The music industry is quite the unfair place. For every artist that hits it big as the vanguards of a certain genre or subgenre of music, there’s one (or more) that falls victim to slightly bad timing or poor record label promotion. And while the notion of an artist “deserving” success is always up for debate, the fact is that many of the artists below certainly had the musical chops and/or songwriting skills to reach greater heights. Some even scored Gold records, and may have had a big hit or two as well, but nevertheless fell short of perceived expectations.
That does not make them failures, of course – many of the aforementioned artists made large impacts in their respective genres (nu-metal, grunge, and metalcore were littered with them). But whether it’s the fact that they arrived a year or two late (or even a matter of months), label interference, or just plain bad luck, there’s no doubt that they’re far more than just footnotes in music history. There’s even one relatively newer band in this list, but what they all have in common is that it’s a mystery as to why they’re not all more prominent.
Only Living Witness
One way to tell Only Living Witness exerted a strong influence on the scene is that Shadows Fall threw in a left-field cover of this album’s “December”, arguably when Shadows Fall had peaked in mainstream popularity (or close to it, anyway). And it’s not hard to tell why. Arriving straight out of Boston with 1993’s Prone Mortal Form, it proved to be a key influence in the development of metalcore – yet their mixture of grunge, post-hardcore, hardcore punk, and alternative metal influences (and an iconic vocalist in Jonah Jenkins) went terribly under the radar. It’s a case of being far too early to the party, because those who heard Prone Mortal Form would praise it from the mountaintops.
Failure
Doing anything but living up to their name, Failure’s space rock/alt-rock sound didn’t quite fit in with the sounds of the time. 1996’s Fantastic Planet should have sold a million copies, but even despite having a requisite signature song (“Stuck On You”, which was even covered by Paramore in the early days of the band), commercial success was hard to come by. However, Ken Andrews has a noted career as a producer, while Failure themselves reunited almost a decade ago and have found a second life with some of the best material of their career.
Life On Repeat
In Life On Repeat’s case, they were a bit too early to the party. Releasing just two full-lengths in Struggle + Sleep and 2013’s Blacklisted before breaking up shortly after, few bands were so adept at combining breathtakingly effective vocals with the breakdowns one might associate with a heavier artist. Sadly, Life On Repeat broke up while like-minded bands like Hands Like Houses and Too Close To Touch would garner larger fanbases in the interim. If Life On Repeat had released a third album, perhaps that breakthrough would’ve happened – but with a vocalist as talented as Patrick Purves at the helm and a capable rhythm section, we were left more than wanting instead.
Edgewater
There’s little doubt Edgewater should have been bigger. With an interesting amalgamation of alt-metal, radio friendly alt-rock, and even some nu-metal influences, Edgewater should have appealed to many fans of all those aforementioned sub-genres. They were signed to Wind-Up Records (home of Creed, Evanescence, and several others), and even landed their song “Eyes Wide Shut” on the 2004 Punisher soundtrack. You’d think these traits would have at least helped the band milk some of that post-grunge cash cow that was happening in the early 2000s, but it just never happened. It’s a shame, because these songs make so many other post-grunge acts of the day look absolutely silly. Sadly, we’ll never see Edgewater get their flowers as some of their peers have recently, with the passing of talented vocalist Matt Moseman. Clearly, the man could sing.
Catherine Wheel
Always too alt-rock for the shoegaze fans and perhaps too poppy for the alt-rock fans, Catherine Wheel definitely arrived at the right time for shoegaze’s early ’90s boom. Yet while Slowdive, Ride, and My Bloody Valentine scored all the attention, Catherine Wheel struggled in their home country of England while Britpop was all the rage, though they gained notable attention in the States. 1992’s Ferment and 1993’s Chrome showed both sides of the coin – notably, the latter was a heavier affair with metallic influences, while the former scored a major hit with “Black Metallic”. Oh, and did we mention vocalist/guitarist Fob Dickinson is the cousin of Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson?
