Linkin Park redefined rock at the turn of the millennium by fusing nu-metal heaviness with hip-hop flow and electronic production on 'Hybrid Theory' and 'Meteora,' two of the best-selling rock albums of the 21st century. Chester Bennington's anguished vocals and Mike Shinoda's versatile rapping created an emotional resonance that transcended genre boundaries, and the band's continued evolution through 'Minutes to Midnight' and beyond cemented their status as one of rock's most important modern acts.

Mind-expanding psychedelic/space rock project of Solitude Aeturnus guitarist John Perez.

Milwaukee's Liquid Steele bring a blue-collar toughness to power metal, pairing soaring hooks with muscle and a knack for anthemic, hard-hitting songcraft.

A progressive metal supergroup featuring members of Dream Theater and Rudess, Liquid Tension Experiment trades in technical extravagance and jaw-dropping instrumental interplay.

Crushing Death Metal / Grindcore from San Antonio.

Lit turned barbed self-deprecation and crunchy power-pop guitars into one of the most durable sounds of late-1990s alternative radio. The Popoff brothers, Jeremy on guitar and A. Jay on vocals, gave the band a recognizable mix of sneer, melody, and party-damaged humor, while the rhythm section kept the songs tight and uncomplicated. A Place in the Sun made the breakthrough, led by "My Own Worst Enemy" and supported by singles like "Zip-Lock" and "Miserable." Those songs are glossy, but their appeal comes from a direct plug-in-and-go guitar feel: bright distortion, short riffs, fast choruses, and lyrics that make bad decisions sound painfully catchy. Lit's later catalog has moved through pop punk, alternative rock, country-tinged material, and mature power pop, but the band's identity still rests on a simple strength. They know how to make a three-minute guitar song feel loud, funny, wounded, and instantly memorable without overcomplicating the machinery or sanding down the riffs.

Two decades deep in the Broken Arrow underground, Litany have quietly refined a brand of Oklahoma death metal that rewards patience with relentless, purposeful brutality.

Devastating Technical / Brutal Death Metal from Texas (early); Albuquerque, New Mexico (later).

Out of Walla Walla, Washington, Livevil fuse groove metal's chunky swagger with metalcore aggression, carving out a hard-hitting sound that hits like a freight train.