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Heavy metal band Disturbed came together through the matching of a band with a singer. Longtime friends Dan Donegan (guitar), Mike Wengren (drums), and Fuzz (bass) played together in Chicago for some time before hooking up with singer David Draiman around 1997. Draiman had grown up in a religious family against which he rebelled, being expelled from five boarding schools in his adolescence. His anger found an outlet in the thrashing sound of Disturbed, and the band built up a following on Chicago's south side before a demo tape led to their signing to Giant Records, which released their debut album, The Sickness, in March 2000. The band gained more fans and exposure playing the main stage of the 2001 Ozzfest, then breaking away to do their own self-described "victory lap" around the U.S. that fall. Also during this period, they managed to record a vicious new version of wrestler Steve Austin's theme song that was so good it managed to receive radio play, and they were one of the many bands announced to work on a high-profile Faith No More tribute album. The band stepped into the studio after stepping off of the road and began work on a new disc that would reflect their growth as a band. Feeling experimental, the group worked with producer Johnny K and mixer Andy Wallace in order to create an album that could compare to other classic metal records they admired. Amplifying their fondness for groups like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Pantera, and Soundgarden, Believe was released in the fall of 2002 and was recognized as a heavier, more varied, and ultimately superior record to their debut, ultimately reaching the top of the Billboard 200. The tour document Music as a Weapon II appeared in 2004, and the ambitious studio full-length Ten Thousand Fists in September 2005. William Ruhlmann Bradley Torreano, All Music Guide

Originally hailing from West Chester, PA, the roots of CKY stretch back to 1992, when friends Deron Miller (vocals, guitar) and Jess Margera (drums) met in high school math class, eventually forming the group Foreign Objects together; they issued the five-song EP The Undiscovered Numbers Colors on the Distant Recordings label in fall 1995. By the next year, the two had begun releasing less metal, more radio-friendly music under the name Oil, though continuing to record Foreign Objects work on the side. Picking up their third live bassist, Ryan Bruni, they released two more EPs, 1996's Lifeline and a 1997 self-titled one.

During recording sessions for their debut full-length, the Oil trio met producer Chad I. Ginsburg (aka CIG), who was soon asked to join on permanently as their second guitarist. This addition marked Oil's 1998 dissolution and CKY's birth, as the guys stopped trying to appeal to the mainstream and changed their name to Camp Kill Yourself (Miller thought up the name, thinking it would make a perfect title for a horror movie). Demos were recorded and the quartet caught a break when Margera's pro-skateboarding brother, Bam, was featured doing wacky acts on the video Jump Off a Building, which featured a song ("Genesis 12a") from CKY. Bam was offered to do other videos and called upon his brother's band to supply the soundtracks -- resulting in the release of the 1999's Camp Kill Yourself, Vol. 1 and Vol. 2, which included all the songs from the videos.

Camp Kill Yourself appeared as part of the 1999 Warped Tour, though they were kicked off near the end after joining a fan-generated protest of tour vending prices. The band had also signed with Volcom, reissued Camp Kill Yourself, Vol. 1 with different artwork, and officially changed their name to CKY (quickly altering their original decision of Camp) on the request of Volcom by the first half of 2000. In February, they fired Bruni, disappointed in his performance, and signed up bassist Vern Zaborowski in his place in time for the summer's Warped Tour, also issuing a limited-edition EP, Disengage the Simulator. CKY's songs have also been featured on the popular MTV show Jackass (which prominently featured good ol' Bam), and in 2001, both volumes of Camp Kill Yourself were reissued, just as the group was signed to Def Jam/Island.

When the Infiltrate Destroy Rebuild LP appeared in September 2002, CKY tried to support it as the opening act for Axl Rose's reconstituted Guns N' Roses. Naturally, that tour self-destructed almost immediately. But CKY carried on, and Infiltrate's heavy alt-metal sound helped distance them (somewhat) from being simply a "skate" band. The DVD =Infiltrate Destroy Rebuild: The Video Album appeared in November 2003. Zaborowski exited the band in mid-2004 during sessions for their third album and (as what happened when Bruni left earlier) Ginsburg handled bass until a replacement was found.

CKY returned in June 2005 with An Answer Can Be Found, unflagging in their self-promotional swagger -- Miller spent much of the run-up to the record posting Internet messages about his band's total awesomeness. Around the same time, they also revealed their newest member, ex-All That Remains bassist Mark Deis, who also became the first bass player to assist in songwriting. Touring ensued in support of the record, though CKY and Island parted ways in early 2006. Greg Prato, All Music Guide

The foursome that came together and created Killswitch Engage already had strong fan followings. Mike D'Antonio (bass) was formerly the leader and principal songwriter of Overcast, the legendary underground metal group. When Overcast split in 1998, D'Antonio sought for a year to find the right combination of players to fuse hardcore and metal with melody. During the summer of 1999, D'Antonio connected with Adam Dutkiewitz, who was the drummer for Aftershock, and Joel Stroetzel, Aftershock's guitar player. Jesse Leach, vocalist for Corrin and Nothing Stays Gold, joined on and the foursome took the name Killswitch Engage.

Killswitch Engage made its debut by opening for In Flames during their tour. The Ferret label heard and liked the combination of brutality, sophistication, and breathtaking originality that the group produced, and signed them on. Ferret released Killswitch Engage's self-titled debut album in June 2000 and it immediately began capturing rave reviews.

The group lays out its heavy riffs mixed with both singing vocals and screaming vocals that cover a range from low-pitched death growls to the higher-pitched hyena screams. Stroetzel developed a guitar rhythm that gallops and the rest keep up as they combine elements of hardcore and metal, and ferret in their melody. They come on with an intensity that does not give in.

