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37-396: Aaron Lewis (born April 13, 1972) is an American musician who is best known as the lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and founding member of the alternative metal band Staind , with whom he released seven studio albums. Since 2010, he has pursued a solo career in country music with his debut EP, Town Line , which was released in 2011. Lewis' first full-length solo release, The Road ,

74-566: A compound or recurve bow , and he occasionally utilizes a muzzleloader . Lewis has been open about his struggles with substance abuse and mental health issues, writing about his problems in Staind songs and his country music. Lewis is a fan of the Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots . Lewis is an avid baseball fan; he famously sang the national anthem prior to game 1 of the 2014 World Series , though received backlash due to him forgetting

111-488: A country music EP entitled Town Line that was released on March 1, 2011, via Stroudavarious Records . It features seven tracks including three versions of the first single " Country Boy " featuring George Jones , Charlie Daniels , and Chris Young , as well as the songs "Massachusetts", "Vicious Circles", "The Story Never Ends", and a re-recording of "Tangled Up in You" originally from The Illusion of Progress . Lewis said in

148-520: A Down , Linkin Park , Slipknot , Deftones and Staind . After the mid-2000s, nu metal's popularity began to decline, with many nu metal bands moving on to other genres. The genre is generally considered a fusion between alternative rock and heavy metal , although AllMusic states "alt-metal is a far-reaching term that has been used to describe everyone from Hammerlock to Neurosis to Ministry to Limp Bizkit ". They also remarked that alternative metal

185-495: A July 2011 interview that he was introduced to country music as a child by his grandfather, but his interest was recently rekindled when he toured with fellow rock turned occasional country singer Kid Rock . Lewis released his first full solo album, The Road , in November 2012. Its debut single, "Endless Summer", has also made the country charts. Lewis wrote every song on the ten track collection, except for "Granddaddy's Gun" which

222-504: A leading band in the alternative metal genre with the release of their 1993 debut album Undertow ; Tool's popularity in the mid-'90s helped kick off an era of bands with alt-metal tendencies also classified in other genres like industrial (Nine Inch Nails) and rap rock (Rage Against the Machine). Spin stated in August 1998 that "It was Helmet that spawned the idea of alternative metal with

259-488: A relic. But the brief, nebulous era of alternative metal in the late 80s and early 90s remains a snapshot of a vibrant time when a brash new generation of heavy-leaning bands threw everything against the wall to see what stuck." Town Line The first single, " Country Boy ", which features George Jones , Charlie Daniels , and Chris Young , was released on December 7, 2010. This song has charted on both Hot Country Songs and Rock Songs . The track "Tangled Up in You"

296-484: Is "ironic, given alternative metal's vehement rejection of hair metal's attitude." Some nu metal bands managed to push musical boundaries while still remaining commercially viable, such as Mudvayne (who combined progressive elements) and Deftones , who have incorporated post-hardcore and dream pop influences. Korn's 1998 album Follow the Leader and 1999 album Issues sold 3.6 million and 3.2 million copies in

333-420: Is a genre of heavy metal music that combines heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres not normally associated with metal. Alternative metal bands are often characterized by heavily downtuned , mid-paced guitar riffs , a mixture of accessible melodic vocals and harsh vocals and sometimes sounds that are unconventional within other heavy metal styles. The term has been in use since

370-400: Is a re-recording of a song from Staind's album The Illusion of Progress . Live versions of the songs "Vicious Circles" and "Country Boy" also appear on the deluxe edition of Lewis' 2012 album, The Road . Giving it three stars out of five, Jessica Phillips of Country Weekly thought that the songs were "rich with imagery." She also praised Lewis for "resist[ing] the temptation to don

407-684: The COVID-19 vaccine and mask mandates . On November 4, 2006, Lewis performed at his old high school in Longmeadow, Massachusetts , and gave all the proceeds to the music department to fund the department's expenses to buy new equipment and supplies. Lewis's main focus, however, is the non-profit organization It Takes a Community, where he and his wife have started to reopen their daughters' elementary school in Worthington, Massachusetts . Alternative metal Alternative metal (also known as alt-metal )

