Criss Cross Canvas Blog

The American band Avenged Sevenfold first saw the light of day in Huntington Beach, California when the then 18 year old founding band members came together. The band name was the idea of vocalist M. Shadows. Although the name carries sinister suggestions, it is actually a direct reference to the biblical story of Cain and Abel. The group has clarified though, that they are not a religious band.

The group name is not the only one that stands out. The members have also taken on stage names that are reflective of their musical leanings. Other original members are Zacky Vengeance, James “The Rev” Sullivan and Matt Wendt. Current members with Vengeance and Shadows now include Synyster Gates who plays lead guitar and Johnny Christ who handles bass.

The group obviously belonged to the metalcore genre when they first began playing. This was exactly what they offered in Sounding the Seventh Trumpet which was originally relased by Good Life Recordings in 2001. The same metalcore album was released a second time by Hopeless Records in 2002.

In the following year, the group saw more action with the release of Walking the Fallen. In the same year, the group saw greater recognition as they played in the Vans Warped Tour in both 2003 and 2004. After this Avenged Sevenfold album release, their eventual move to mainstream was marked by their move to Warner Bros. Records. Apparently, this also introduced more popular Avenged Sevenfold merch.

It was with Warner Bros. in 2005 that Avenged Sevenfold came up with City of Evil, their third album. Despite being viewed as highly reflective of the band’s image, the album was a departure from their initial musical tone. Metalcore was no longer the strong element in the band’s music but rock. This is obvious because of the glaring omission of screaming vocal outputs.

In 2006, the group gained acclaim as MTV Video Music Awards’ Best New Artist. In this same year, they returned to the Vans Warped Tour, played in Ozzfest and launched their own world tour covering the US, UK and Australia among other locations. As if to highlight their new popular status, the band capped 2007 with the release of their self-titled fourth album, Avenged Sevenfold which debuted at the #4 spot.

The year 2009 gave the group its first real obstacle. By the end of the year, the group had made it to the second spot of Ultimate Guitar’s Top Ten Bands of the Decade trailing only behind the legendary Metallica. In the same month however, Avenged Sevenfold lost its drummer, James “The Rev” Sullivan due to drugs. The loss was significant but by February of the following year, the band had moved on with drummer Mike Portnoy.

The band has emphatically mentioned that Sullivan will forever be part of Avenged Sevenfold. The group’s new drummer however is obviously set to see more action in the months to come. Shadows has revealed that the group’s fifth album will be out by July. By his own admission, it will be the group’s darkest work yet.

The seeming switch in genre is understandable. Avenged Sevenfold is apparently evolving. Nonetheless, they are clearly on more stable foundations than other bands. There is hardly any doubt what the band wants to evoke with its dark sounds. They’ll surely be in more future band posters.

Who doesn’t know Blink 182? The band has been on top of its pop punk scene for years and can boast of an international fan base. Some music experts and music merch sellers believe that there is just Blink 182 and most of the others are mere posers. This has become all the more true considering that the band’s name is first on everyone’s mind when pop punk is mentioned.

Blink 182 is so much on top of its genre that the group is generally regarded as a major influential force that has shaped the music of countless other bands. The numerous recognitions that the group has received are proof of their enduring influence.

Outstanding Discography

Blink 182 has been an extremely active band. They currently have twenty-one singles and three extended plays. They also have four video albums, five studio albums and one compilation. Their music first saw the light of day in 1994 with Cheshire Cat when the band first came together as a group. This initial release did not meet with success but it gave the band its first shot at establishing a long career. In 1997, Dude Ranch came out with better success.

Enema of the State marked the highlight of the band’s career since the album reached top ten of the Billboard 200. “All the Small Things” is one of the band’s more popular songs and reached number one in the Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Despite their popularity though, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket which came out in 2001 became the only number one Blink 182 album in the US. The band’s eponymous album released in 2003 only managed to reach top three in the Billboard 200. Nonetheless, this piece of work is widely regarded as the group’s definitive work.

