 | | 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. |
 | | Vancouver, Canada's Theory of a Deadman became the first act to sign with Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger's 604 Records imprint in 2001. |
 | | Hinder began crafting cocky, raucous post-grunge in the early 2000s, when Oklahoma City residents Joe Garvey and drummer Cody Hanson found Austin Winkler singing cover songs at a college party. |
 | | Hailing from South Africa and comprising members Shaun Morgan (vocals, guitar), Dale Stewart (bass), and John Humphrey (drums), Seether embraces a brand of heavy metal mostly associated with the post-grunge era of alternative music, complete with crunchy distortion and brooding textures. |
 | | One of the first acts signed to Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst's label, Flawless Records, was the alt-metal quartet Puddle of Mudd -- consisting of Wesley Scantlin (guitar and vocals), Paul Phillips (guitar), Douglas Ardito (bass), and Greg Upchurch (drums). |
 | | 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. |
 | | School chums Chris Brown and Peter Charell absorbed the heavy rock sound of Korn, Soundgarden, and Metallica during the mid-'90s. |
 | | Hard rock/heavy metal band Crossfade is based in Columbia, SC, where its members reside. The group came together in the late '90s with the merging of singer/guitarist Ed Sloan with bassist/backup singer Mitch James and drummer Brian Geiger as the power trio the Nothing. |
 | | Alter Bridge resurrected the music-making portion of Creed. After that band's 2004 dissolution, guitarist Mark Tremonti and drummer Scott Phillips tapped ousted bassist Brian Marshall for the new project. |
 | | The members of alternative metal outfit Finger Eleven grew up in Burlington, Ontario, and came together in high school as a funk-styled band named Rainbow Butt Monkeys. |
 | | 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. |
 | | Southern rockers Black Stone Cherry originally hailed from a small rural town in south central Kentucky. |
 | | Although formed in September 1996, Saliva didn't hit the mainstream until 2001, when the band's mix of angsty hard rock and hip-hop helped earn a double-platinum certification for its sophomore album, Every Six Seconds. |
 | | The Los Angeles-based hard rock act Buckcherry formed in mid-1995, after singer Joshua Todd and guitarist Keith Nelson were introduced through their tattoo artist. |
 | | With a name like Sick Puppies, you wouldn't think hugs would play a major role in the gutsy indie crew's rise to fame, but they do, along with malls and YouTube. |
 | | Formed in 2006 as an audio accompaniment to Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx's autobiography The Heroin Diaries, hard rock band Sixx: A. |
 | | 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. |
 | | Hard-hitting Canadian post-grunge outfit My Darkest Days formed in the mid-2000s around the talents of singer/songwriter/guitarist Matt Walst, bass player Brendan McMillan, drummer Doug Oliver, and guitarist Sal Costa. |
 | | In late 2000, guitarist Aaron Fink and bassist Mark James Klepaski made a surprising and unexpected decision: they left Lifer, an alternative metal band that was signed to Universal and was gaining commercial acceptance. |
 | | 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. |
 | | 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. |
 | | It has been said that first impressions last a lifetime. Luckily for Staind, some only last for about 45 minutes. |
 | | Knoxville, TN's 10 Years formed in 2002 around vocalist Jesse Hasek, drummer Brian Vodinh, guitarists Matt Wantland and Tater, and bassist Lewis Cosby. |
 | | Vancouver's Default fit the definition of straight-ahead hard rock in the early years of the 21st century: the guitar textures and melodic bent of grunge; the dark, brooding earnestness of post-grunge; and the deep, thick-sounding production (but not the rap influences) of new alternative metal. |
 | | The Helsinki, Finland quartet Apocalyptica were initially comprised of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Max Lilja, Antero Manninen, and Paavo Lotjonen; formed in 1993, the group made waves internationally in 1996 with Plays Metallica by Four Cellos, which combined their formal background with their love of heavy metal. |
 | | 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. |
 | | Cavo's four members -- frontman Casey Walker, guitarist Chris Hobbs, drummer Chad La Roy, and bassist Brian Smith -- champion a mix of hard rock muscle and alt-pop melodies. |
 | | The post-grunge outfit Days of the New rocked heavy in 1998 with their major-label eponymous debut and the singles "Solitude" and "Touch, Peel and Stand," and the boys from Louisville, KY, quickly absorbed the fast success and MTV's praise. |
 | | Formed in 1997 under the name Revelation Theory, the hard rock outfit Rev Theory is made up of singer Rich Luzzi, bassist Matty McCloskey, guitarist Julien Jorgensen, and drummer Dave Agoglia. |
 | | While the heavy alternative sounds of Tool and Alice in Chains were primary influences on Hoobastank's sound, the post-grunge quartet tempered the gloomier elements of such music with a suburban California groove and an eye for accessibility. |
 | | Hailing from the small farming community of Hanna, Alberta, Canada, Chad Kroeger made a name for himself at the turn of the millennium as the lead singer and guitarist of the love-em-or-hate-em post-grunge rock outfit Nickelback. |
 | | 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. |
 | | |
 | | One of the more prominent bands in the new millennium's post-grunge scene, Fuel originally comprised the talents of singer/guitarist Brett Scallions, guitarist Carl Bell, bassist Jeff Abercrombie, and drummer Kevin Miller. |
 | | While they play around with the infectious grooves of reggae and Latin music as well as the heavy deliverance of hip-hop and rock, San Diego's hard rock four-piece P. |
 | | Redlight King is the songwriting project of Mark Kasprzyk, an Ontario native whose music combines rock with hip-hop samples. |
 | | |
 | | Vocalist Paul McCoy, bassist Kevin Dorr, guitarist Eric Weaver, and drummer Aaron Gainer were mostly still in their teens when they formed 12 Stones in the small New Orleans suburb of Mandeville, Louisiana. |
 | | 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. |
 | | Toronto modern hard rock quintet Evans Blue came together around 2003 after its members found each other by chance through a local musician's message board. |
 | | Smile Empty Soul was a heavy alternative trio formed while its three members were still in Santa Clarita, California high schools. |
 | | |
 | | Jacksonville, Florida-based alternative metal outfit Cold started out by sharing the aesthetic of another Florida band, Limp Bizkit. |
 | | Hard rockers J. Loren and Evan Johns met after Johns' producer father, Andy, heard Loren on a demo tape and was intrigued by the singer's voice. |
 | | One of Canada’s more explosive hard rock acts, Vancouver-based five-piece Art of Dying's raucous blend of ardent post-grunge and blistering, three-part, harmony-laden alt-metal falls somewhere in between Pearl Jam, Incubus, and Hinder. |
 | | Los Angeles-based thrash outfit Five Finger Death Punch formed in 2005 around the talents of former U. |
 | | Memphis, TN-based rock quartet Breaking Point included Brett Erickson (vocals/guitar), Justin Rimer (guitar), Jody Abbott (drums), and Greg Edmondson (bass). |
 | | Based in Memphis and named after one of its roads, hard rock group Egypt Central were formed by lead singer John T. |
 | | |
 | | Dallas-based heavy metal group Drowning Pool was one of the most promising bands of the early 2000s. |
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