Lostprophets

90年中期以后，当金属摇滚走入了新的世代后，接连出现Korn、Linkin Park、Limp Bizkit等团，无不是挥舞着Nu-Metal旗帜，将Metal乐带入另一波的高潮！但是放眼望去居于此挂的乐团，几乎清一色皆来自美国，现在要向大家介绍这组完完全全来自英国，却流着相当美式的新金属乐风，也没有浓厚英国腔调或雌雄莫辨嗓音的Lostprophets，将由英国出发，直扑美国本土与延伸摇滚版图至全球摇滚市场！成军于1997年威尔斯海港加地夫，当地下独立乐团Public Disturbance宣布解散分道扬镳之始，团中吉他手Mike Lewis与鼓手Ian Watkins开始着手创立新团，对外陆续招募了新成员：第二吉他手Lee Glaze及鼓手Mike Chiplin，原任鼓手的Ian则转战主唱的职位，全新的队伍就在初步四人配合下进行演唱表演，精采的舞台魅力，立即吸引了相当具有权威的金属杂志Kerrang的注意，邀请他们参加伦敦的演唱表演，藉此获得独立厂Visible Noise的喜爱并签入旗下录制单曲，1999年加入了贝斯手Stuard Richardson，隔年发行独立厂的首张专辑《The Fake Sound Of Progress》，接着与Linkin Park、Deftones、The Used等团作巡回演出，此时的成员由5名在增加一位DJ Jamie Oliver，幸运的在2001年夏天Nu-Metal完全受到欢迎的美国，吸引了主流厂的兴趣，在美发行权交由Sony推出，请来流行/摇滚界鼎鼎大名的Michael Barbiero(Guns N' Roses、Metallica、Madonna)将《The Fake Sound Of Progress》重新混音发行，美国则在短时间卖出10余万张，英国则销售挂上金唱片！
大获全胜的征服美国市场并风光红回祖国的Lostprophets，将带着第二张作品《Start Something》再闯摇滚乐坛！请来他们极为欣赏的Eric Valentine(Queens Of The Stone Age、Good Charlotte、Third Eye Blind)制作操盘！阵阵急躁吉他声响在Ian一声令下“Go!!”，We Still Kill The Old Way划开狂放怒放的金属气势！失序的声音频率不时夹杂在流畅多变的旋律中，To Hell We Ride混着一气喝成的快意；早已成为英美两地点播率高居不下的Last Train Home，起头的吉他音韵让人陷入Blink-182的What's My Age Age的错觉中，7秒后在Ian--1.2.3嘶吼的下马上掉入乐音反差强烈令人热血沸腾的Nu-Metal曲式中！Burn Burn夹杂些许复古金属摇滚的情绪，是首相当精采的摇滚佳作！穿梭着些许电音射线包裹怒气依旧的同名单曲Start Something，末了的轻声琴韵结尾就在你以为可以休息一下时，马上转入隆隆作响、爽快DJ刮碟的A Million Miles，呈献如EMO乐派般的失序感中！最后Ian说道：“我们没兴趣对已加贴在我们身上的音乐卷标作任何的辩解，只想好好作出我们喜欢的音乐给支持的乐迷们！”听听《Start Something》，让Lostprophets作出最真诚的聆听感受！
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.