Eighteen Visions was an Orange County-based band, signed to Epic Records and Trustkill Records. Evolving from Metalcore to Mainstream Rock throughout the years, they broke up in April 2007.

They've had some of the biggest hits of the alternative era - "Dose", "Take A Picture", "Where Do We Go From Here?", the controversial "Hey Man, Nice Shot" just to name a few - and their characteristic fusion of industrial music and anthemic hard rock has made them a massive concert draw and a commercial-radio staple. They've collaborated with Trent Reznor, The Crystal Method, D'Arcy Wretzky from the Smashing Pumpkins, among many others. But none of that is what we respect the most about Filter. We respect Filter for their guts, their outspokenness, and their willingness to tackle difficult subjects in their rough-edged rock songs. A band whose lead single concerned the televised suicide of Philadelphia politician Budd Dwyer is not likely to shy away from tough language and provocative sentiments.

And as Filter's career has progressed, their statements have become bolder, more confrontational, and more articulate. Songs on The Amalgamut, their 2002 release, addressed addiction, the Columbine shootings, prison, false patriotism, and the 9/11 attacks on America. Anthems For The Damned, their latest release, picks up where the last album left off - singer Richard Patrick writes candidly about rampant militarism, the culture of violence, and his own experiences in alcohol rehabilitation. The album is appropriately-titled: these are huge cinematic-sounding productions, rafter-raising and inspiring, in spite of (and sometimes because of) the dark tone.

The band's critiques of modern society are sharp, but wouldn't stick if they weren't delivered with such conviction and power. Richard Patrick's voice has always had a lunatic authority to it; on Anthems For The Damned, it soars through these mixes like a guided missile. As always, his vocals are spot-welded onto edgy, bracing tracks - crammed with distorted guitar, piston-pumping bass, and experimental electronics. That said, "Soldiers Of Misfortune" may be the most immediately accessible and appealing thing they've ever recorded: a piece of concrete-solid modern rock with an undeniable chorus and a magnificent performance by the animated Patrick.

And don't get the wrong idea: this track may be radio-ready, but the Filter frontman is as polemical as ever. Written after a Filter fan was killed in action overseas, "Soldiers Of Misfortune" is a condemnation of America's addiction to armed solutions to international problems - and a pledge of sympathy for the young combatants who pay the ultimate price. "Can't we learn from history?", bellows Patrick, before soliciting a prayer for peace from his audience. Evan Lane's clip for "Soldiers Of Misfortune" is bleak and, at times, disturbing. But the band looks terrific - as commanding as they ever did in the mid-Nineties. Lane shoots the quintet under cool blue light; Patrick is sometimes blurred and sometimes swallowed whole by the darkness, but at critical moments, his face snaps into crisp focus, and he delivers his broadsides with infectious outrage. Around the band, a sea of black, bubbly oil is brewing - and soldier-mannequins, adorned with the American flag - sink slowly into the tar. It's a visual metaphor for the military quagmire we've found ourselves stuck in, and it's particularly upsetting to see the young faces sacrificed to the hunger for oil, their faces swamped by black gold.

"The Bleeding" only hints at the pure, pounding fury of upcoming The Way Of The Fist. Produced by Stevo "Shotgun" Bruno (Motley Crue), Mike Sarkysian (Spineshank) and Logan Mader (Machine Head), the debut album is a bone-crunching amalgam of classic and contemporary metal styles. "It was important", explains the band "that everyone involved at any stage of this recording was a diehard metalhead." The lead single is the most melodic and radio-friendly track on the set - but it possesses a grim and austere potency all its own, and Bradley Scott's courageous and descriptive video makes that power manifest for viewers.

But first, he wants to make sure he shows us the band. Five Finger Death Punch are an impressive-looking stage act - big beards, tattoos, and muscles - and they sing and play with great authority and purpose. Scott weaves a tragic story between the performance shots: a tale of loss and love gone wrong. Ivan Moody plays the protagonist; we watch him walk down the street where he lives, dodging the menacing looks of his neighbors. From there, we flash back to scenes of better times - he and his girlfriend, drinking with his bandmates, having sex, smiling at each other. But a quarrel tears through this idyllic scene: mascara is smeared, bottles are broken. When the story reaches its frightening conclusion, Scott and Five Finger Death Punch envelop the viewer in waves of anguish and remorse. Powerful stuff, indeed!

Alternative metal band Future Leaders of the World was led by singer/guitarist Phil Taylor, a Buffalo native who relocated to San Francisco after high school. At a Puddle of Mudd gig, he befriended Mike Flynn, who would later serve as the group's manager and financed Taylor's first three-song demo tape. Upon returning to Buffalo, Taylor formed the first incarnation of Future Leaders of the World with bassist Toby Cole and drummer Carl Messina. The fledgling trio drove cross-country to Los Angeles to record a demo session, but creative tensions soon forced Cole to exit from the lineup, and with the late 2003 additions of bassist Bill Hershey and lead guitarist Jake Stutevoss, Flynn negotiated a deal with Epic Records. Future Leaders of the World's debut album, LVL IV (aka "Level Four") appeared the following autumn, but in the midst of an extensive live schedule that included a series of dates on the Sno-Core Tour the band received word that Epic planned to terminate their contract and dissolved. After settling in Little Rock, AR, Taylor assembled a new Future Leaders of the World lineup in 2005 with former Evanescence members John LeCompt (guitar) and Rocky Gray (drums) as well as guitarist Jack Wiese and bassist Thad Ables. This revamped roster later adopted the name Machina. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

Incubus is a five-piece alternative rock band based out of Calabasas, California. The band has enjoyed great success over their sixteen-year long career, with singles like "Drive", "Are You In?", "Wish You Were Here", "Megalomaniac", "Talk Shows on Mute", "Anna Molly", "Pardon Me", "Warning" and "Dig" making them household names in today's musical climate. Incubus enjoyed multi-platinum album success with albums such as 1999's Make Yourself , 2001's Morning View and 2004's A Crow Left of the Murder. Incubus released their latest studio effort Light Grenades on November 28, 2006. On release, the album went straight to the top of the charts in the United States due to the success of first single "Anna-Molly". Their new hits include "Dig","Love Hurts", and "Oil & Water".

Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from east London. The band were formed in 1975 by bassist Steve Harris, formerly a member of Gypsy's Kiss and Smiler. Iron Maiden are one of the most successful and influential bands in the heavy metal genre, having sold 80 million albums worldwide. The band won the Ivor Novello award for international achievement in 2002.

Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in 1970 in Birmingham. Originally formed by guitarist K.K. Downing and bassist Ian Hill, Judas Priest's classic line-up consists of Downing, Hill, vocalist Rob Halford and guitarist Glenn Tipton. They have been cited as an influence on many heavy metal musicians and bands. Their popularity and status as one of the definitive heavy metal bands has earned them the nickname "Metal Gods."They have sold over 35 million albums worldwide.