Foo Fighters vs. Goldfinger-Day 23

After Audioslave took care of System of a Down by a vote of 4 to 1, we move on to our next matchup. First up are the Foo Fighters, who have become one of the biggest names in modern rock. The band formed after ex-Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl put out essentially a self-titled album under the name "Foo Fighters". Grohl played all instruments and once the record was put out, he went out to form a band and tour the album. Band chemistry seemed to flow extremely well, and soon they were back in the studio to record the band's most well known album, "The Colour and the Shape". Then the Foos exploded into the modern rock scene. They pumped out hits like "My Hero", "Monkey Wrench", and "Everlong". Since then, the band has continued to pump out excellent albums, with each having it's own twist. There is Nothing Left to Lose added a laid back, southern rock type feel, One by One showed off the band's harder side to rock, In Your Honor saw the band turn to a duel release with half acoustics, which leads us to "Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace", the band's latest release. The Foos show no sign of letting up, and seem to now be in their prime. As for Goldfinger, they are one of the stronger bands out of the 90's punk rock era. Integrating an element of ska into their music, the band created a sound different than the rest. The band released a new album recently called "Hello Destiny...", which tries to mix in the band's new sound with the band's old sound.

Here we go...time to vote!

Audioslave vs. System of a Down-Day 22

After Pearl Jam defeated Soundgarden by a vote of 4-2, we move on to yet another good western conference matchup. Our first band, Audioslave, was formed after Rage Against the Machine split up. The instrumentalists from Rage went out to find a vocalist, and came upon Soundgarden's Chris Cornell. Within a matter of months, a new supergroup emerged, calling themselves "Audioslave". The band's first record was a hit, producing hits like "Cochise", "Show Me How to Live", and most especially "Like a Stone". The band didn't stop there, though, unlike most supergroups would. They went on to tour the album, and eventually, they released another new album in 2005 called Out of Exile. The band then committed to a "album every year" basis, and released "Revelations" in 2006. With touring and recording, the band was certainly very busy. However, in February 2007, Chris Cornell announced that he would be leaving Audioslave, leading to the disbandment of the band. The instrumentalists went to rejoin Zack de la Rocha in Rage, and frontman Cornell moved on to some solo work. As for our other band, they became one of the biggest names in rock in the 2000's, just as Audioslave had. System of a Down was lead by one of the most recognizable lead singers of the era, Serj Tankian. The band's energy poured into their music, releasing numerous albums through the early 2000's. Eventually, in 2005, they band decided to release two albums, each six months apart. Although they were both successes, that was the last we ever heard of the band, as they had gone on hiatus. Although Serj continues to say that the band will never spilt up, there doesn't seem to be a sign of life for System of a Down.

Time to vote...check the sidebar!

Pearl Jam vs. Soundgarden-Day 21

After Tenacious D owned Jet by the unanimous vote of 4-0, we move on to our first western conference quarterfinal with the eastern final four set. Right now, however, we have a true grunge battle straight out of the 90's. Our first band, Pearl Jam, hit the airwaves with their first album, "Ten", in 1991. Following the footsteps of Nirvana, Pearl Jam went on to produce numerous efforts throughout the 90's, becoming one of the biggest bands of that era. They produced many radio friendly hits as well, like "Even Flow", "Jeremy", "Daughter", and "Better Man". The band has continued strong through the new millennium, with their latest record being a self-titled effort. The new record showcases that the band's original style is still alive, and they plan to keep rocking for years to come. On the other hand we have other band straight out of the grunge era, Soundgarden. Although the originated in the late 80's, they broke through 1991's Badmotorfinger and 1994's Superunknown, especially the latter. Frontman Chris Cornell led the band with strong vocals and helped produce many hit singles, for example, "Black Hole Sun", "Spoonman", and "Fell on Black Days". No one knew much about the band until grunge rocked the world, which is when the band's popularity soared. In the late 90's, however, the band was found in turmoil, which eventually led to the break up of the band. Cornell, of course, went on to join former Rage members to found Audioslave.

