The Metal Music Archive

Refused (Umeå, Sweden) This is a band that should be well known, but are not.  Most of the time when you ask people who Refused are, they have no idea.  This band with one album in particular, changed part of the faces of Hardcore/Punk and Metal, as they gained in popularity on both sides. In 1991, Refused was formed […]

Tragedy (Memphis, Tennessee) If you know the band His Hero Is Gone, then you might know who Tragedy are.  Within the last half of the 90’s His Hero Is Gone ruled a section of the punk/hardcore scene but unless you payed close attention, you wouldn’t know.  They weren’t interested in any sort of popularity.  If you […]

Snot (Santa Barbara, California)              It’s sad when something so great, that has massive potential is cut short of achieving amazing heights, which is the case with Snot.  With the release of only one album, they combined different genres such as blues, funk, rap, alternative rock, punk, and metal giving […]

Bad Brains (Washington D.C.)                       This influential punk rock band with members coming from a very musical background called themselves Mind Power playing jazz fusion in the vein of Return to Forever or Mahavishnu Orchestra.  Once they heard the aggression of punk and metal, they became […]

The Melvins (Montesano, Washington)   Who doesn’t like The Melvins?  I’m serious, who doesn’t like The Melvins?!  IT’S THE MELVINS!  Shall I say more?  Yeah probably.  These guys are hard to categorize.  More than most.  They are metal, but with their strange sense of humor, experimenting, and different mix of styles they are quite unique. […]

Converge (Salem, Massachusetts)                     Take math infused poly-rhythmic experimental metal and mix that in with the intensity of hardcore punk, then put what sounds like a dying panther on the mic (sometimes you get surprisingly good melodic singing too) and you have Converge.  It is true that some […]

Lamb of God  (Richmond, Virginia)                 Considered Groove Metal in the vein of Pantera, they have that southern fried fuck you kind of attitude.  Intricate southern blues influenced riffs, drums that seem to punch you in the face, and arguably one of the best metal vocalist’s in metal today […]

Repulsion (Flint, Michigan)               These Michigan natives would become one of the biggest influential acts within the genre of grindcore.  Some say, they are the biggest grindcore influence.  With the dirty yet huge and distorted bass sound, crunchy low tuned guitars, drums that sound chaotic producing spastic blast beats […]

The Dillinger Escape Plan (Morris Plains, New Jersey)                      If you were to get Dream Theater loaded up on LSD, and lock them in a studio for six hours, you might get a sound close to that of The Dillinger Escape Plan.  The Dillinger Escape Plan […]

Hatebreed (Wallingford, Conneticut)                  Jamey Jasta, lead singer, could probably start a mosh-pit with his unmistakable scream by himself.  You instantly know it’s Hatebreed when Jamey gets on the mic. Hatebreed formed in 1994 and started selling a three song demo to locals, opening peoples ears to their […]

Slipknot (Des Moines, Iowa)                  This so-called Nu Metal act formed originally in 1995 by bassist Paul Gray (R.I.P.).  Slipknot, over the next 3 years would see many a line-up change, including recruiting from Stone Sour in 1997, Corey Taylor on vocals.  After releasing a demo called “Mate. Feed. […]

 Gwar(Richmond, Virginia)  From outerspace there comes a group of god-like destructors known as the Scumdogs of the Universe created some 100 billion years ago from ultimate filth and rancid putridity.  After growing too strong and becoming practically uncontrollable they were banished by the gods to remain on the most worthless planet in all the universe; Earth.  After being […]