The band is reportedly working on a sixth album due for release this year. For a band that has already sold 25 million album copies, it is possible that this new release will rake in even more sales from devoted Blink 182 discography fans.

Constancy in Composition

Except for Scott Raynor, who was the drummer and percussionist of the band from 1992 to 1998 and was subsequently replaced by Travis Barker, the other two band members remained the same since 1992. These were Mark Hoppus on lead vocals and bass as well as Tom DeLonge on lead vocals and guitar; both were songwriters for Blink 182.

Like many other successful groups, the members of Blink 182 are said to share a strong and solid working and personal connection. This is perhaps their secret to the numerous awards that they’ve received. Among their many nominations and awards are:

• Teen Choice Awards – Choice Rock Group (2000), Best Rock Group (2001) and Choice Love Song (2004) for “I Miss You”
• MTV Video Music Awards – Best Group Video (2000) for “All the Small Things” in addition to other nominations for Video of the Year and best Pop Video
• MTV Europe- Best New Act (2000) and Best Rock Act (2001)

The music of Blink 182 hasn’t always been known just as pop punk. Other terms associated with their work include punk revival, skate punk and punk rock. Despite the category confusion though, it is obvious that the band has maintained its strong influence on modern music culture. The group will surely have their band posters up on walls for many years.

Compared to other bands, Bring Me the Horizon hasn’t been around for very long. Nonetheless, it is obvious that like any other band, this one from Sheffield, Yorkshire aspires to launch an international music merch invasion. The may be on the right track to it.

The band’s name isn’t a complete unknown. Movie fans would recognize it as a line from Captain Jack Sparrow, “Now bring me that horizon,” from the popular movie Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. For a metalcore group, the name seems a bit whimsical but fans don’t even seem to care.

Band Story and Albums Released

Three distinct periods define the history of Bring Me the Horizon. The first period spans 2004 to 2007 and marks the band’s formation and early years. The members of the group originated from different local bands. Members included Oliver Sykes on lead vocals; Matt Kean on bass guitar; Lee Malia on lead guitar; Matt Nicholls on percussion and drums and Curtis Ward on rhythm guitar. Ward later bowed out of the group and was replaced by Jona Weinhofen who eventually settled in as vocalist, keyboardist and programmer.

The debut album Count Your Blessings came out in 2006 in the United Kingdom. It took nearly a year for the album to come out in the United States. In 2007, the band participated in the Download Festival. They saw more action when they toured with such notable artists as Killswitch Engage, Lostprophets, I Killed the Prom Queen, The Haunted and The Blackout.

The second period consisted of line-up changes which happened from 2008 to 2009. Said change happened in March 2009 when Curtis Ward left the band and was then replaced by Jona Weinhofen in May 2009, albeit only on a temporary basis during the first two months. In July 2009, Weinhofen was officially declared as the newest member of the band.

It was also during this time that the group released their second studio Bring Me the Horizon album titled Suicide Season. Unlike the first album, this one definitely had the metal core sound to it, which the fans loved and which attained its peak at number 28 of the Australian ARIA Albums Chart.

Close to the end of 2009, Suicide Season: Cut Up!, a remixed version of the original was released. Unlike the original, this one came infused with a variety of musical elements including electro and hip hop. This is most likely because of the contribution of many individuals including Sonny Moore and Shawn Crahan.

The group’s third period spans 2009 to the present and, hopefully, the release of the third Being Me the Horizon album. It is slated for release in the summer of 2010, an event that many fans are eagerly awaiting for.

Band Awards

In the short span of time that the band has been around, it has reaped a couple of awards. These include the 2006 Kerrang! Award for Best British Newcomer, Rock Sound Best British Band and the Best Album for Suicide Season. Despite these distinctions however, the band has had mixed reviews from listeners. The group was tagged as the 2008 Worst Band by the Kerrang! Reader’s poll. The album Suicide Season was also named the Worst Album by the Rock Sound reader’s poll.

