Trapt | |
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Trapt vocalist Chris Taylor Brown live in Abilene, Texas
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Background information | |
Origin | Los Gatos, California, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 1995–present |
Labels |
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Associated acts | Atreyu, Unwritten Law |
Website | trapt |
Members |
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Past members |
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Trapt is an American rock band that formed in Los Gatos, California in 1995, best known for their chart topping 2002 single "Headstrong". The group consists of lead vocalist Chris Taylor Brown, bassist Peter "Pete" Charell, guitarist David Sudock, and drummer Brendan Hengle. They have released seven studio albums to date: Amalgamation, Trapt, Someone in Control, Only Through the Pain, No Apologies, Reborn and DNA.
The members of Trapt met in middle school in the mid-'90s, and were in an early NOFX cover band with Manny Terres (guitar) and Aaron Azlant (lead vocals) called the Swinging Udders. Shortly thereafter, the band reformed and developed an act with Chris Taylor Brown (lead vocals), Simon Ormandy (guitar), Peter "Pete" Charell (bass), and David Stege (drums). The band's first few rehearsals were in Ormandy's guesthouse, which had a party-like atmosphere with its loft overlooking the living room. They began playing at local venues in 1997 before any members had graduated high school. The band received a great response and a positive buzz soon started to grow. In 1998, still before graduation, they were already opening for up-and-coming fellow acts like Papa Roach. They recorded and released their first CD, Amalgamation in 1999, which they sold at their live shows. Their second release, the Glimpse EP, came in 2000, and another EP, 2001's self-titled Trapt, served as the band's demo. Between the strength of these releases and the successes in touring, they were able to garner major record label attention.
The debut independent release by Trapt, released in June 1999 and sold only in the Los Gatos, California area. The album was a local success, selling over 900 copies by the end of 1999. This album sports a drastically different sound compared to later releases, with vocalist Chris Taylor Brown rapping in every song, with later releases not containing rapping at all. The Glimpse was an EP that was also released independently in 2000.
The band proceeded to sign with Warner Bros. Records and started recording their debut album, with Robin Diaz replacing Stege on the drums. On November 5, 2002 the band released their self-titled album, Trapt, which produced a total of three singles. In 2002 "Headstrong" was the first, and it reached No. 1 on both the Modern Rock Tracks and Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, as well as No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking their most successful single to date. The second single from the album, "Still Frame", also managed to achieve No. 1 spot on the US Mainstream Rock chart, and No. 3 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The third single, "Echo" peaked at No. 10 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The Trapt album was certified platinum by the RIAA. Although not a single, the last song on the album, "New Beginning", was featured in the film "Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler".