Trapt

Trapt formed in Los Gatos, California, in 1995, when a group of high school friends who had previously played together in an early NOFX cover band began writing original material. The band originated in the mid-1990s when high school friends, including vocalist Chris Taylor Brown, began jamming as a hobby before transitioning to original material, with an initial lineup of Brown on vocals, bassist Pete Charell, and drummer David Stege, joined by guitarist Simon Ormandy in 1997. They began playing at local venues in 1997 before any members had graduated high school, and by 1998, still before graduation, they were already opening for up-and-coming acts like Papa Roach. Early on, the band leaned into a rap-rock sound, originally playing rapcore , and they recorded and released their first CD, Amalgamation, in 1999, selling copies at their own live shows. The band's breakthrough came with their major-label debut. After building buzz through independent releases and relentless touring, Seattle native Aaron "Monty" Montgomery joined to play drums, and after a 9/11 benefit show, Warner Bros. offered the band a deal in late 2001. Trapt released their self-titled debut studio album on November 5, 2002, through Warner Bros. Records, and with three hit singles, the album ascended to number 42 on the Billboard 200 chart, spending more than 80 weeks inside it. The lead single, "Headstrong," became their defining anthem, as it reached No. 1 on both the Modern Rock Tracks and Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, as well as No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking their most successful single to date. The track's impact endured for years, as Billboard ranked "Headstrong" as their No. 1 Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock song of 2003, as well as the most successful modern rock song of the 00's decade. The album itself eventually went platinum, and the band's early success came alongside a notable stage boost from performances on the second stage of Ozzfest 2002, providing key exposure to a broad rock audience. Though Trapt never fully replicated that early peak, they remained a steady presence in the rock touring circuit for years. Though their subsequent releases did not match the pop appeal of "Headstrong", the band was able to maintain a presence in the rock market throughout the decade. Their sophomore album, Someone in Control, released September 13, 2005, produced three singles for the band, "Stand Up," "Waiting," and "Disconnected (Out of Touch)," with "Stand Up" reaching No. 3 on the US Mainstream Rock chart. In support of that record, the group toured with bands like Nickelback, Chevelle, and Thousand Foot Krutch, and the band spent the first half of 2006 co-headlining with Shinedown as part of the Equinox Tour. The lineup shifted repeatedly over the years, most notably when Ormandy parted ways with Trapt in 2008 and was replaced by Robb Torres, and Chris Taylor Brown and Pete Charell remained the band's constant core through numerous drummer and guitarist changes across releases like Only Through the Pain, No Apologies, and Reborn.