Despite mixed reception however, the group has showed no signs of throwing the towel. There may be a couple more years of getting featured on band posters for this young group.

Hailed as the most popular rock and roll band of the 1990s, Pearl Jam remains one of the music scene’s demi-gods as shown by music merch sales. This, despite the insistence of the band members in standing up for oft-controversial issues related to ethics and politics. As a result, one magazine has asserted that the band has spent too much time deliberately hacking away at its own fame.

Despite their controversial stands though, nothing can remove the band from its pedestal. They are true rock legends. For two decades, countless fans continue to listen to their music. To date, band members include Eddie Vedder on guitar and lead vocals, Stone Gossard on rhythm guitar, Matt Cameron on drums, Jeff Ament on bass and Mike McCreedy on lead guitar.

All Time Favorite Discography

While other artists from the 90s have paled, Pearl Jam continues to shine. This is only natural considering that the band has been able to sell a whooping 60 million albums around the world. One secret to the enduring quality of the band’s music is the wide scope that song themes revolve around. People from all walks of life can relate to the music.

At present, Pearl Jam has 9 studio albums, 2 compilation albums and 6 live albums with 28 singles and several official bootlegs to its name. It must be noted that the number does not include numerous collaborations with other bands like Soundgarden, Mother Love Bone, and Temple of the Dog, to name a few.

The nine studio albums are spread well over two decades. They came up with Ten in 1991, Vs in 1993, Vitalogy in 1994, No Code in 1996, Yield in 1998, Binaural in 2000, Riot Act in 2002, Pearl Jam in 2006 and Backspacer in 2009.

Band Influence and Legacy

There is no doubt that the band has its own unique and noticeable mark. Most hardcore fans would know though that it is difficult to pin Pearl Jam entirely on one category. Although the group is generally considered a classical or punk rock band, they have successfully fused a number of musical elements from different genres.

For example, the Ten album was considered the high point of alternative rock. By the time Vitalogy was released, the punk sound became more dominant while No Code featured garage rock. The Yield album was rock and roll, which was followed by the art rock of Binaural and then the folk rock sound of Riot Act. The self-tiled Pearl Jam was a return to the band’s alternative rock roots while the latest album, Backspacer, has pop and New Wave elements.

The band’s influence on other bands is impressive, too. Bands ranging from Silverchair (alternative rock) and Puddle of Mudd (post-grunge) to The Strokes (rock) cite Pearl Jam as their prime inspiration. Plus, there is also the fact that fans, called Jamily, have an almost cult-like adoration for the band and its music.

But their legacy does not only extend to the music industry. Eddie Vedder has used and continues to use the band’s popularity to espouse social and political causes like pro-choice, environment and wildlife protection, awareness of Chrohn’s disease, voter registration and participation, and charities.

With all that Pearl Jam has been up to, it’s clear that they have proven that rock performers are not all self-centered or concerned only about fame. This is what makes the band special and worthy of putting on a pedestal or at least on hundreds of band posters.

If there is one band from the beautiful city of Helsinki that often defies the labels slapped on bands, then it must be HIM. Music industry critics and band store owners have labeled the band’s music from the sub-genres of rock like gothic rock, alternative rock and hard rock and of metal like gothic metal, alternative metal and doom metal. There have been too many names but one thing is true, only the band members and their fans can decide what to label their music.

Genre and Symbol

It is perhaps because of the differing categories that the term love metal was hatched to define the group’s kind of music. In an attempt to be as exact as possible, experts say that love metal is really a mixture of rock, gothic, heavy, rock and pop elements. This rich mix is said to largely be the result of lead singer Ville Valo’s creative juices.

In accordance with its name, the so-called heartagram represents the band as well as the musical genre. Because of its wide popularity, Valo once remarked that the band is now better known for its symbol than its music.

