Stuff to check out

Exotic Animal Petting Zoo was an experimental mathcore quartet based in Crown Point, Indiana. They released their debut album, I Have Made My Bed In Darkness, on Mediaskare records. Their second album, Tree Of Tongues, was released August 5, 2012. They have toured with acts such as Fear Before and Dead Letter Circus.

Exotic Animal Petting Zoo formed in 2004. Shortly after their conception, they released a 5-song demo. In 2005, the band recruited Scott Certa, as their permanent bassist, which led to the recording of their first EP. Soon after the release of their EP, they got signed by Mediaskare Records. Their debut album, I Have Made My Bed In Darkness, was released in August 2008. Their second album, Tree of Tongues, was released in 2012. Later that year, guitarist Jeffrey Zampillo left the band.

The Number Twelve Looks Like You is an American mathcore band, formed in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States, in 2002. The band went on a six-year hiatus in 2010. In May 2016, they performed a secret show and then announced their reunion.

Misery Signals is an American-Canadian metalcore band formed in Wisconsin in 2002.

Misery Signals was formed after the disbanding of several bands, including 7 Angels 7 Plagues, Hamartia, and Compromise. Having played briefly with 7 Angels 7 Plagues, former Compromise vocalist, Jesse Zaraska, was approached by Ryan Morgan and Kyle Johnson for a new project which would become Misery Signals. Jeff Aust from Hamartia joined on as second guitar and Ryan Morgan's brother Branden joined as the band's drummer. Aust soon left the band and has since gone on to join With Honor. He was replaced by Stu Ross, a friend of Jesse Zaraska's from St. Albert, Alberta.

In 2003 the band released its eponymous debut EP. The EP was dedicated to the memory of Jordan Wodehouse and Daniel Langlois, who were killed by a drunk driver on Interstate 20 near Heflin, Alabama while on tour with their band Compromise in support of 7 Angels 7 Plagues.

The Dillinger Escape Plan was an American metalcore band. The band was formed in 1997 in Morris Plains, New Jersey by guitarist Ben Weinman, bassist Adam Doll, vocalist Dimitri Minakakis, and drummer Chris Pennie. The band's use of odd time signatures, polyrhythms and unconventional drum patterns became a staple of their sound, although later albums incorporated more melody, and influences from a range of genres. The band's lineup shifted numerous times throughout its existence; by the time the group dissolved, Weinman was the only remaining founding member. The last surviving lineup also included longtime members Liam Wilson on bass, Greg Puciato as lead vocalist, and Billy Rymer on the drum kit, alongside then-newcomer Kevin Antreassian as rhythm guitarist.

Norma Jean (formerly known as Luti-Kriss) is an American metalcore band from Douglasville, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Since their inception in 1997, numerous lineup changes have left the band with no original members. To date, Norma Jean has released nine studio albums and received a Grammy Award nomination in 2006 for Best Recording Package for their second album O' God, the Aftermath. The band's name is derived from the real name of actress Marilyn Monroe.

Norma Jean formed in 1997 under the name Luti-Kriss with Josh Scogin on vocals, guitarists Scottie Henry and Chris Day, Josh Swofford on bass, Mick Bailey on turntables, and Daniel Davison on drums. The band recorded a split EP with Travail that was released in 1999 through Pluto Records. Luti-Kriss's songs from the split would later be released on 5ep, which was released on July 25, 2000 through Pluto Records. The sound of theses EPs differed greatly from future releases, featuring an aggressive nu metal and rap metal style. Shortly after the release of 5ep, Swofford would leave the band and be replaced by Josh Doolittle. The band then would start working on the debut album Throwing Myself, with Bailey leaving during the album's production.

Protest the Hero is a Canadian progressive metal band from Whitby, Ontario. Originally named Happy Go Lucky, the band changed their name to Protest the Hero, then released their debut EP, Search for the Truth, in 2002. In 2005, the band released their first album Kezia on Canadian indie label Underground Operations.

On January 23, 2006, the band signed with Vagrant Records for Kezia's American release on April 4, 2006. Their second album, Fortress was released by Underground Operations in Canada and by Vagrant Records worldwide on January 29, 2008. The band released their third studio album, Scurrilous, on March 22, 2011.

Expressing frustrations with record labels, in January of 2013 the band announced that they would crowdfund their fourth album. The Indiegogo campaign was a runaway success, and the independently-released Volition debuted on October 29, 2013, distributed with the help of Razor & Tie. In October of 2015, the band announced that their fifth release would take the form of a subscription service using Bandcamp entitled Pacific Myth.

The Chariot was an American metalcore band from Douglasville, Georgia, that existed from 2003 to 2013. The last lineup consisted of drummer David Kennedy, vocalist and bandleader Josh Scogin, and guitarists Brandon Henderson and Stephen Harrison. The band experienced frequent lineup changes since its inception, with Scogin being the only original member. The band played an abrasive style of metalcore that did not adhere to typical stylings popular among their contemporaries such as melodic/abrasive dynamics and harmonic vocals. They built a reputation around their powerful live performances, with Scogin's lyrics covering topics like materialism, personal struggle, current events, politics, and Christian themes.

Car Bomb is an American mathcore band from Long Island, New York, United States, that was initially formed in 2000. Their debut album, Centralia, was released through Relapse Records on February 6, 2007.

Rolo Tomassi are an English band from Sheffield. Their name is taken from a dialogue in the film L.A. Confidential. The band is known for their strong DIY ethic and chaotic style and performances. They are currently signed to MNRK Heavy.

