Ten Years On: Blink-182 - Untitled

"Nobody knows what kind of songs you are going to write in the future and nobody knows the full potential of any band." - Robert Smith

One of my closest friends keeps an old Papa John's pizza box in his closet. He's carried it from his childhood bedroom to all subsequent apartments and temporary crash pads. The box, now nearly ten years old, doesn't smell of rotten cheese and mystery pepperonis. In fact, it doesn't smell like anything. Sometime during 2004, somewhere near Atlanta, Tom DeLonge and Mark Hoppus reportedly ate common man's pizza from this very box. My friend, waiting outside the venue for hopes of seeing Blink exit their buses, asked for the box after a security guard passed near the gate to dispose of it. The release Blink were promoting on that tour, 2003's iconic Untitled Album, turns 10 this week, but it's not typical, "good old days" nostalgia that has me thinking of that pizza box. It's a weird sort of nostalgia for things that have, in fact, not even happened yet. Nostalgia for the future. Anti-nostalgia.

Ten Years On: Finch

“Never say never” is a high risk, high reward way to live. For Finch, that fluidity and flexibly has lead to lineup changes, two hiatuses and a breakup. It also led to a bit of controversy when they put out a new record that didn’t sound exactly like their first full-length, What It Is To Burn, and, as is the nature of the beast these days, a place on the rosters of one of the most successful indie labels (Drive-Thru) and largest major labels (MCA).

But “never say never” is also the reason Finch were able to gather (most of) their original members a decade after What It Is To Burn – the album that, for many, defines the band – and start touring again. A decade on, they’ve decided to come together to give fans the ultimate listening experience of such a monumental record. Lead guitarist Randy 'R2K' Strohmeyer spoke with Alter The Press about the tour, growing up, and how he never imagined this is where he’d be today. But hey, never say never.

Ten Years On: The All-American Rejects

It didn’t take long for The All-American Rejects’ first record to become a staple in high schools all over the place when it was released in 2002. And while a lot can change in ten years, including an industry turn upside the head, a few things have remained the same for AAR: they’re still dead-focused on making music, they’ve kept their feet on the ground, and that impossibly catchy melody of “Swing, Swing” has stayed pretty much timeless.

Alter The Press spoke with guitarist Nick Wheeler about how the last ten years haven’t aged the band, but have pushed them to stay relevant in the next decade.

Alter The Press: So it’s been ten years since the release of your self-titled. What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about that?

Nick Wheeler (lead guitar): It’s one of those things that seems like it was so long ago, that in time it doesn’t seem like I’ve been doing this for so long, because I don’t feel like I’ve grown up 10 years of life, or matured in any way. It’s crazy, though. It’s one of those things that still hasn’t sunk in. We’re still in go-mode. We’ve never really stopped, we’re always doing something whether it’s touring or writing. We’re always living and breathing this band and these songs. So it’s kind of like one of those milestones that we don’t want to stop and acknowledge.

Ten Years On: Good Charlotte - The Young And The Hopeless

Ten years ago today (October 1st, 2002) Good Charlotte released their sophomore album "The Young and the Hopeless", the record which changed the band from being an up and coming act to one of the biggest names in pop-punk across the globe.

The album not only scored double platinum status in the US, it went onto going platinum in Canada (2x), UK, Australia and to this day, is looked upon as one of the most influential pop-punk albums of the last decade.

With this said, Alter The Press spoke to frontman Joel Madden to take a retrospective look back, "Ten Years On" since release of "The Young and the Hopeless".

Alter The Press: It's been ten years since the release of "The Young and the Hopeless". Did you ever think this would be the album that will break Good Charlotte into the mainstream world?

Joel Madden: At the time, when we made the record, I don't know what we were thinking. I was 22 years old, maybe even younger, but at the time and just looking back at it, I think we just wanted to make it.