Band Past

The original name of the band is His Infernal Majesty. After the Wicked Game single came out in 1998, this name was seemingly shortened to HIM. Other groups carry names similar to it. The group however is not the same as the Christian band 4Him, the American post rock group HiM and the Canadian metal band Infernal Majesty.

The group only really adopted the HIM name after it bought the rights of the name from HiM. Before they were able to obtain the rights, they used HER for Razorblade Romance, and HIM and HER for tours across Europe.

Like a lot of other bands, HIM has had its fair share of member shifts and changes. Band members include a considerably long list of performers. This includes lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist Ville Valo; lead and acoustic guitarist Mikko Lindstrom; bass guitarist and backup vocalist Mikko Paananen; drummer and percussionist Mika Karppinen; and keyboardist and backup vocalist Janne Puurtinen. Past members complete the official list with drummers and percussionists Juhana Tuomas Rantala, Juippi, and Juha Tarvonen; keyboardists Sergei Ovalov, Antto Melasniemi and Jussi-Mikko Salminen; and guitarist Oki.

Studio Albums Released

As expected from this unique band, they can boast of a substantial work collection. They have twenty-two singles, twenty-three music videos, seven HIM albums, six compilations, one live album, one extended play and four video albums.

• Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666 (1997)- Contrary to its title, this is not meant to be Satanic
• Razorblade Romance (1999)- It has the distinction of being the all-time bestseller album in Finnish music history
• Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights (2001)- This is the current band member’s debut effort although it is the third under the HIM label
• Love Metal (2003)- Widely considered as the band’s most definitive work, it features the heartagram logo for the first time
• Dark Light (2005)- This was inspired by ancient mythologies and modern religions
• Venus Doom (2007)- It has the heaviest metal sound of the band at present
• Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice (2010)- Valo describes the album as a cathartic, primal scream

With this long list of artistic creations, there is no doubt that HIM will be around for long on band posters. There’s no killing this pioneering music giant.

Huntington Beach, California is the place of origin of the dark band, Avenged Sevenfold. It was in 1999 when the band members, all still in high school, first came together. Vocalist M. Shadows came up with the band name. Despite not being a religious band, their name is actually lifted from a biblical reference contained in the Cain and Abel story in which God warns that anyone who kills Cain will be punished sevenfold.

The group name is not the only one that stands out. The members have also taken on stage names that are reflective of their musical leanings. Other original members are Zacky Vengeance, James “The Rev” Sullivan and Matt Wendt. Current members with Vengeance and Shadows now include Synyster Gates who plays lead guitar and Johnny Christ who handles bass.

At the outset, the group appropriately took on metalcore tones which seemed to fit perfectly with their image. This was evident in their first album Sounding the Seventh Trumpet which was released under Good Life Recordings in 2001 and under Hopeless Records in 2002.

In the following year, the group saw more action with the release of Walking the Fallen. In the same year, the group saw greater recognition as they played in the Vans Warped Tour in both 2003 and 2004. After this Avenged Sevenfold album release, their eventual move to mainstream was marked by their move to Warner Bros. Records. Apparently, this also introduced more popular Avenged Sevenfold merch.

It was under their current, more popularly known label that the band released its third album, City of Evil in 2005. Although considered definitive by many music critics, this release showed a marked difference in the band’s musical style. Rather than sticking to its metalcore roots, Avenged Sevenfold transitioned to rock. The transformation is apparent because of the absence of intensely screamed vocal renditions.

By 2006, Avenged Sevenfold began enjoying greater popularity. They bagged the Best New Artist Recognition in the MTV Video Music Awards. On this year, they were also seen in the Vans Warped Tour, the Ozzfest and on their own world tour that covered major locations in the US, UK, Japan and Australia. The group’s growing reputation came to greater light when their 2007 self-titled album grabbed the fourth spot on its debut.

