 | | Formed in 1999 in Amityville, New York, Taking Back Sunday modeled their interpretation of melodic hardcore after bands like Lifetime, Endpoint, and Sunny Day Real Estate, as well as guitarist Ed Reyes' emo outfit the Movielife. |
 | | Comprised of vocalist James "Buddy" Nielsen, guitarists Dave Miller and Garrett Zablocki, bassist Michael Glita (former percussionist for Tokyo Rose), and drummer Dan Trapp, the New Jersey outfit Senses Fail developed a slick amalgam of post-hardcore chuggery and emo heartbreak that recalled such fellow New Jersey-based groups as Saves the Day. |
 | | The members of the Used had to overcome poverty, homelessness, and substance abuse, not to mention the straitlaced attitudes of their hometown of Orem, Utah, to bring their screamo-tinged brand of post-hardcore to life. |
 | | Since their inception, Florida's Underøath have evolved from a run-of-the-mill Christian metalcore band into a fluid, dynamic, and energized rock group that adeptly blends emotive melody, charged punk rock rhythms, and a chunky, engaging bottom end. |
 | | Although the members of Brand New cut their teeth in various hardcore bands, the group took a more melodic approach to its own work, embracing punk-pop on the debut album Your Favorite Weapon and incorporating aspects of indie rock during future projects. |
 | | Although originally forming as a rock trio in 1995, New York's Coheed and Cambria officially took root in 2001, shedding their former name of Shabutie and embracing a fusion of progressive rock, emocore, and highly conceptual album themes. |
 | | California-based Saosin burst onto the post-hardcore scene in March 2003 with their explosive screamo-tinged debut EP, Translating the Name, on Death Do Us Part. |
 | | Story of the Year took root in the late '90s under a different name, Big Blue Monkey, in St. Louis, MO. |
 | | Originally formed in 2000 as a side project, Silverstein were launched by vocalist Shane Told, guitarist Josh Bradford, drummer Paul Koehler, guitarist Richard McWalter, and bassist Bill Hamilton in Ontario, Canada. |
 | | Alexisonfire is a post-hardcore combo formed in Ontario, Canada, in 2001. Vocalist George Pettit, guitarist/vocalists Dallas Green and Wade MacNeil, bassist Steele, and drummer Jesse Ingelevics debuted in 2002 with a self-titled effort for the Toronto-based Distort imprint. |
 | | Punky emo-pop quintet Hawthorne Heights came to life in the summer of 2001. Originally called A Day in the Life, the Ohio-based band saw numerous lineup changes and shifting musical styles before settling on a permanent formation. |
 | | Chicago's Rise Against began in 1999 when ex-88 Fingers Louie bassist Joe Principe tapped area vocalist Tim McIlrath for a new project rooted in the sound and social vision of traditionalist hardcore. |
 | | Hailing from Orlando, Florida, Anberlin formed from the ashes of various other area projects. Led by the soaring vocals of Stephen Christian, the positive-thinking Anberlin also included Joseph Milligan (guitar), Nathan Young (drums), Joey Bruce (guitar), and Deon Rexroat (bass), and presented an alternative pop/rock sound that, while inflected with the earnestness of emo, was closer to the mature stylings of Third Eye Blind. |
 | | Although they didn't reach platinum status until 2003, hardcore punk revivalists AFI originally formed in 1991, when the band's four founding members -- vocalist Davey Havok, guitarist Markus Stopholese, bassist Vic Chalker, and drummer Adam Carson -- were attending high school in Ukiah, CA. |
 | | Funeral for a Friend's energized blend of emo, metal, and post-hardcore was created by vocalist Matt Davies, guitarists Kris Roberts and Darran Smith, bassist Gareth Davies, and drummer Randy Richards. |
 | | Coming out of Southern California during the rap-metal explosion around the turn of the century, Atreyu crafted a sound much closer to Agnostic Front or Hatebreed. |
 | | A Day to Remember were formed in 2003 and mix emo, hardcore, and metal into a blend affectionately referred to by their fans as "pop mosh. |
 | | A significant player in the early 21st century's post-hardcore scene, Thursday formed in 1997 in New Brunswick, NJ. |
 | | Armor for Sleep's emotionally charged lyrics, energetic live shows, and D.I.Y. work ethic have won the New Jersey-based quartet a loyal fan base. |
 | | Say Anything are the pop-punk brainchild of Max Bemis, who founded the band while its initial members were still attending high school in Los Angeles. |
 | | Originally known as the Chiodos Bros., the sextet better known as simply Chiodos (pronounced "chee-OH-dose") -- named after an obscure '80s horror movie term -- came together during high school in their hometown of Davison, MI, located just outside of Flint. |
 | | Hailing from Coral Springs, Florida, punk-pop band New Found Glory were formed in mid-1997 by vocalist Jordan Pundik, bassist Ian Grushka, drummer Joe Moreno (replaced by longtime drummer Cyrus Bolooki after the band's first release), and guitarists Chad Gilbert (previously the vocalist for Shai Hulud) and Steve Klein. |
 | | Based in Los Angeles (by way of Florida), From First to Last formed in 2002 with guitarists Travis Richter and Matt Good. |
 | | Philadelphia's Circa Survive were formed by former Saosin vocalist Anthony Green with guitarist Colin Frangicetto -- both of them veterans of the local emo and hardcore scenes looking to indulge in the rule-breaking freedom of the neo-progressive movement of the mid-2000s. |