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444-674: The punk crutch of 1992's Meantime [and] bands such as Rage Against the Machine took the concept a crucial step further, integrating hip hop to connect with skate rat kids raised on Metallica and Run D.M.C. " Many established 1980s metal bands released albums in the 1990s that were described as alternative metal, including Anthrax , Metallica and Mötley Crüe . Bands like Life of Agony combined alternative metal with hardcore punk influences. Life of Agony's debut album River Runs Red combined alternative metal with influences of hardcore punk, with lyrics about depression and suicide. In

481-450: The 1980s with bands like Faith No More , Living Colour , Soundgarden , and Jane's Addiction . The genre achieved success in the 1990s with the popularity of bands like Helmet , Tool , and Alice in Chains . In the late 1990s and early 2000s, nu metal achieved mainstream popularity with the mainstream success of bands like Korn , Limp Bizkit , P.O.D. , Papa Roach , Disturbed , System of

518-468: The 1980s, although it came into prominence in the 1990s. Other genres considered part of the alternative metal movement included rap metal and funk metal , both of which influenced another prominent subgenre, nu metal . Nu metal expands the alternative metal sound, combining its vocal stylings and downtuned riffs with elements of other genres, such as hip hop , funk , thrash metal , hardcore punk and industrial metal . Alternative metal began in

555-1048: The Jesus Lizard , Today Is the Day ), Seattle 's grunge scene ( Alice in Chains , Soundgarden ), stoner rock ( Clutch , Kyuss ), sludge metal ( Fudge Tunnel , Melvins ), gothic metal ( Type O Negative ), groove metal ( Pantera , White Zombie ) and industrial ( Godflesh , Nine Inch Nails , Ministry ). These bands never formed a distinct movement or scene; rather they were bound by their incorporation of traditional metal influences and openness to experimentation. Jane's Addiction borrowed from art rock and progressive rock , Quicksand blended post-hardcore and Living Colour injected funk into their sound, for example, while Primus were influenced by progressive rock, thrash metal and funk and Faith No More mixed progressive rock, R&B , funk and hip hop . Fudge Tunnel 's style of alternative metal included influences from both sludge metal and noise rock. The origins of

592-626: The United States, respectively, and the band's 2002 album Untouchables sold 1.4 million. Korn's eponymous debut (1994) and second album Life is Peachy (1996) sold 2.1 million and 1.8 million copies, respectively. Limp Bizkit's Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000) sold over seven million and six million, respectively. Korn and Limp Bizkit were frequently featured on MTV , often hitting number 1 and having multiple retired videos on

629-450: The arty meanderings of Sabbath and Zeppelin themselves would be considered alternative metal." Houston Press has described the genre as being a "compromise for people for whom Nirvana was not heavy enough but Metallica was too heavy." The first wave of alternative metal bands emerged from many backgrounds, including hardcore punk ( Bad Brains , Rollins Band , Life of Agony , Corrosion of Conformity ), noise rock ( Helmet ,

666-422: The commercial success of Staind's albums in the early 2000s, Lewis reflected, "A lot of other people made a shit load of money but we're the same as any of you. I have to work to pay my bills." In a five-minute interview with Outdoor Life magazine, Lewis said that he has been hunting whitetail deer since he was old enough to keep up in the "good old woods", around age four or five. He prefers to hunt deer with

703-477: The earliest alternative metal acts, with all three of these bands emerging around the same time, and setting the template for the genre by mixing heavy metal music with a variety of different genres in the mid to late 1980s. During the 1980s, alternative metal appealed mainly to alternative rock fans, since virtually all 1980s alt-metal bands had their roots in the American independent rock scene. Living Colour