Things were only starting to look up for the group when 2009 ended in a bang on both positive and negative notes. The group had been placed on the second slot of the Top Ten Bands of the Decade by Ultimate Guitar. They lost the number one spot to legendary group Metallica. At roughly the same time, the group lost its drummer. The Rev had been found dead due to drug related complications. Early this year, the band has had to tap a replacement for The Rev, getting Mike Portnoy to take on drum duties.

The band has emphatically mentioned that Sullivan will forever be part of Avenged Sevenfold. The group’s new drummer however is obviously set to see more action in the months to come. Shadows has revealed that the group’s fifth album will be out by July. By his own admission, it will be the group’s darkest work yet.

The seeming switch in genre is understandable. Avenged Sevenfold is apparently evolving. Nonetheless, they are clearly on more stable foundations than other bands. There is hardly any doubt what the band wants to evoke with its dark sounds. They’ll surely be in more future band posters.

HIM is a Finnish band that seemingly defies conventional band store categorization. The band has been alternatively placed under the genres of rock and metal. This isn’t the end of the attempt to define the group though since it has also been variously placed under the sub genres of gothic, hard, doom and alternative. There are just so many different ways of looking at the band’s work. Clearly though, it doesn’t seem to matter what their music is most like.

Symbolism

Perhaps the closest label that can be pinned on HIM is love metal. This may seem like a strange category considering that it is in fact a mix of a variety of influences and approaches including gothic, rock, pop, glam and heavy metal. This unique brand of music is often said to be Ville Valo’s creation.

In accordance with its name, the so-called heartagram represents the band as well as the musical genre. Because of its wide popularity, Valo once remarked that the band is now better known for its symbol than its music.

Band Story

The original name of the band is His Infernal Majesty. After the Wicked Game single came out in 1998, this name was seemingly shortened to HIM. Other groups carry names similar to it. The group however is not the same as the Christian band 4Him, the American post rock group HiM and the Canadian metal band Infernal Majesty.

Of all the similarly named groups, it is HiM that bears the closest connection with the group. The Finnish HIM bought the rights from the American HiM to use the name. In the past, the group used HER for the album Razorblade. They also used HIM and HER for European tours.

Like a lot of other bands, HIM has had its fair share of member shifts and changes. Band members include a considerably long list of performers. This includes lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist Ville Valo; lead and acoustic guitarist Mikko Lindstrom; bass guitarist and backup vocalist Mikko Paananen; drummer and percussionist Mika Karppinen; and keyboardist and backup vocalist Janne Puurtinen. Past members complete the official list with drummers and percussionists Juhana Tuomas Rantala, Juippi, and Juha Tarvonen; keyboardists Sergei Ovalov, Antto Melasniemi and Jussi-Mikko Salminen; and guitarist Oki.

Released Albums

The band is currently one of the most productive of modern bands. They have seven HIM albums, six compilations, one live album, one extended play, twenty-two singles, four video albums and twenty-three music videos. Some of their works are detailed below.

• Greatest Love Songs Vol. 666 came out in 1997 but is not a Satanic album as some would think
• Razorblade Romance was released in 1999 and is a particularly significant work because it is an undisputed bestseller in the Finnish music scene
• Deep Shadows and Brilliant Highlights was a 2001 album that first featured the current band lineup
• Love Metal is a 2003 album, featuring the heartagram, that clearly reflects the band and its genre the most
• Dark Light followed in 2005 and was inspired by ancient mythology and present day religions
• Venus Doom was released in 2007 and is currently considered the most heavy metal of all HIM albums
• Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice is the most recent 2010 release from the group and is dubbed by Valo himself as a cathartic primal scream

With this long list of artistic creations, there is no doubt that HIM will be around for long on band posters. There’s no killing this pioneering music giant.

To this very day, many new bands revere Iron Maiden. This is only natural. The band has after all, been around for more than thirty years and continues to generate sales of its top selling albums and music merch.