 | | Taking their name from a Cap'n Jazz song, Phoenix sextet Scary Kids Scaring Kids began spewing impassioned post-hardcore that could be both shriekingly spastic and soothingly melodic in the early 2000s. |
 | | Long Island, NY's From Autumn to Ashes gained a reputation for being one of the more melodic bands in East Coast hardcore. |
 | | With their emo-punk songwriting, theatrical vocals, and neo-goth appearance, My Chemical Romance rose from the East coast underground to the forefront of modern rock during the early 2000s. |
 | | Bayside formed in the winter of 2000 and developed a quick following with their melodic, moody, guitar-driven emo. |
 | | The punk-inspired quintet Yellowcard formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997 but didn't solidify their lineup until a move to Southern California in early 2000. |
 | | One of the few screamo bands to land a Top 40 pop hit, the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus formed in 2003 in Middleburg, Florida. |
 | | Matchbook Romance is a melodic hardcore unit from Poughkeepsie, NY. The band started in 1997 when bassist Ryan Kienle, vocalist/guitarist Andrew Jordan, and drummer Aaron Stern's band, Fizzlewink, added guitarist Ryan "Judas" DePaolo and became the Getaway. |
 | | As I Lay Dying are a metal-hardcore crossover band from San Diego, California. The group formed as a trio in 2001 with vocalist Tim Lambesis, drummer Jordan Mancino, and guitarist Evan White, and shortly thereafter released Beneath the Encasing of Ashes. |
 | | California-based emo rockers Finch, originally called Numb, include vocalist Nate Barcalow, guitarists Randy Strohmeyer and Alex Linares, bassist Derek Doherty, and drummer Alex Pappas. |
 | | Formed by ex-Jerkwater and Traitors drummer Matt Skiba (vocals/guitar), former 88 Fingers Louie percussionist Glenn Porter, and Rob Doran (bass/vocals), Alkaline Trio was brought together in 1997 by heartbreak, angst, and the companionship of drinking. |
 | | Formed in 1998 by frontman Jared Leto and his older brother, 30 Seconds to Mars found success in the 2000s with a mix of post-grunge, screamo, and hard rock. |
 | | Appearing amid the fertile screamo scene of the 2000s, the Las Vegas quintet Escape the Fate prided itself, above all else, on an energetic and visceral live show. |
 | | Once a trailblazing name in the mid-'90s emocore scene, Jimmy Eat World eventually found a larger audience by embracing a blend of alternative rock and power pop that targeted the heart as well as the head. |
 | | The post-hardcore/alternative rock outfit A Static Lullaby came together after a casual high-school jam session convinced its participants to quit their existing bands and launch a new group. |
 | | The new-school punk trio blink-182 were formed in the suburbs of San Diego, California around guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge, bassist/vocalist Mark Hoppus, and drummer Scott Raynor. |
 | | The members of Panic! at the Disco had barely graduated high school when their full-length debut, A Fever You Can't Sweat Out, transformed the suburban Las Vegas teens into national emo-pop stars. |
 | | Since their inception in 2003, the Welsh quartet Bullet for My Valentine have been taking cues from '80s metal bands and the punk-infused metal of the new millennium to make melodic, metallic, dark rock songs. |
 | | Pennsylvanian punk-poppers the Starting Line originally came together in 1999 via version 2.0 of the old "vocalist wanted" flyer hanging at the local record store. |
 | | A leading light in the punk-pop genre, Motion City Soundtrack includes members Joshua Cain (guitar), Tony Thaxton (drums), Justin Pierre (vocals/guitar), Jesse Johnson (Moog), and Matthew Taylor (bass). |
 | | Mystifyingly taking their name from a popular chick lit bestseller, the Devil Wears Prada is easily one of the most bizarrely named bands of their time. |
 | | Although their blend of emo-pop and slick, anthemic rock & roll eventually made them stars on both sides of the Atlantic, Paramore began humbly enough in Franklin, Tennessee, where Hayley Williams met brothers Josh and Zac Farro after moving to town from Mississippi. |
 | | With the hiatus of pop-punk superstars blink-182 in full effect by the fall of 2005, singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge revealed the formation of his new band -- one he'd already been working with for six months -- called Angels & Airwaves. |
 | | They look like clean-cut suburban kids, but when August Burns Red plug in to play, they unleash a precise, powerfully emotional metalcore onslaught that has won them a loyal following among fans of adventurous hard rock. |
 | | Formerly in rival bands on the Chicago local scene, guitarist Mike Carden and vocalist William Beckett came together in 2003 to mark the beginning of emo-pop outfit the Academy Is. |
 | | Buffalo-based metalcore quintet Every Time I Die formed in the winter of 1998. Spearheaded by brothers Keith (vocals) and Jordan Buckley (guitar), the founding lineup also included guitarist Andrew Williams, bassist John McCarthy, and drummer Michael "Ratboy" Novak. |
 | | Formed in 2003 in the suburbs of Baltimore, Maryland, All Time Low started out as a high-school cover band before morphing into a melodic emo-pop act. |