This next one should be great. A true grunge battle...vote now!

Jet vs. Tenacious D-Day 20

After The Offspring defeated The Killers by a vote of 3 to 1, we move on to our final eastern conference quarterfinal, Jet vs. Tenacious D. The former saw their first success with hit single "Are You Gonna Be My Girl", along with their first album, Get Born, in general. The band followed up with a new album in 2006, Shine On. Although it was not received as well as their first album, it was a solid effort for the band. They plan to have their third album out sometime soon. On the other hand, we have Tenacious D, created by the duo of Jack Black and Kyle Gass. The band released their first, self-titled album in 2001, and saw success with their hit "Tribute". The band would continue to play live shows throughout the years, but obviously frontman Jack Black has his acting career to take care of as well. The band released a soundtrack to their very own movie in 2006 called The Pick of Destiny. The movie showcases the two band members trying to find a magical guitar pick. Although there is nothing planned for Tenacious D, the option is always open for "the greatest band in the world", or so they proclaim.

Time for the vote!

The Killers vs. The Offspring-Day 19

After Nirvana slightingly beating Boston by a vote of 4-3, we move on to our next quarterfinal matchup-The Killers and The Offspring. The former band hails from Las Vegas, Nevada and came on to the scene with their debut record "Hot Fuss" in 2004. The record produced numerous hits for the band, including "Somebody Told Me" and "Mr. Brightside". The band released a follow-up album in 2006 called Sam's Town, which showcased the band's maturity from the first record. They plan to have some new music out sometime later this year. On the other hand, we have punk rock legends, The Offspring. After releasing two earlier records, Self Titled and Ignition, The Offspring saw their first commercial success with 1994's Smash. The record produced numerous hit singles like "Come Out and Play" and "Self Esteem". However, the band didn't stop there. They continued to produce many more albums, and many more hits. After Smash came Ixnay on the Hombre, which many consider to be the band's greatest album to date. Then came Americana and Splinter, which continued the band's success. Splinter was released in 2003, and the band has not put out another new record since. However, they have said that "Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace", the latest installment from the band, will be a very promising effort. The album will be released on June 17th, and should be another great installment in The Offspring library.

That's it for me...time to vote!

Boston vs. Nirvana-Day 18

After Metallica defeated Rage Against the Machine in our first bracket quarterfinal by a vote of 6-3, we move on to a very interesting matchup. Our first band hit the scene in the 70's with a debut self-titled album that would soon become one of the greatest rock records of all time. With such hits as "More Than a Feeling", "Peace of Mind", and "Foreplay/Long Time", the band became one of the biggest in the rock world. Boston followed up with two more records, "Don't Look Back" and "Third Stage", each of which did not see the success as the self-titled debut. Lead singer Brad Delp departed from the band after Third Stage due to prior committments, although the band continued on and released a fourth album-"Walk On"-in 1994. However, the band was never the same without their frontman, who unfortunately took his own life early last year. Although original band member Tom Scholz remains, the fate of the band is now uncertain. All we know is that boston will go down as one of the biggest names in classic rock. Our second band, on the other hand, is the biggest name in grunge rock of the 1990's-Nirvana. Nirvana started off in the late 1980's and released their first album-"Bleach"- in 1989. Though the album went relatively unnoticed-many consider it to be the band's best work. The breakthough success, and the formation of 90's grunge, came in 1991 with the release of "Nevermind". The success of the record was driven by lead single "Smells Like Teen Spirit", a song that started a revolution . Although the record had many numerous hit songs, none matched the success of "Teen Spirit". Many other bands on the 1990's, for example Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots, followed Nirvana's success. In 1993 the band released a heavier record called "In Utero", which was a moderate success. After touring the album, in early 1994-shocking news hit the world. Frontman Kurt Cobain took his life in his Seattle apartment, which ended Nirvana.

I find this next matchup to be very ironic, as both bands had 3 main albums, and both lead singers committed suicide. This should be an interesting one...vote now.