As of today, the group has sold 75 million records worldwide. For this accomplishment and for their work, they have been included in the Hollywood RockWalk. To further illustrate the wide and enduring influence of this band, one only has to look at the various films, video games and songs in which the group is mentioned. The continuing popularity of Iron Maiden simply can’t be stopped.

Band Past

Despite their near legend status, the group has had some experience in changing lineups. It was Steve Harris who founded the first group in December of 1975. The band’s name is taken from the torture tool called iron maiden used in the film The Man in the Iron Mask. Other than Harris who is the band’s bassist, backup vocals and studio keyboardist, guitarist David Murray shares the distinction of being the member who has been with the group the longest.

Presently, band members include Bruce Dickinson on lead vocals who is joined by Janick Gers on guitar; Adrian Smith on backup vocals and guitar and Nicko McBrian on percussion and drums. Michael Kenney takes on the keyboards for live performances. Former members include Dennis Stratton, Dennis Wilcock, Paul Day, Paul Di’Anno, Clive Burr and Doug Sampson. As with many other bands, not all former members left in good standing with the group. Some had to be forced out or had to leave due to professional altercations.

Albums Released

The studio Iron Maiden albums released since 1975 until 2010 now number 30 in all comprised of 14 studio albums, 4 extended plays (EPs), 5 compilations and 7 live albums. With such an impressive collection of albums to its name, the band has been cited in many music industry rankings including the VH1 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock, the MTV Top 10 Greatest Heavy Metal Bands of All Time and the Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement, amongst other accolades heaped on the band.

It’s impossible to describe here in detail all of Iron Maiden’s significant works. Here are among the most notable:

• Iron Maiden released in 1980 is the self-titled album that carries such popular pieces as The Phantom of the Opera, Sanctuary and the self-titled song Iron Maiden
• The band’s highest selling album Number of the Beast came out two years later with Bruce Dickinson on vocals and is thought to be one of the top influential albums of all time in the genre of heavy metal, having sold more than 14 million copies
• Seventh Son of a Seventh Son was a 1988 release and is regarded as a lyrical composition focusing on mysticism, reincarnation and the afterlife
• The Final Frontier is the most recent body of work that is scheduled to come out this year some time in summer

There’s no way the band will disappear from band posters soon. Clearly, from here onwards, old fans and new ones will continue to scream, “Up the irons!”

Bring Me the Horizon is a British band from Sheffield, Yorkshire that is categorized under the metalcore category. Like many bands, it hopes to eventually take a spot in the international music merch scene. It remains to be seen though whether the group will manage to break out.

The band’s name isn’t a complete unknown. Movie fans would recognize it as a line from Captain Jack Sparrow, “Now bring me that horizon,” from the popular movie Pirates of the Carribean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. For a metalcore group, the name seems a bit whimsical but fans don’t even seem to care.

Band History and Studio Albums Released

The story behind Bring Me the Horizon is neatly divided into three parts. The first part is from 2004 to 2007 and marks their early years. The group came to be in 2004, after members of local music groups came together. Oliver Sykes took on lead vocals. He was joined by Matt Nicholls on percussions, Lee Malia on lead guitar, Matt Kean on bass guitar and Curtis Ward on rhythm guitar. When Ward decided to leave the group, Jona Weinhofen filled in and also handled vocals, programming and keyboards.

The debut album Count Your Blessings came out in 2006 in the United Kingdom. It took nearly a year for the album to come out in the United States. In 2007, the band participated in the Download Festival. They saw more action when they toured with such notable artists as Killswitch Engage, Lostprophets, I Killed the Prom Queen, The Haunted and The Blackout.

The second period of the band’s history from 2008 to 2009 saw some major changes to the group’s lineup. In 2009, Curtis Ward went his own way and Jona Weinhofen jumped onboard two months after. This was supposed to be a temporary arrangement for a couple of months but Weinhofen was eventually recognized as an official band member in mid 2009.

