The Melvins are an American rock band formed in 1983, in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. They have mostly performed as a trio, as well as a quartet with either two drummers/bassists in recent years. Since 1984, vocalist and guitarist Buzz Osborne and drummer Dale Crover have been constant members. The band was named after a supervisor at a Thriftway in Montesano, where Osborne also worked as a clerk; "Melvin" was disliked by other employees, and the band's members felt it to be an appropriately ridiculous name.
24-7 Spyz are an American band from the South Bronx, New York, United States, formed in 1986, originally consisting of Jimi Hazel (guitars), Rick Skatore (bass), Kindu Phibes (drums), and P. Fluid (vocals). The band is best known for mixing R&B, soul, funk and reggae with heavy metal and hardcore punk. The fact that they are African Americans playing variations of heavy metal led critics to compare them to bands such as Living Colour and Bad Brains. Though they were pioneers in the fusion of these particular music styles, influencing many bands, they have never achieved substantial commercial success. After several lineup changes, the band broke up in 1998, but reformed in 2003 before releasing their first new album of original material in over a decade in 2006. As of January 2020, the lineup of the band includes Hazel, Skatore, and drummer Tony Lewis.
Spin Doctors are an American rock band from New York City, best known for their early 1990s hits, "Two Princes" and "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong", which peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at No. 7 and No. 17, respectively.
Tiger Army is an American psychobilly band based in Los Angeles, California. The group was formed in 1996 in Berkeley, California, and its only constant member is singer, guitarist, and lead songwriter Nick 13. The band has released six studio albums and four EPs.
Vincent Samson Appice is an American rock drummer best known for his work with the bands Dio, Black Sabbath, and Heaven & Hell. Of Italian descent, he is the younger brother of drummer Carmine Appice.
Poi Dog Pondering is an American musical group, noted for its cross-pollination of diverse musical genres, including various forms of acoustic and electronic music. Founded in Hawaii in 1984 by Frank Orrall, initially as a solo project. In 1985 Orrall formed the first line-up of PDP to perform its first concert; at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. The band then embarked on a yearlong Street Performance Busking tour across North America, eventually settling in Austin, Texas in 1987, where they recorded their first three albums. In 1992, the band relocated, this time to Chicago, Illinois, where they began to incorporate Orchestral arrangements & elements of Electronic, House Music and Soul music into their Acoustic Rock style. The membership of Poi Dog Pondering has evolved from album to album, with Frank Orrall being the constant since the inception.
The Undead is an American horror punk band formed in 1980 in the East Village, New York City, United States, by Bobby Steele, Chris "Jack" Natz (bass) and Patrick Blanck (drums). They were one of the pioneers in the New York hardcore scene.
Armored Saint is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1982 in Los Angeles, California. Since 1990, the band has consisted of John Bush on lead vocals, Joey Vera on bass, Jeff Duncan on rhythm guitar and the Sandoval brothers, Gonzo and Phil, on drums and lead guitar, respectively. Of the current lineup, Bush and Vera are the two constant members. To date, they have released eight studio albums, one EP, two live albums and one compilation album.
Strength in Numbers is an album from rap, metal, and funk pioneers 24-7 Spyz. It is the only album to feature Jeff Brodnax, who replaced original vocalist P. Fluid in 1991. On their third effort, the Spyz concentrate on simpler and more direct songwriting, toning down much of their hardcore punk roots and replacing it with Motown-infused heavy metal.
Gumbo Millennium is the second album from 24-7 Spyz. Like the band's previous effort Harder Than You, the album contains elements of several genres. The band tackles the Exxon Valdez scandal and environmental neglect on the soulful "Valdez 27 Million?" and explores jazz improvisation with "Dude U Knew." Jimi Hazel raps on the Anthony Johnson-penned track "Don't Push Me," one of two songs on the album about racism. The other, simply titled "Racism," is an aggressive rocker whose thought provoking lyrics are unintelligible due to the speed of the lyrics. "Don't Break My Heart!" was released as a single.
Brutality was an American death metal band from Tampa, Florida. The group was signed to Nuclear Blast Records in the 1990s.
Temporarily Disconnected is the fourth album from rap/metal/funk pioneers 24-7 Spyz. It features the reunion of the band's classic lineup, including mainstays Jimi Hazel and Rick Skatore along with the return of vocalist P. Fluid and drummer Anthony Johnson. The reunion and subsequent album were based on the lingering popularity of this particular lineup in Europe following the breakup of Strength in Numbers lineup.
Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound is the fifth full-length album from metal/funk/soul pioneers 24-7 Spyz. Released through the What Are Records? label, it is the first album to feature the band as a trio. Former drummer Joel Maitoza returned to replace Anthony Johnson, but the band decided not to replace departed vocalist P. Fluid. Instead, guitarist Jimi Hazel also became the lead singer.
If I Could is an EP released by 24-7 Spyz in 1997. It features album cuts from their 1996 full-length release Heavy Metal Soul by the Pound as well as several live tracks recorded in early 1996 with Joel Maitoza on drums.
Cable is an American band formed in 1994 in Rockville, Connecticut. They combine a hardcore punk and emo aesthetic with a rhythmically complex, often discordant metal-influenced musical approach. Lineup changes and delays between recordings may have hindered their notoriety over the years.
Can You Hear the Sound? is the only live album from rap, metal, and funk pioneers 24-7 Spyz. It was recorded at CBGB in 1998, just months before the band split up. They would reform five years later with the same lineup, which features founders Jimi Hazel and Rick Skatore along with drummer Tony Lewis.
Justifide is an American rock band from Chandler, Arizona, founded in 1999. The band consists of Jason Moncivaiz, Sambo Moncivaiz (bass), and Joey Avalos (guitar). The band has seen success in Christian rock circles, and they have released two albums: Life Outside The Toy Box (2001) and The Beauty of the Unknown (2002).
Rookie of the Year is an indie rock/acoustic band from Fayetteville, North Carolina. They were signed to One Eleven Records, though their third release fulfilled their contractual obligation to One Eleven and allowed them to sign with a new label. The band is fronted by lead singer/songwriter Ryan Dunson. The band has seen many live band lineup changes, with Dunson being the sole original member.
No Motiv is a punk rock band from Oxnard, California. The most recent version of the line up as of their 2019 performances includes Jeremy Palaszewski on lead vocals/guitar, Max McDonald on guitar/vocals, Roger Camero on bass/vocals, and Pat Pedraza on drums. For the recording of the LOLA EP, Daylight Breaking, and Winterlong, Roger Camero moved from bass to drums after drummer Pat Pedraza left the band to join alternative rock band From Satellite. The group has not released a full album since Winterlong in 2011, though they did release a remastered edition of And the Sadness Prevails... and a 2-track EP in 2019. Throughout the band's many years of activity and lineup changes, they have also formed several notable side projects. The group is part of the second generation of Nardcore.
theStart is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Their current lineup includes Aimee Echo, Jamie Miller, Erick Sanger and Chelsea Davis.