Fear Before (formerly known as Fear Before the March of Flames) is an experimental rock band formed in Aurora, Colorado. As stated on their Alternative Press podcast, their name originates from a Denver Post newspaper headline about the 2002 Hayman fire titled "The Fear Before The March of Flames." They released their debut album Odd How People Shake in 2003 with a re-release in January 2004, second album Art Damage in September 2004, third album The Always Open Mouth in September 2006, and fourth album Fear Before in October 2008. In 2010 the band announced they were going into an indefinite hiatus.

In 2002, Fear Before the March of Flames was formed in Aurora, Colorado with vocalist David Marion, guitarist/vocalist Adam Fisher, bassist Michael Madruga, and drummer Brandon Proff. The original members all met at Smoky Hill High School in Aurora. However, Adam is the only Colorado native. The band took their name from a local newspaper headline when wildfires swept through their state. The band drew inspiration from bands such as Botch, Converge and The Blood Brothers in creating their music. Prior to forming Fear Before, Adam, Mike, and Brandon were in a pop-punk band together called thirtysixflip. David was their merchandise guy. After they decided to pursue a more abrasive post-hardcore/mathcore direction, David joined, and Fear Before the March of Flames was born.

Every Time I Die was an American metalcore band from Buffalo, New York, formed in 1998. For most of the band's career, the line-up was centred on brothers Keith (vocals) and Jordan Buckley (guitar), as well as rhythm guitarist Andy Williams with bassist Stephen Micciche being in the band for a collective 15 of the bands 24 years. After spending the first decade of their career on the Ferret Music label, they signed with Epitaph Records in 2008 and remained there until their split in early 2022. Every Time I Die released nine studio albums, with their final album Radical being released in October 2021.

Between the Buried and Me, often abbreviated as BTBAM, is an American progressive metal band from Raleigh, North Carolina. Formed in 2000, the band consists of Tommy Giles Rogers Jr., Paul Waggoner, Dustie Waring, Dan Briggs, and Blake Richardson (drums).

Glassjaw is an American post-hardcore band from Hempstead, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and was a major part of the Long Island music scene in the early 2000s. The band has been influential in the progression of the underground music scene in the eastern United States and United Kingdom for the post-hardcore genre, and are known for their intense live shows as well as their frequent line-up changes.

The band formed in the summer of 1993 after Palumbo and Beck met each other at camp. Of the band name, Beck has said: "We had a list of names, and we were just like, let's pick one of these band names which ones the coolest. At the time there were a bunch of bands coming out with two names in one like that, like mouthpiece, curbjaw, stuff like that. We were going down the list, and the first name that I liked was Swiftkick. I'm all like, that's a sick name. But for some reason Glassjaw stuck. There's really no reason behind it; it just sounded cool." The band played their first show in 1994 in Oceanside, New York. In the early days, Beck and Weinstock were also playing with Jewish straight edge metalcore band, Sons of Abraham. Sons of Abraham constitute an important influence on Glassjaw, songs such as "Hurting and Shoving (She Should Have Let Me Sleep)" by Glassjaw drawing particularly on earlier Sons of Abraham releases. Palumbo was in his own straight-edge band called XbustedX. The group's line-up changed constantly in their early years while they played in the local New York hardcore scene. Beck's primary instrument throughout this time was drums, but switched to bass guitar when Ariel Telford left the band in 1998, and then switched to lead guitar when Kris Baldwin left and Manuel Carrero joined the band in 1999. From 1994 to 1999 the band did several demo recordings of some songs that would eventually appear on their official releases, as well as several other compositions that would not see official release. The band recorded the five-song Kiss Kiss Bang Bang EP in 1997. The record was released independently on the label 2 Cents a Pop, and saw a re-release in 2001 without label affiliation. The line-up on this record was Daryl Palumbo, Justin Beck, Todd Weinstock, Kris Baldwin and Ariel Telford. "Star Above My Bed", from the EP, is still in the band's set lists to this day. A significant recording came in 1999 working with Don Fury (Quicksand, Snapcase, Orange 9mm, The Hearing Aides), showcasing songs that appeared on their debut LP Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence.

Deftones is an American alternative metal band formed in Sacramento, California in 1988. They were formed by Chino Moreno, Stephen Carpenter (guitar), Abe Cunningham (drums), and Dominic Garcia (bass). During their first five years, the band's lineup changed several times, but stabilized in 1993 when Cunningham rejoined after his departure in 1990; by this time, Chi Cheng was bassist. The lineup remained stable for fifteen years, with the exception of keyboardist and turntablist Frank Delgado being added in 1999. The band's experimental nature has led some critics to describe them as "the Radiohead of metal".

Poison the Well is an American metalcore band from Miami, Florida who were last signed to Ferret Music. In 2010, they announced a hiatus to explore other interests. Lead guitarist Ryan Primack and drummer Christopher Hornbrook were the only remaining founding members, although vocalist Jeffrey Moreira featured on all five of their full-length albums. The band has since performed several reunion shows: two in 2015, eleven in 2016 and one in 2020.

He Is Legend is an American hard rock/heavy metal band from Wilmington, North Carolina, formed in the late 1990s but settled on the name "He Is Legend" in 2003. According to the aggregate of the listeners, He Is Legend's music is similar to that of Alexisonfire, Every Time I Die, Norma Jean, and Thrice. The band's lineup is front man Schuylar Croom, guitarist Adam Tanbouz, bassist Matty Williams, and drummer Jesse Shelley.

The Armed are an American anonymous hardcore punk collective formed in Detroit, Michigan in 2009. They often feature guests including instrumentalists on their releases. These include Chris Pennie, Nick Yacyshyn, Ben Koller, and Urian Hackney. Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou has been involved in the recording and production of all their releases.