740-494: The genre can be traced back to funk rock music of the early to mid-1980s, when alternative bands like Fishbone , Faith No More and the Red Hot Chili Peppers started mixing heavy metal with funk , creating the alternative metal subgenre funk metal . Other early bands in the genre also came from hardcore punk backgrounds. Bands such as Faith No More, Jane's Addiction and Soundgarden are recognized as some of

777-462: The latter part of the 1990s, a second, more aggressive wave of alternative metal emerged; dubbed nu metal , it often relied on hardcore punk , groove / thrash metal , industrial and hip hop influences, as opposed to the influences of the first wave of alternative metal bands, with this style subsequently becoming more popular than regular alternative metal. It resulted in a more standardized sound among alternative metal bands, in contrast to

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814-430: The more eccentric and unclassifiable early alternative metal bands. Korn , a band formed in 1993, released their self-titled debut the following year, which is widely considered to be the first nu metal release. MTV stated that Korn "arrived in 1993 into the burgeoning alternative metal scene, which would morph into nü-metal the way college rock became alternative rock." Stereogum similarly claimed that nu metal

851-629: The nu metal genre such as Helmet have also tried to distance themselves from the movement. In 2004, nu metal's popularity was declining, with bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit and P.O.D. having a decline in album sales. Instead, post-grunge bands like Nickelback were selling the most records and being promoted the most on radio. Additionally, many nu metal bands began to move away from the nu metal genre and moved on to other genres. In 2016, Jason Heller of Vice wrote "The term alternative metal still pops up from time to time, but it’s no more relevant or meaningful today than alternative rock. Instead, it’s

888-639: The nu metal movement, such as Korn and Deftones , who have been described as having " bipolar vocals". Jonathan Gold of the Los Angeles Times wrote in 1990 "Just as rock has an alternative, [left] wing-bands like the Replacements and Dinosaur Jr. -so does metal. Alternative metal is alternative music that rocks. And alternative metal these days can reach 10 times the audience of other alternative rock. Jane's Addiction plays an intense brand of '70s-influenced arty metal; so does Soundgarden . In fact,

925-451: The only single off their 2004 album re.present . In December 2010, while promoting his Town Line album, Lewis collaborated with Corey Taylor for a one-night-only acoustic duet show covering songs such as Pearl Jam 's "Black", Pink Floyd 's " Comfortably Numb ", and Alice in Chains ' " Down in a Hole ". Lewis resides in Worthington, Massachusetts with his wife Vanessa; the two married in 2002, they have three daughters. Regarding

962-463: The popular MTV show Total Request Live , competing on the show with boy bands like N'Sync and Backstreet Boys . Papa Roach 's album Infest (2000) went triple platinum and was supported by the hit single " Last Resort ". Bands like P.O.D. and Linkin Park also had widespread popularity. Joel McIver believes that the band Tool is important to the development of this genre; he wrote in his book Unleashed: The Story of Tool , "By 1996 and '97

999-426: The wave of alternative metal spearheaded by Tool in the wake of grunge was beginning to evolve into nu-metal". However, Tool's vocalist Maynard James Keenan was quick to separate himself from this movement saying "I'm sick of that whole attitude. The one that puts Tool in with [nu] metal bands. The press... can't seem to distinguish between alternative and metal." Other alternative metal bands considered influential to

1036-459: The whole metal thing by accident, we always hated it when people mentioned metal in conjunction with us." Helmet's Meantime (1992) album became one of the most influential heavy metal albums of the 1990s. Saby Reyes-Kulkarni of Pitchfork Media stated "bands like Faith No More, Soundgarden, Primus , Helmet, the Rollins Band , and dozens more were initially marketed as quasi-metal acts. This

1073-532: The words. He had previously criticized pop singer Christina Aguilera for the same offense. Lewis is a vocal supporter of the Republican Party , known for expressing his conservative views often; Lewis supported Donald Trump before the 2016 election , although he said he was disappointed with his "bickering and name-calling". His last tours, from 2019 and 2020, featured him wearing a Make America Great Again cap. Lewis has been outspoken in his opposition to

