Rize

When a style is in vogue, every scene wants some. That's certainly true in the case of Rize, who provided a fix of nu metal for Japan in the early 2000s -- they owed a huge debt to Limp Bizkit, but compensated for that with their powerful delivery and ability to branch out (their late-2000s work added a reggae vibe). The band was established in 1997 by Jesse, son of the popular guitar player Char and a guitarist/vocalist in his own right, and drummer Nobuaki Kaneko. Finding their bassist in Tokie, they entered the inevitable demo/club gigs phase, which lasted until 2000, when a performance at the tenth Kitazawa Music Festival got them a deal with Epic Records. That year, their debut single, "Kaminari," was followed by "Why I'm Me" and then their first studio album, Rookey, which charted at number eight -- a very good result for a trio of newcomers. The initial success was followed by a lineup shift -- Tokie left for Ajico, her place taken by U:zo, and second guitarist Nakao Yoshihiro joined the group as well -- but the changes didn't deter Rize. In 2001, they played big fests like Rock in Japan and Summer Sonic; did "I Can't Live Without My Radio," the theme song of the FM Festival; recorded with Zeebra; and completed their second album, Foreplay, in Los Angeles. More high-profile live mayhem ensued in 2002, the most notable gig being the 30,000-strong ETP Festival, organized in South Korea by the national rock legend Seo Tai-Ji and billed as the biggest field festival of its time.