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 | | Mixing the power of the grunge era with the vigor of punk, the Virginmarys create driving hard rock reminiscent of the Foo Fighters. |
 | | Hard-hitting heavy metal outfit Adrenaline Mob formed in 2011 around the talents of drummer Mike Portnoy(Dream Theater, Avenged Sevenfold), guitarists Mike Orlando(Sonic Stomp), and Rich Ward(Stuck Mojo), vocalist Russell Allen(Symphony X), and bassist Paul DiLeo. |
 | | Formed by brothers Gabe and Dameon Aranda in 2001, Aranda is an emotionally charged post-grunge band based out of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. |
 | | Inspired by the crunchy blues-based riffs of Led Zeppelin and two-piece alt-rock bands like the White Stripes and the Black Keys, Beware of Darkness was formed in 2010 by vocalist/guitarist Kyle Nicolaides and drummer Tony Cupito. |
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 | | Formed in 2006, Black Veil Brides originally came together in Cincinnati, Ohio. Primarily the brainchild of vocalist Andy Six, the band combines cathartic metalcore/screamo with a dark, gothic image to set it apart from its contemporaries. |
 | | Originally called Vessels, metalcore band the Plot in You initially began as the side project of Landon Tewers, formerly of fellow Findlay, Ohio band Before Their Eyes. |
 | | Born of a chance meeting and the innate musical rapport established between vocalist Maria Brink and lead guitarist Chris Howorth, In This Moment quickly grew from local cult favorites performing in Los Angeles clubs to a MySpace phenomenon before landing a deal with Century Media Records. |
 | | Christian-based post-grunge outfit Red first got their start in Pennsylvania playing contemporary Christian covers to area youth groups. |
 | | Lovehammers were hard-working regulars on Chicago's mainstream rock scene, barely known outside the city limits till reality television came along and gave them the big break they had long been ready to receive. |
 | | Edgy Las Vegas-based hard rock outfit Adelitas Way broke into the mainstream in 2009 with the song "Invincible," which appeared on numerous television spots for CSI Miami and served as the theme song for the weekly World Wrestling Entertainment Superstars show. |
 | | Influential West Coast heavy metal quartet Machine Head formed in 1992 around the talents of ex-Vio-Lence guitar players Robert Flynn and Phil Demmel, bass player Adam Duce, and drummer Chris Kontos. |
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 | | Formed by guitarist Oli Herbert and ex-Shadows Fall vocalist Phil Labonte in 1998, Massachusetts' All That Remains debuted in 2002 with Behind Silence and Solitude on Metal Blade. |
 | | Formed in 2004 by vocalist Jared Weeks and guitarist Jason Null, Saving Abel combine riff-heavy hard rock with sexually charged lyrics and Southern rock influences. |
 | | Inspired by the lurching riffs of Helmet and the soft/loud vocal dynamics of Tool, the Chicago-based trio Chevelle formed in 1995 with an aggressive, heavy sound. |
 | | 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. |
 | | School chums Chris Brown and Peter Charell absorbed the heavy rock sound of Korn, Soundgarden, and Metallica during the mid-'90s. |
 | | Siblings Elizabeth and Arejay Hale, the core members of the hard rock band Halestorm, began the group in late 1997 near York, PA, with Arejay on drums and Elizabeth on vocals and keyboard. |
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 | | Toronto-area Christian rockers Thousand Foot Krutch first appeared in 1997, when Trevor McNevan, Joel Bruyere, and Steve Augustine started putting a worship song spin on a rap-metal sound similar to Limp Bizkit or Korn. |
 | | As the lead guitarist for Guns N' Roses, Slash established himself as one of hard rock's finest and most soulful soloists during the late '80s, technically adept yet always firmly grounded in the gritty Aerosmith and Stones licks he loved. |
 | | The Atlanta-based quintet Sevendust became one of the rising acts in late-'90s heavy metal with an aggressive blend of bottom-heavy riffs and soulful, accessible melodies. |
 | | The members of Three Days Grace began bashing punk chords when they were in their teens, carving a derivative yet energetic sound that fueled their live performances. |
