Lostprophets

90年中期以后，當金屬搖滾走入了新的世代后，接連出現Korn、Linkin Park、Limp Bizkit等團，無不是揮舞著Nu-Metal旗幟，將Metal樂帶入另一波的高潮！但是放眼望去居于此掛的樂團，幾乎清一色皆來自美國，現在要向大家介紹這組完完全全來自英國，卻流著相當美式的新金屬樂風，也沒有濃厚英國腔調或雌雄莫辨嗓音的Lostprophets，將由英國出發，直撲美國本土與延伸搖滾版圖至全球搖滾市場！成軍于1997年威爾斯海港加地夫，當地下獨立樂團Public Disturbance宣布解散分道揚鑣之始，團中吉他手Mike Lewis與鼓手Ian Watkins開始著手創立新團，對外陸續招募了新成員：第二吉他手Lee Glaze及鼓手Mike Chiplin，原任鼓手的Ian則轉戰主唱的職位，全新的隊伍就在初步四人配合下進行演唱表演，精采的舞臺魅力，立即吸引了相當具有權威的金屬雜志Kerrang的注意，邀請他們參加倫敦的演唱表演，藉此獲得獨立廠Visible Noise的喜愛并簽入旗下錄制單曲，1999年加入了貝斯手Stuard Richardson，隔年發行獨立廠的首張專輯《The Fake Sound Of Progress》，接著與Linkin Park、Deftones、The Used等團作巡回演出，此時的成員由5名在增加一位DJ Jamie Oliver，幸運的在2001年夏天Nu-Metal完全受到歡迎的美國，吸引了主流廠的興趣，在美發行權交由Sony推出，請來流行/搖滾界鼎鼎大名的Michael Barbiero(Guns N' Roses、Metallica、Madonna)將《The Fake Sound Of Progress》重新混音發行，美國則在短時間賣出10余萬張，英國則銷售掛上金唱片！ 大獲全勝的征服美國市場并風光紅回祖國的Lostprophets，將帶著第二張作品《Start Something》再闖搖滾樂壇！請來他們極為欣賞的Eric Valentine(Queens Of The Stone Age、Good Charlotte、Third Eye Blind)制作操盤！陣陣急躁吉他聲響在Ian一聲令下“Go!!”，We Still Kill The Old Way劃開狂放怒放的金屬氣勢！失序的聲音頻率不時夾雜在流暢多變的旋律中，To Hell We Ride混著一氣喝成的快意；早已成為英美兩地點播率高居不下的Last Train Home，起頭的吉他音韻讓人陷入Blink-182的What's My Age Age的錯覺中，7秒后在Ian--1.2.3嘶吼的下馬上掉入樂音反差強烈令人熱血沸騰的Nu-Metal曲式中！Burn Burn夾雜些許復古金屬搖滾的情緒，是首相當精采的搖滾佳作！穿梭著些許電音射線包裹怒氣依舊的同名單曲Start Something，末了的輕聲琴韻結尾就在你以為可以休息一下時，馬上轉入隆隆作響、爽快DJ刮碟的A Million Miles，呈獻如EMO樂派般的失序感中！最后Ian說道：“我們沒興趣對已加貼在我們身上的音樂卷標作任何的辯解，只想好好作出我們喜歡的音樂給支持的樂迷們！”聽聽《Start Something》，讓Lostprophets作出最真誠的聆聽感受！ by David Jeffries Lostprophets frontman Ian Watkins and guitarist Mike Lewis grew up together in the Cardiff satellite town of Pontypridd. They began blending musical genres as members of the band Public Disturbance. Watkins was a drummer at the time, but he moved to vocals when the pair first started experimenting as Lozt Prophetz. Watkins and Lewis flirted with ska and hip-hop at first, then came to an aggressive style of rock that mixed together their longtime love of metal and pop. They also changed the spelling to Lostprophets and added Lee Gaze (guitar), Stuart Richardson (bass), and Mike Chiplin (drums) to the lineup. After Lostprophets' demo was featured in Kerrang! magazine, U.K. independent label Visible Noise offered them an album deal in 2000. That year's The Fake Sound of Progress was recorded over the course of a week for roughly $4,000. Hitting the road to promote the album, the band played support slots with Linea 77, Taproot, Pitchshifter, Linkin Park, and the Deftones, and a huge show at the 2001 Reading Festival helped the fan base grow. Keyboardist Jamie Oliver joined the band to expand its sound, and Sony signed the band in the U.S., releasing a different version of The Fake Sound of Progress in 2001, one that had been remixed and "retooled" by famed producer Michael Barbiero. A North American tour followed. The album's successor, 2004's Start Something, proved that all the gigging had paid off. It debuted at number five on the U.K. charts and reached number 33 on the Billboard Top 200 despite having been leaked early on the Internet. More touring followed, including a sold-out show at the giant Cardiff International Arena and a main-stage performance at the 2004 Reading Festival. In 2005 the bandmembers were considering different producers for their third effort before deciding on Bob Rock, the man responsible for Metallica's self-titled "Black Album." Drummer Chiplin departed so Rock and the band recruited drummer Josh Freese -- who had worked with A Perfect Circle, Rob Zombie, and many others -- for recording sessions. The completed album, Liberation Transmission, was released at the beginning of summer 2006.