1110-469: Was a "weird outgrowth of the Lollapalooza-era alt-metal scene". During the late 1990s and early 2000s, nu metal was prevalent in the mainstream, with bands such as Korn , Limp Bizkit , Linkin Park , Slipknot and Staind all attaining success. AllMusic has compared nu and alternative metal's commercial success during this period to the rise of the glam metal phenomenon in the 1980s, stating that it

1147-442: Was another alternative metal band that combined the genre with funk metal. The emergence of grunge as a popular style of rock music in the early 1990s helped make alternative metal more acceptable to a mainstream audience, with alternative metal soon becoming the most popular metal style of the 1990s. Several bands associated with the genre denied their status as metal bands. Helmet drummer John Stanier said "We fell into

Aaron Lewis - Misplaced Pages Continue

1184-540: Was featured on the song "No Sex" by Limp Bizkit on their album Significant Other . He was also featured on a remix of the song " Crawling " on Linkin Park 's first remix album Reanimation (titled as "Krwlng" on the remix album). He contributed vocals to the song "Follow" by Sevendust from Animosity , and to the songs "Bleed" and "Send in the Clowns" by the band Cold from 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage . He's also featured on Jimmie's Chicken Shack 's song "Falling Out",

1221-626: Was mostly recorded in a single 18 hour session, with many tracks done in one take. Aaron's daughter Zoe also provides guest vocals on one song. On April 12, 2019, Lewis released his third solo album, State I'm In . On July 4, 2021, he released " Am I the Only One ", a song protesting America's leadership and left-wing activists. On October 21, 2021, Lewis released "Goodbye Town" and also announced that he would release his fourth solo album Frayed at Both Ends on January 28, 2022. On March 29, 2024 Lewis released his country album, The Hill . Lewis

1258-497: Was only possible in a climate where record labels, journalists, and college radio DJs understood that the metal audience could embrace new, albeit arty variations on the form." The alternative music festival Lollapalooza conceived by Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell , helped bands associated with the movement such as Tool , Rage Against the Machine , Primus , Nine Inch Nails , Soundgarden , and Alice in Chains gain exposure. The progressive rock -influenced band Tool became

1295-669: Was originally "a style united by its nonconformist sensibility rather than any immediately classifiable sound." One of the main characteristics of alternative metal and its subgenres are heavily downtuned, mid-paced "chug"-like guitar riffs. However, funk metal bands often use a more conventional riffing style influenced by 1980s thrash metal. Alternative metal features clean and melodic vocals, influenced by those of alternative rock, in contrast to other heavy metal subgenres. Later bands frequently incorporated vocal styles that alternated between clean singing, growls and screaming . Examples include alternative metal bands associated with

1332-472: Was penned by Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins and Bobby Pinson, marking the first time Lewis has recorded outside material for an album. In an interview with Broadway's Electric Barnyard, Lewis said he recorded "Granddaddy's Gun" as both a compliment to a friend, and because he was pressed for time. Lewis wrote songs for his second solo album whilst touring in support of The Road , often performing with Katz Von Brunenburg in his live sets. The album, dubbed Sinner ,

1369-735: Was released by Blaster Records in 2012. In 2006, Lewis was ranked at number 49 in the "Top 100 Heavy Metal Vocalists" by Hit Parader . Lewis was born in Rutland, Vermont , to a Jewish mother and a Catholic father of Italian, English and Welsh descent. At the time of his birth, his parents were living in a log cabin. Lewis moved to New Hampshire when he was 8, and lived there until he was 12. When his parents split up, he moved with his father to Longmeadow, Massachusetts , where he attended Longmeadow High School . He also lived in Forest Park, Springfield, Massachusetts . In July 2010, Lewis finished recording

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