Around this period, the group came up with the second Bring Me the Horizon album. The release of Suicide Season met with better reception than the first release. This was mainly because the second album took on a more metalcore approach than the first one. It went on to take the 28th slot in the Australian ARIA Albums chart.

Near the end of 2009, the group released the remix version of their album under the title, Suicide Season: Cut Up! This version was a collaborative work among various individuals including Shawn Crahan, Ben Weinman and Sonny Moore. Hence, it features various musical elements including hip hop.

The band’s third phase is from last year to this year. It is expected to be punctuated by the summer 2010 release of the third Bring Me the Horizon album. This is one definite development that fans await.

Band Awards

This British metal core band has reaped accolades and criticisms too in their native land. Among the accolades heaped on Bring Me the Horizon are the 2006 Kerrang! Award for Best British Newcomer as well as the Rock Sound Best British Band and the Best Album for Suicide Season. It was also voted the 2008 Worst Band by the Kerrang! Readers’ poll and the album Suicide Season as the Worst Album by the Rock Sound readers’ poll. It only shows just how fickle the fans and the music industry can be.

Despite mixed reception however, the group has showed no signs of throwing the towel. There may be a couple more years of getting featured on band posters for this young group.

When it comes to dominance in the pop punk genre of the music scene both in the United States and abroad, Blink 182 is one of the bands on top of the heap of would-be posers. One might say that the band’s name will be mentioned in the blink of an eye whenever the subject of pop punk is mentioned in music industry circles and among music merch sellers.

Blink 182 is so much on top of its genre that the group is generally regarded as a major influential force that has shaped the music of countless other bands. The numerous recognitions that the group has received are proof of their enduring influence.

Excellent Discography

Blink 182 has been an extremely active band. They currently have twenty-one singles and three extended plays. They also have four video albums, five studio albums and one compilation. Their music first saw the light of day in 1994 with Cheshire Cat when the band first came together as a group. This initial release did not meet with success but it gave the band its first shot at establishing a long career. In 1997, Dude Ranch came out with better success.

Enema of the State, debuted with a spot in Billboard 200′s top ten. The song “All the Small Things” peaked at number 1 in the Hot Modern Rock Track charts, making it the most successful.

Despite their popularity though, Take Off Your Pants and Jacket which came out in 2001 became the only number one Blink 182 album in the US. The band’s eponymous album released in 2003 only managed to reach top three in the Billboard 200. Nonetheless, this piece of work is widely regarded as the group’s definitive work.

Album number six is said to be in the works for a 2010 release. After having sold 25 million album copies around the world, it is reasonable to say that music fans and critics alike eagerly anticipate this new work to be added to the Blink 182 discography.

Outstanding Compositions

Except for Scott Raynor, who was the drummer and percussionist of the band from 1992 to 1998 and was subsequently replaced by Travis Barker, the other two band members remained the same since 1992. These were Mark Hoppus on lead vocals and bass as well as Tom DeLonge on lead vocals and guitar; both were songwriters for Blink 182.

Undoubtedly, the good music that Blink 182 provides is the major reason for its popularity. The staying power of the group however is often also pinned on the fact that the members share strong personal and professional bonds. This has led to a number of important merits:

• Teen Choice Awards – Choice Rock Group (2000), Best Rock Group (2001) and Choice Love Song (2004) for “I Miss You”
• MTV Video Music Awards – Best Group Video (2000) for “All the Small Things” in addition to other nominations for Video of the Year and best Pop Video
• MTV Europe- Best New Act (2000) and Best Rock Act (2001)

Although the music of Blink 182 has been variously described as pop punk, punk rock, punk revival and skate punk, one thing is not in question. Its music is as relevant today as it was more than a decade ago in terms of teen angst. This group will definitely have their band posters on fan walls for years to come.