 | | Muse's fusion of progressive rock, glam, electronica, and Radiohead-influenced experimentation is crafted by guitarist/vocalist Matthew Bellamy, bassist Chris Wolstenholme, and drummer Dominic Howard. |
 | | Hollywood Undead hail (unsurprisingly) from the streets of Hollywood, California, mixing brash hip-hop, rock, and minor metalcore touches with cocky posturing and thug attitudes. |
 | | Knoxville, TN's 10 Years formed in 2002 around vocalist Jesse Hasek, drummer Brian Vodinh, guitarists Matt Wantland and Tater, and bassist Lewis Cosby. |
 | | Starting out as a punk- and rap-influenced band, the northern Californian group Papa Roach eventually grew into a straight-ahead hard rock ensemble with strong heavy metal leanings. |
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 | | Melodic post-grunge outfit Pop Evil formed in Grand Rapids, MI, in November 2001 with a sound that took cues from the likes of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden, aptly putting the quartet right in line with popular modern rock acts such as Crossfade, Shinedown, and Puddle of Mudd. |
 | | Taking a cue from bluesy classic rock icons like Aerosmith and AC/DC, Baltimore, Maryland's Charm City Devils craft traditional hard rock anthems in the vein of Buckcherry and Aussie rockers Airbourne. |
 | | Although Slipknot made their mainstream debut in the late '90s, singer Corey Taylor and guitarist Jim Root got their start a few years prior in Stone Sour. |
 | | After leaving Ceremonial Oath to form In Flames, founding member and guitarist Jesper Strömblad saw this project as a way of expressing his songwriting creativity rather than being stuck in the background. |
 | | Melodic hard rockers Shinedown hail from Jacksonville, Florida and originally featured vocalist Brent Smith, guitarist Jasin Todd, bassist Brad Stewart, and drummer Barry Kerch. |
 | | Dallas-based heavy metal group Drowning Pool was one of the most promising bands of the early 2000s. |
 | | Soundgarden made a place for heavy metal in alternative rock. Their fellow Seattle rockers Green River may have spearheaded the grunge sound, but they relied on noise rock in the vein of the Stooges. |
 | | In many ways, Alice in Chains was the definitive heavy metal band of the early '90s. Drawing equally from the heavy riffing of post-Van Halen metal and the gloomy strains of post-punk, the band developed a bleak, nihilistic sound that balanced grinding hard rock with subtly textured acoustic numbers. |
 | | Hailing from the small town of Escatawpa, Mississippi, 3 Doors Down hit their peak in the early 2000s with a string of post-grunge singles, most notably "Kryptonite," "When I'm Gone," and the ballad "Here Without You. |
 | | Out of all the post-Nirvana alternative bands to break into the pop mainstream, Green Day were second only to Pearl Jam in terms of influence. |
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 | | Although rooted in alternative metal, Linkin Park became one of the most successful acts of the 2000s by welcoming elements of hip-hop, modern rock, and atmospheric electronica into their music. |
 | | Los Angeles-based thrash outfit Five Finger Death Punch formed in 2005 around the talents of former U. |
 | | Best known for their unorthodox two-man lineup, hard rock act Local H have made a career out of straddling the fine line between indie and classic rock, cleverly framing their sardonic lyrics with a generous helping of power chords and feedback. |
 | | Deftones were one of the first groups to alternate heavy riffs and screamed vocals with more ethereal music and hushed singing -- spawning a fair amount of imitators in their wake. |
 | | Volbeat, a Danish metal band begun by former Dominus leader Michael Poulsen in October of 2001, became a dominant force not only in Danish metal, but in Danish rock as a whole, charting albums and singles on a regular basis. |
 | | One of the unlikeliest success stories in rock at the turn of the millennium, Detroit rap-rocker Kid Rock shot to superstardom with his fourth full-length album, 1998's Devil Without a Cause. |
 | | 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. |
 | | The four bandmembers who came together and created Killswitch Engage already had strong fan followings. |