Ride the Lightning is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on July 27, 1984, by the independent record label Megaforce Records. The album was recorded in three weeks with producer Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. The artwork, based on a concept by the band, depicts an electric chair being struck by lightning flowing from the band logo. The title was taken from a passage in Stephen King's novel The Stand, in which a character uses the phrase to refer to execution by electric chair.
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrumentals and aggressive musicianship made them one of the founding "big four" bands of thrash metal, alongside Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer. Metallica's current lineup comprises founding members and primary songwriters Hetfield and Ulrich, longtime lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo. Guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassists Ron McGovney, Cliff Burton and Jason Newsted are former members of the band.
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by rhythm guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker. The group is considered one of the leaders of the thrash metal scene from the 1980s and is part of the "Big Four" of the genre, along with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. They were also one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the East Coast. The band has released 11 studio albums, several other albums, and 26 singles, including collaborating on a single with American hip hop group Public Enemy. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Anthrax sold 2.5 million records in the United States from 1991 to 2004, with worldwide sales of 10 million. Four of the band's studio albums have also achieved gold certifications by the RIAA, including their third full-length record Among the Living (1987), which cemented Anthrax's reputation as one of the most successful thrash metal bands.
Kill 'Em All is the debut studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on July 25, 1983, through the independent label Megaforce Records. Metallica began by playing shows in local clubs in Los Angeles. They recorded several demos to gain attention from club owners and eventually relocated to San Francisco to secure the services of bassist Cliff Burton. The group's No Life 'til Leather demo tape (1982) was noticed by Megaforce label head Jon Zazula, who signed them and provided a budget of $15,000 for recording. The album was recorded in May with producer Paul Curcio at the Music America Studios in Rochester, New York. It was originally intended to be titled Metal Up Your Ass, with cover art featuring a hand clutching a dagger emerging from a toilet bowl. The band was asked to change the name because distributors feared that releasing an album with such an offensive title and artwork would diminish its chances of commercial success.
"Creeping Death" is a song by American heavy metal band Metallica. It was released on November 23, 1984, as the lead and only commercial single from their album Ride the Lightning. Written from the perspective of the Angel of Death, "Creeping Death" describes the tenth plague of Egypt.
Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995 in Methuen, Massachusetts. The band's lineup solidified with the 1998 release of Until Your Heart Stops through Hydra Head Records, and their early albums were prominent in the metalcore scene. The band later experimented with other genres, receiving mainstream recognition for their 2003 RCA Records album Antenna and its lead single "Anchor," which had an overall alternative rock style. The group went on hiatus in 2006, later reforming in 2009 with the release of the Planets of Old EP, followed by the White Silence LP in 2011, both of which saw a return to Cave In's earlier and heavier sound.
Shai Hulud is an American metalcore band formed in Pompano Beach, Florida, in 1995 then later moved to Poughkeepsie, New York. The band is named after the giant sandworms in Frank Herbert's novel Dune.
Stone Sour is an American rock band formed in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1992. The band performed for five years before disbanding in 1997. They reunited in 2000 and since 2015, the group has consisted of Corey Taylor, Josh Rand (guitar), Christian Martucci (guitar), Johny Chow (bass) and Roy Mayorga (drums). Longtime members Joel Ekman and Shawn Economaki left the band in 2006 and 2011, respectively. Former lead guitarist Jim Root left in 2014. The band has been on an indefinite hiatus since 2020.
Discharge are an English hardcore punk band formed in 1977 in Stoke-on-Trent, England. The band is known for influencing several sub-genres of extreme music and their songs have been covered by some of the biggest names in heavy metal and other genres. The musical sub-genre of D-beat is named after Discharge and the band's distinctive drumbeat.
Ensiferum is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "melodic folk metal."
Bullet for My Valentine, often abbreviated as BFMV, are a Welsh heavy metal band from Bridgend, formed in 1998. The band is currently composed of Matthew Tuck, Michael Paget, Jason Bowld (drums) and Jamie Mathias. Former members include Michael Thomas, Jason James and Nick Crandle; the latter were on bass. They were formed under the name Jeff Killed John and started their music career by covering songs by Metallica and Nirvana. Jeff Killed John recorded six songs which were not released; two of these tracks were reworked later in their career as Bullet for My Valentine. A change of style from that of Jeff Killed John led the band to change their name. In 2002, the band secured a five-album deal with Sony BMG. The band has stated that their music is influenced by classic metal acts such as Metallica, Iron Maiden and Slayer. The band is part of the Cardiff music scene.
Rhapsody of Fire is an Italian symphonic power metal band formed by Luca Turilli and Alex Staropoli, widely seen as a pioneer of the symphonic power metal subgenre.
Black Tide was an American heavy metal band from Kendall, Florida. Formed in 2004, the band last consisted of Gabriel Garcia, Austin Diaz and Cody Paige (drums). They released their debut album, Light from Above, on March 18, 2008 through Interscope Records when Garcia was 15 years old. Their second album, Post Mortem, was released on August 23, 2011. Black Tide's EP Bite the Bullet was released on November 12, 2013 by InnerCat Music Group, a Miami-based boutique label. On October 16, 2015 band released their last album Chasing Shadows. On July 22, 2016 Garcia announced on his Instagram that the band is over and he is concentrating on his solo project.
Within the Ruins is an American metalcore band formed in Westfield, Massachusetts in 2003. The group currently consists of guitarist Joe Cocchi, drummer Kevin McGuill, bassist Paolo Galang, and vocalist Steve Tinnon. They are currently signed to eOne Music and Good Fight Music. The band has released six studio albums and three EPs.
Creature is the debut studio album by American metalcore band Within the Ruins. It was released on February 17, 2009 through Victory Records. It is their only studio album to feature Jon Grande on vocals. Additionally, it is their only studio album to feature Kyle Marcoux on guitar, and also Madison Roseberry on bass. The album features a distinctly different sound than the established sound the band would reveal on their sophomore release Invade.
Invade is the second studio album by American metalcore band Within the Ruins. It is the first release to feature Tim Goergen on vocals, and Jay Van Schelt on guitars. The album sold 2,000 copies in its first week and 650 in its second.
Elite is the third studio album by American metalcore band Within the Ruins. The album sold 3,750 copies in its first week and saw Within the Ruins' first appearance on the Billboard 200, peaking at the 133 spot. It is their first release for eOne Music and Good Fight Music following their departure from Victory Records in 2012. It is also their first release featuring only one guitarist, following the departure of Jay Van Schelt in 2012. The track list for the album was revealed on February 14, 2013.
Phenomena is the fourth studio album by American metalcore band Within the Ruins. It was released on July 22, 2014. The track list for the album was revealed on June 10, 2014, along with the release of the first single "Gods Amongst Men". The album sold 4,067 copies in the United States in its first week and debuted at #72 on the Billboard 200.
Halfway Human is the fifth studio album by American metalcore band Within the Ruins. It was released on March 3, 2017. It is Within the Ruins' first studio album to feature bassist Paolo Galang, who joined in 2015. The album was praised by critics for the incorporation of new elements such as clean vocals on the part of Paolo and Tim Goergen in addition to screaming/death growls. It is the final album featuring long-time vocalist Tim Goergen, who would leave the band in February 2018 citing ongoing health issues. The album debuted at number 191 on the Billboard 200, selling 4,025 copies in its first week.