Ten Years On: mewithoutYou - [A→B] Life

Just over decade ago, mewithoutYou released their debut album "[A→B] Life" - a record which will always hold a special place in the hearts of their fan base. Some brand "[A→B] Life" as a post-hardcore masterpiece, but with every mewithoutYou album following after the band has progressed from their raw and aggressive early beginnings to becoming the experimental rock and roll outfit that they are today.

With that said, Alter The Press caught up with frontman Aaron Weiss to take a retrospective look back since the release of "[A→B] Life", for our latest "Ten Years On" feature.

Ten Years On: Home Grown - Kings Of Pop

Just over a decade ago, the now defunct Orange County four-piece Home Grown, released their third studio album "Kings Of Pop". The record was the band's most successful release by debuting at number 189 on the Billboard 200 chart and most notably known for featuring the classic pop-punk anthems "Kiss Me, Diss Me" and "You're Not Alone".

In 2005, frontman Adam Lohrbach parted ways with the band and a few months later, Home Grown decided to call it a day. Ten years on, Lohrbach is working as the creative arts director of a local church in Southern California and his days of being in Homegrown are now in the past.

With that said, Alter The Press reached out to Adam and reminisced about his time in the band, "Kings Of Pop" ten years on, his transition from being the frontman of Home Grown to working in the church and more.

Ten Years On: Simple Plan - No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls

Ten years ago this week, the Canadian pop/rock outfit Simple Plan released their debut album, "No Pads, No Helmets...Just Balls", a record which paved the way for the band's success worldwide.

The album reached double platinum status in their native homeland of Canada, the US and Japan, platinum in Australia and Gold in the United Kingdom and to this day, is still looked upon as one of the most pivotal pop-punk albums of the last decade.

With this said, Alter The Press sat down with drummer Chuck Comeau, to take a retrospective look back from the start of the band's career, for our latest "Ten Years On" feature.

Twenty Years On: Refused

On February 8th, 1992, Refused played their first show in Luleå, Sweden - a set which included at least two Gorilla Biscuits covers and songs that were lyrically finished and refined during the bus journey to the venue. On January 9th, 2012, after a fourteen year hiatus following their ground breaking third and final album - a release which subsequently broke them up - one of hardcore's most influential bands officially announced their reunion. Hopeful whispers of a reunion began to float around when "The Shape of Punk to Come" was given the triple disk treatment by Epitaph in 2010. The re-release of the 12 track masterpiece came accompanied by a furious live album and a DVD directed by guitarist Kristofer Steen, documenting the band’s dissolution and their final performances together before everyone realized just how good they were. As with Nirvana, Unbroken, or indeed any influential band that left the feeling of their story being cut short, it's hard to watch footage of them now and not quietly curse time, your own lack of prognostic vision, and the late-coming of the internet revolution for not being with them in those moments.

Ten Years On: Taking Back Sunday - Tell All Your Friends

It's hard to believe that nearly a decade ago, Taking Back Sunday released their debut album, 'Tell All Your Friends', which paved their way to success.

Ten years later and five albums now under their belts, we caught up with front man Adam Lazzara and bassist Shaun Cooper to take a retrospective look back at the band's career since the release of 'Tell All Your Friends' and what the future holds next for the Long Island five-piece.

Ten Years On: Good Charlotte - S/T

It's hard to believe that just over a decade ago, Good Charlotte had released their first ever record. The album may not of have been a success in terms of sales in comparison to their multi-platinum selling discography but it was a record that paved the way to where the band is today.

Alter The Press spoke to front man Joel Madden to take a retrospective look at the band's career from the release of their self-titled debut album, which started it all.





Alter The Press: It's been just over ten years since the release of the self-titled record. What comes to mind when you look back in retrospect?

Joel Madden: I just think about where we started from, where everything is today, what we've seen as a band and what we've lived through with so many different changes in the music industry and the scene. It's funny, we don't feel old but we're an older band compared to most. For a band for almost 16 years and looking back from high school where we started, I just look at the self-titled record and look at how young we were and how excited we were and how much we had to learn. It's crazy and has been a wild ride.