Fair To Midland
When someone as notable as Wolfgang Van Halen sings your praises to his massive fanbase, you probably did something right. Yet it’s been over a decade since Fair To Midland released their genre-defying album Arrows And Anchors, and it’s still a mystery why it didn’t receive a wider audience. Previous efforts from the Texas band had revealed a throw everything and the kitchen sink approach to music, which no doubt bears the mark “progressive”. But Arrows And Anchors was easily their most accessible work to date, with lead single “Musical Chairs” the closest thing Fair To Midland would have to a breakout song. Dizzying amounts of genre shifts still exist here, of course, but they’re done so in more palatable forms – the unique throat singing of vocalist Darroh Sudderth on “Rikki Tikki Tavi” is balanced by melodic tendencies, while “Golden Parachutes” is so ridiculously catchy that it’s nigh impossible to not put it on repeat a time or two. It still hurts.
King’s X
One of music’s ultimate power trios, King’s X occupy a similar throne as bands like Sevendust – critical favorites, a band that other musicians often mention as a key influence, and perhaps one that deserves even more of a fanbase than they have. Even the likes of Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament said that King’s X “invented grunge”, and while the viability of that statement is up for debate, there’s no doubt that accolades of that nature help prove that King’s X are a force of nature even today.
It’s still shocking, though, how King’s X didn’t connect with a wider audience. The band’s sound, which blended progressive metal, funk, pop sensibilities, and forward-thinking songwriting, didn’t neatly fit in with any of the popular genres of their time – especially during their 1988-1996 era. 1994’s heavy + grunge-influenced Dogman should have been the one to break them open. Especially after their performance at Woodstock ’94. Whether it was their distaste of being marketed as a Christian band or just unfortunate timing, the fact is that King’s X have a discography that stands up against some of the most iconic musicians of all time.
Sevendust
Emerging as nu-metal was becoming a major force in music, Sevendust’s first three albums all went Gold. After 2001’s Animosity, it unfortunately never happened again for the veteran alt-metal band – but eschewing trends and perhaps avoiding the pitfalls of many of their peers with more hype, they’ve remained one of music’s most consistent bands since then. Considering they’re another one of those bands where it seems like all of their peers have the utmost respect for them (and especially their live performances), we’re almost certain Sevendust are happy where they’ve ended up. A rare band that hasn’t really experienced a misfire from a quality perspective (most bands would enjoy having an album like Cold Day Memory or Next), Sevendust’s second wind happened on 2013’s Black Out The Sun – a record that plays like a greatest hits package of sorts, and one where vocalist Lajon Witherspoon and company proved they could still have a big impact despite their veteran status. One thing is for sure, Sevendust’s longevity and consistency are both traits that every other musician likely seeks to emulate, and they also have one of the most dedicated fanbases in all of music. So yeah, things did go pretty swimmingly for Sevendust, and they’re still releasing some solid material even now. Plus, they’ve had Grammy nominations and they even opened up for Metallica right at the end of the last millennium, so there’s that.
Seaweed
One of the few bands left holding the bag in the wake of Nirvana’s success, Seaweed emerged before the likes of Nevermind tore up the charts. By the time a proper debut full-length had emerged on Sub Pop Records with 1992’s Weak, it appeared Seaweed – buoyed by a major summer tour in the USA as well as rising success abroad – might hit the big time. Unfortunately, it was not to be despite later tours with Bad Religion and Green Day, and a signing to a major label that hosted some of their most exciting material. Which is a shame, because their grunge-influenced alt-rock sound has more than a few similarities with bands like Title Fight…
Helmet
Arriving at a time where anything labeled with the “alternative” tag was almost certainly a hit for record labels, Helmet scored a million dollar+ advance from Interscope Records that started with the release of their 1992 album, Meantime. Having established themselves as one of alternative metal’s most uncompromising bands with 1990’s Strap It On, they arrived at the perfect time, as the massive success of Nirvana’s Nevermind meant that record labels were looking to sign anyone who might even be in the same ballpark. Enter a band that dressed like regular guys, without any outfits and certainly without any pretension.