During 2001, the band recorded "Numbered Days" for the WERS' Nasty Habits live CD, a compilation with bands such as God Forbid, Haste, Unearth, and Poison the Well. Also in 2001, Killswitch Engage signed with Roadrunner Records and started recording their second full album, Alive or Just Breathing, at the Zing Studio in Westfield, MA. The album includes favorites such as "Self-Revolution," "Just Barely Breathing," and a re-recorded version of "Temple From the Within." Andy Sneap was signed on to mix and master this one in his English studio. The album aims at even more of the growling bass tone, heavier guitar crunch, and thicker/faster double bass that permeate the music of the band. Eleanor Ditzel, All Music Guide

A Snow Capped Romance is a romance with people, places and situations... a romance with life itself for 36 Crazyfists' vocalist Brock Lindow. "The last record (Bitterness The Star - 2002) had more depressing subject matter. It was about dwelling on bad relationships and negative things. As we toured and played these songs all the time, we realized that we needed to write more positive material. There will always be things that depress everyone, but A Snow Capped Romance is about getting past that stuff and focusing on the good things that have happened in your life," says Lindow.

Alaskan born and bred, Lindow, Steve Holt (guitar), Mick Whitney (bass) and Thomas Noonan (drums) who now reside in Portland, OR, immediately took to the road following the release of Bitterness The Star, touring the US with the sonically varied likes of Candiria (who became super '36' fans), God Forbid, Chimaira, Diecast, Hotwire, among others and embarked on the European Road Rage tour with their labelmates, Killswitch Engage and Five Pointe O, and got their touring legs firmly underneath them. After their hectic tour cycle, the band took time off to write new material. "I started writing templates for songs and laying down ideas," says guitarist Steve Holt. "Musically, everything is more focused. We all had ideas about what we wanted to accomplish, where we wanted to go and how we wanted the music to be." A conscious effort to keep the album clean was in effect as well. As Lindow explains, "It is much harder to find alternate ways to express yourself, lyrically. Looking back on the last record, the cursing just didn't sound right to me. I tried to avoid it this time."

Lindow expands on his lyrical progression, saying, "I didn't want to write about the same things again, because my life is so different from when I wrote the Bitterness... record." The epic "Cure Eclipse" is one of the first songs the band wrote during the "Snow Capped" sessions and it set the right tone. "This song set the format for the entire record," says Lindow. "It helped me get past situations I was in prior to writing the record. There is even a lyric that says, 'This year cure me' and that's an overall theme." That said, it was the feverish "At The End Of August" that became the earliest public offering from the band, having been featured on the MTV2's Headbangers Ball soundtrack. "It's one of my favorite songs it's about friendship. It's very aggressive, and it's a great rock jam," says Lindow, making it perfect for the compilation. "Installing The Catheter" is a really inspirational tune. "I talk to myself when I write," says Lindow. "The 'you' in the lyrics is 'me.' Basically, I'm saying, 'Change my life' rather than continually talking about anything that keeps me down." While the lyrical content may veer off into new directions, Lindow's utterly distinct vocal style, which falls somewhere between System Of A Down's Serj Tankian and Thursday's Geoff Rickly, remains constant. Consequently, A Snow Capped Romance is a more mature, focused album that taps into a vein of emotionally charged aggression in a signature '36' fashion. This sophomore effort promises to thrust the band to the forefront of the "(scr)emo" / post-hardcore movement.

The right team had to come together to make such a powerful album. A Snow Capped Romance was produced by James Wisner (Dashboard Confessional, Further Seems Forever). 36 chose Wisner specifically to achieve some natural sounds - "he is good with harmonies and worked really well with Brock," says Holt. The band then switched gears and chose veteran Andy Sneap, arguably the most notorious mixer in heavy music, who has worked with Earth Crisis, Killswitch Engage and Arch Enemy, among others. The combination proved perfect and brought out the best in this unique act.

Brock, Steve, Mick and Thomas also assert that the album title is a tribute to their home state, one most Americans don't keep in the forefront of their consciousness due to its physical distance. "The whole record is also about the love we have for Alaska," admits Lindow. "We want to always remember where we are from. It's good to be in love with your surroundings." "A Snow Capped Romance" is sure to start many a fan's love-affair with the music of 36 Crazyfists and fans should know the love is mutual. "We love touring and getting out there to meet fans," says Lindow, "look out for us on the road this time around. It is going to be great!"

Director	John Woo
Genre	War
Plot Outline	Two U.S. Marines in WWII are assigned to protect Navajo Marines who use their native language as an unbreakable radio cypher.
Cast	Nicolas Cage, Adam Beach, Peter Stormare, Roger Willie, Christian Slater

Director	Justin Lin
Genre	Action
Plot Outline	In order to avoid a jail sentence, Sean Boswell heads to Tokyo to live with his military father. In a low-rent section of the city, Shaun gets caught up in the underground world of drift racing.
Cast	Lucas Black, Nathalie Kelley, Bow Wow, Brian Tee, Sung Kang

Director	Zack Snyder
Genre	Horror
Plot Outline	The survivors of a worldwide plague that is producing the flesh-hungry undead, take refuge in a mega shopping mall.
Cast	Sarah Polley, Ving Rhames, Jake Weber, Mekhi Phifer, Michael Kelly

Director	Eli Roth
Genre	Horror
Plot Outline	Three backpackers head to a Slovakian city that promises to meet their hedonistic expectations, with no idea of the hell that awaits them.
Cast	Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, Eythor Gudjonsson