Metallica vs. Rage Against the Machine-Day 17

We start off our bracket quarterfinals with an awesome matchup-Metallica vs. Rage Against the Machine. The former band dominated most of the 80's with numerous excellent records, for example "Ride the Lightning" and "Master of Puppets". However, they are most known for their "Black Album", which came out in '91. It provided tracks such as "Enter Sandman" and "The Unforgiven". Since that record was released, Metallica has continued to go strong through the 90's and into the 00's. The band's latest attempt, St. Anger, has been dismissed as a lackluster effort by many fans. However, the band has said they will release a brand new album around September, which the band says will return to their former style. As for the latter, Rage hit the scene in the early 90's and were different than the rest of the grunge era. Lead singer Zack de la Rocha's loud, anti-political lyrics and guitarist Tom Morello's insane guitar solos drive each of their tracks. The band released four albums in their less than 10 year existance and produced many hit singles, but the band eventually split up in the early 2000's. De la Rocha decided to take some time for some solo work, while the rest of the band formed supergroup Audioslave with Soundgarden's Chris Cornell. Although the band didn't last long, they produced three excellent records together. Once the band split in 2007, the remaining members of Rage have rejoined de la Rocha and have started to play a bunch of live shows around the world.

This is going to be a really interesting matchup. Time to vote...check out the sidebar!

Round One is Done!

After weeks of great matchups, our first round of Rate the Rock is now over. It is now time for the Sweet 16 to face off in their respective brackets with hopes to be part of the Elite Eight. The matchups are...

East-
Metallica vs. Rage Against the Machine
Boston vs. Nirvana
The Killers vs. The Offspring
Jet vs. Tenacious D

West-
Pearl Jam vs. Soundgarden
Audioslave vs. System of a Down
Foo Fighters vs. Goldfinger
Puddle of Mudd vs. Red Hot Chili Peppers

This is going to get interesting. Quarterfinals start soon!

Red Hot Chili Peppers vs. Guns n' Roses-Day 16

After Puddle of Mudd defeated Everclear by a vote of 3-1, we move on to our final first round matchup, which may be the biggest. We have two real rock legend going up against each other in this last round-Red Hot Chili Peppers and Guns n' Roses. The Chili Peppers have been around since 83' and they are still providing awesome funk rock. The first few Chili Pepper albums go relatively unnoticed due to low commercial success, but once 1991's Blood Sugar Sex Magik came around, they become a phenomenon. With hits such as Give It Away and Under the Bridge, the Chili Peppers became one of the biggest names in rock. However, the band hit a speed bump when guitarist John Frusciante left the band after the Blood Sugar tour due to drug addiction. The band recruited Jane's Addiction's Dave Navarro to take his place and produced 1995's One Hot Minute. The style of the album was quite different than Blood Sugar, and was not nearly as popular. Chemistry between the new band members did not seem to flow well, as Navarro left the band in 1998. Afterwards, frontman Anthony Kiedis confronted Frusciante who was going through rehab, and asked him if he would like to rejoin the band. He said yes, and the band created 1999's Californication, which instantly became a huge success. Lead single Scar Tissue received much popularity, as well as many other songs on the album. The album also introduced a more mellow side to the band, with a good amount of softer sounding songs on the album. The album has become known as the "comeback album", as since then, the band has seen renewed popularity and has produced two more excellent albums, By The Way and Stadium Arcadium. The latter is the band's most recent installment, which is a true representation of the band's legacy. The double disc, 28 song set includes songs that represent the band's mellow side, and the band's funk driven side, which makes it a one of a kind masterpiece. Our other band hit the spotlight in 1987 with the release of Appetite for Destruction. The album produces many hit songs, from "Sweet Child o' Mine" to "Welcome to the Jungle", and still is proven to be one of the best rock albums ever created. After the debut album, GnR produced a few more albums, none seeing the spotlight like Appetite for Destruction did. Over the years many of the band's members have left and moved on, but lead singer Axl Rose has stayed put. He has been working the band's newest album, "Chinese Democracy", for years now, and still no release date has been set.

This matchup is between two of the greatest rock bands ever...but now it is time to vote!