Staind

Staind: 

Staind’s story began in the New England area when vocalist Aaron Lewis and guitarist Mike Mushok met at a Christmas party in 1993. Mushok was able to bring drummer Jon Wysocki into the fold, and Lewis’ connection with a bass player (who later left) completed the early lineup. Establishing themselves took time, and extensive touring of the Northeast with other established metal acts helped them sell over 2,000 copies of their self-released debut in just over a year. They were primed for their big break, and on October 23, 1997, the hard work paid off. At a show in Hartford, Connecticut, Staind were all set to open for Limp Bizkit when Bizkit singer Durst raised a stink over cover art on Staind’s self-released CD. After a heated conversation over whether or not Staind were Satan worshipers, Durst forcefully returned the disc to the band, and walked away. But 45 minutes later Durst was back, not to further the argument, but to make sure he kept in contact with Staind. Blown away by their live show, Durst exchanged phone numbers, and loved their demo tape when they gave it to him. He convinced them to travel to Jacksonville, Florida, to work on the new songs. Dysfunction After reworking the new material and a successful live show, Durst contacted the head of Flip Records and arranged a meeting for Staind with the label. While in Los Angeles, a three-song sampler was recorded, and by the time February rolled around in 1998, the band had a record deal. After playing the Vans Warped Tour, they began work on their first album, Dysfunction. The album was produced by Terry Date (Deftones, Pantera, Soundgarden) and was released April 13, 1999. A tour with Kid Rock followed that spring and later the band reunited with good friends Limp Bizkit for a summer tour. Break the Cycle Their follow-up, Break the Cycle, enjoyed a prolonged visit at the number one spot on U.S. charts in 2001. Smash hits like “It’s Been a While,” “Fade,” “For You,” and “Epiphany” catapulted Staind into the mainstream, leaving their 2002 DVD MTV Unplugged to go gold. Staind released 14 Shades of Grey in spring 2003, and after a two-year break returned with the chart-topping Chapter V, named to include their self-released debut in the Staind canon. A Singles and Videos compilation arrived in 2006, followed by the all-new studio album Illusion of Progress in 2008, the latter of which debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. The band’s eponymous seventh studio album, which saw the departure of longtime drummer Jon Wysocki, arrived on September 13, 2011. Later that year, the band recruited drummer Sal Giancarelli and hit the road, documenting the tour with 2012’s Live from Mohegan Sun, which captured the tour’s first show.

Seether: 

One of the more enduring acts to come out of the post-grunge/alternative metal boom of the early 2000s, South Africa's Seether have managed to remain true to their roots while maintaining enough forward-thinking momentum to stay relevant. The group broke into the mainstream in 2002 with the active rock hit "Fine Again" and cemented their status at the fore of the scene two years later with the international hit "Broken," which featured guest vocals from Amy Lee of Evanescence. Subsequent singles like 2005's "Remedy" and 2007's "Fake It" charted high for such a heavy band, while Seether's full-length work also proved popular: 2011's Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray and 2014's Isolate and Medicate both reached the Top Five in the U.S. The group continued to find success into the next decade, releasing their acclaimed eighth long-player, Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum, in 2020.