and in 2017, released the album Maybe Tomorrow, which charted at number 1 in Denmark.
Sabaton is a Swedish power metal band from Falun. The vast majority of their albums are written about historical events, mainly wars and significant battles. Sabaton has been referred to as one of the "big four" power metal bands, along with Helloween, Blind Guardian, and DragonForce.
Kurt Travis is an American singer, musician, and songwriter from Sacramento, California. He is currently part of the post-hardcore bands Royal Coda and Push Over and the math rock duo Gold Necklace and was formerly a vocalist in the rock bands Dance Gavin Dance and A Lot Like Birds.
Motionless in White is an American metalcore band from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Formed in 2004, the band consists of lead vocalist Chris "Motionless" Cerulli, guitarists Ryan Sitkowski and Ricky "Horror" Olson, drummer Vinny Mauro and bassist Justin Morrow. Cerulli is the only member of the original line-up that remains in the band. The group has stated that their band name derived from the Eighteen Visions song "Motionless and White".
After the Burial is an American progressive metal band from Minneapolis, Minnesota. They are currently signed to Sumerian Records and have released five of their six full-length albums through the label. Since their inception in 2004, the band has gone through two vocalist changes, two drummer changes, the departure and death of founding rhythm guitarist Justin Lowe, and the departure of bassist Lerichard Foral. Lead guitarist Trent Hafdahl remains the sole remaining founding member. They are considered key contributors to the development of subgenres such as djent and progressive metalcore.
Amaranthe is a Swedish heavy metal band originally known as Avalanche. The band is notable for their blend of various metal genres and having three lead vocalists.
Texas Hippie Coalition is an American heavy metal band from Denison, Texas.
Crazy Lixx is a Swedish rock band formed in Malmö in 2002. The group belongs to the Swedish hard rock scene, with influences from bands like Guns N' Roses, Aerosmith, Kiss, Whitesnake, Alice Cooper, Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe.
Fit for a King, also known as FFAK, is an American metalcore band from Dallas, Texas formed in 2007. The band comprises guitarists Bobby Lynge and Daniel Gailey, vocalist Ryan Kirby, bassist Ryan "Tuck" O'Leary, and drummer Trey Celaya. They released two independent EPs entitled Fit for a King in 2008 and Awaken the Vesper in 2009. They also released one independent album, Descendants, in 2011. After the band signed to Solid State Records, they released six studio albums through this label: Creation/Destruction (2013), Slave to Nothing (2014), Deathgrip (2016), Dark Skies (2018), The Path (2020) and The Hell We Create, which was released on October 28, 2022. In addition, a redux version of their debut studio album was released through the label in 2013.
Once Human is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, founded in 2014 by music producer and former Machine Head/Soulfly guitarist Logan Mader. On September 4, 2015, the band released their debut album The Life I Remember through earMUSIC.
Just Bring It is the fourth studio album and first full-length album by Japanese band Band-Maid, released on January 11, 2017 in Japan via Crown Stones and February 10, 2017 internationally by JPU Records. The record was preceded by the quintet's first world tour and the single "YOLO", released in November 2016. The album reached number 16 on the Japanese Oricon Albums Chart, selling 4,015 copies in its first week.
Stand Atlantic are an Australian pop punk band from Sydney, formed in 2012. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Bonnie Fraser, guitarist David Potter, bassist Miki Rich, and drummer Jonno Panichi.
"Black Honey" is a song by American rock band Thrice. The song was released on April 27, 2016 as the second single from their ninth studio album, ToBe Everywhere Is to Be Nowhere. It was the first single the band released following their hiatus in 2012 and subsequent reunion in 2015. The political track uses the imagery of a man swatting at a beehive in search of honey as a metaphor for the creation of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant as a consequence of United States involvement in the Middle East, using the titular "black honey" as a euphemism for oil. The song was a large comeback hit for the band, charting at No. 11 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, their highest-charting single to date and their first charting single since "Image of the Invisible" in 2005.