Outside of perhaps Tool, Primus, and Faith No More, few bands can claim a bigger influence on nu-metal than Helmet. It made an alternative icon out of Page Hamilton, who remains the only Helmet member to appear on each record. On Meantime, the thundering drum precision of John Stanier (who somehow remains underrated despite his obvious talent) managed to make an abrasive style somehow ridiculously catchy, and on “Just Another Victim”, Helmet collaborated with House Of Pain on a song which also foreshadowed nu-metal’s emergence a year later.
While subsequent albums Betty and Aftertaste didn’t quite experience the commercial success of Meantime, they weren’t complete flops either. And while Helmet never became the “next Nirvana” or anything, they’ve proved to be, well, “Unsung” influences in the alternative and metal scenes. Chevelle is just one band who’s influenced by the propulsive rhythms and lurching riffs of Helmet.
Crossfade
Do you think anyone who played a part in Crossfade’s 2004 self-titled debut album regrets how it all went down for the post-grunge band? We’d hope not. While the band’s sophomore album fell well short of expectations (200k+ copies compared to their Platinum-certified debut) and they’ve released nothing since 2011’s heavy We All Bleed, the fact is that Crossfade found the formula to write massive songs like “So Far Away”, “Colors”, and of course, the iconic “Cold”. Seriously, the latter was basically inescapable for a few years after its release, and is still getting discovered by a new generation as we speak. Only one song has spent more time on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts, and that’s Breaking Benjamin’s “So Cold”. Chilling.
Taproot
Emerging at a time where just about anyone attached to the nu-metal label could likely get a Gold record without much trouble, Taproot’s proper debut full-length Gift arrived in 2000 after a few years of honing their craft – and Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst getting really pissed off that Taproot didn’t sign with Interscope Records. With a vocalist in Stephen Richards who didn’t lack in energy or in passion, the record scored a couple hits – especially with the bouncy rhythms of “Again And Again”. Watch the music video and try telling us this doesn’t look like a nu-metal video. “Need to bring back the old days, when I was in control of my life”, instantly relatable lyric tbh.
While it’s true that Taproot’s accessible brand of alt-metal/nu-metal wasn’t the million-seller that many expected, “Poem” was a big hit on 2002’s Welcome, and 2005’s Blue-Sky Research was a departure from their typical sound that also is arguably their most complete record. They also toured with Linkin Park and Deftones in early 2001, also known as the tour where Linkin Park’s fanbase multiplied exponentially (and Taproot benefited as well).
Ill Niño
Try to forget what happened with the band and their rather ugly split (separating into Lions At The Gate) recently. One of the foremost purveyors of Latin-flavored metal, Ill Niño emerged in 2001 with Revolution Revolucion. Scoring a few hits with that album’s ferocious “I Am Loco” and “What Comes Around”, the band’s unique flair lent itself well to a crossover audience. Also appearing on the Freddy Vs. Jason soundtrack with “How Can I Live”, former vocalist Cristian Machado displayed diversity and was certainly one of the biggest reasons for their solid success.
TrustCompany
Victims of oversaturation, Alabama’s TrustCompany nonetheless scored a Gold album with 2002’s debut album The Lonely Position Of Neutral, with its single “Downfall” arriving just as nu-metal’s commercial viability was trending downward (depending on who you ask). Shockingly, “Downfall” proved to be so popular that it hit #91 on the Billboard Hot 100, and the band’s breathy take on nu-metal // alt-metal delivered some big hooks as well as sizable impact. It took the band over two years to release 2005’s True Parallels, and despite little push from Geffen Records, it still sold over 200k. That was basically it for the band (though they released another album in 2011 and have played occasional shows since then), but that’s still a big deal for a band that emerged perhaps a year or two too late.
Nothingface
Is it a blessing or a curse to have your greatest achievement drop weeks before Hybrid Theory and Chocolate Starfish? In late 2000, Nothingface provided that answer with Violence. What should’ve been the band’s breakout moment ended up as merely a what could have been. It’s not for lack of trying, though. Matt Holt’s vocal command had reached a high point at this time, with “Bleeder” being a definite highlight. And if it wasn’t for Matt Holt’s untimely death in 2017, they might have even played a festival like Sick New World and gained renewed attention. We’ll have to wonder what might have been.
Kittie
Nu-metal was dominated by men, but not completely. Enter Canada’s Kittie, who emerged with their ferocious debut album Spit at the end of the new millennium. Recorded while the members were still in high school, Spit was a raw but pointed affair that took aim at misogynistic critics and tackled topics like body image and objectification – and was an anomaly in the scene at large. That momentum carried all the way to a second stage slot on Ozzfest 2000 and a Gold record that same year, but issues with their record label prevented much of that forward momentum from continuing. Further records like 2001’s Oracle failed to match expectations and album sales, but judging by the band’s reception at recent festivals like Sick New World, the lasting impact Kittie made on a plethora of women cannot be denied. Plus, they were one of the very rare bands in the nu-metal scene to have any kind of death metal influence, which is awfully impressive on its own. And considering the themes they tackled at such a young age, that impact is exponential.
Fight The Fade
Considering the popularity of electronic rock (Starset) and influence that bands like Linkin Park still wield on the community, and you wonder why Fight The Fade haven’t hit the big time. Armed with a staggeringly gifted vocalist in Zene Smith (seriously, you’ll be floored by his range), Fight The Fade really put themselves on the map with their 2014 album Second Horizon. A fusion of multiple genres (metalcore, modern rock, post-hardcore, and even some more melodic + pop influences) makes their sound very accessible and also one that has a broad appeal. Subsequent albums since then have trended in similar directions, with the band’s electronic influences perhaps becoming a little more prominent. It cannot be stressed enough how ridiculous Zene Smith’s vocal range is, one needs only to listen to a track like “Lanterns (In The Dark)” to discover one of the scene’s best-kept secrets.
Hopesfall
Plenty of post-hardcore // metalcore bands of the early 2000s were almost indebted to the trail that Deftones and Hum blazed ahead of them. While perhaps never getting their commercial breakout moment, their 2002 album The Satellite Years was one of the first to introduce shoegaze and space rock influences merged with the aforementioned metalcore ones, there’s more common threads to be found. Hum’s Matt Talbott produced the record and also provided guest vocals on “Escape Pod For Intangibles”, while further efforts like post-hiatus album Arbiter are right on par with Satellite’s quality.
Fightstar
If you don’t know why Fightstar is a big deal, consider this. Vocalist/guitarist Charlie Simpson was a member of Busted, a UK pop-punk band who emerged at the beginning of the new millennium and quickly gained momentum. A few months before their initial breakup, they sold out a staggering eleven consecutive dates at the 12,500 cap Wembley Arena in November 2004. Meanwhile, Simpson’s heart wasn’t in the music he was making with Busted, and he formed Fightstar with Alex Westaway, Dan Haigh, and Omar Abidi shortly before Busted’s original disbandment.
Fightstar’s post-hardcore sound was also Simpson basically starting from scratch. Gone were the headlining tours at arena-level venues, and Fightstar had plenty to prove. Thankfully, they did so without issue – on their debut album with 2006’s Grand Unification, they delivered. A delicate balance of melodic and heavy that few bands manage to get completely right, it’s one that immediately proved any doubters wrong as far as Simpson’s previous career in Busted went – and it’s almost impossible to deny how impactful gems like “Palahniuk’s Laughter” and the ambitious “Mono” are. Yet they’re also capable of delivering some absolutely plastering heavy songs like “Deathcar”, “Animal”, and “Damocles” – and all four of their full-length albums to date have been excellent. Yet they’ve astoundingly retained a unique identity as well, with electronic influences entering their most recent album, 2015’s Behind The Devil’s Back.
While Fightstar certainly has a sizable fanbase, their output has been such quality that it’s a wonder why they’re not bigger. Considering the popularity of bands like Deftones (and almost anyone who sounds remotely similar), it’s actually pretty shocking. Those who know, know, however.
