Ruins, Coheed and Cambria November 23, 2007

Ruins are the brainchild of drummer Tatsuya Yoshida, one of Japan's most original and fiercely independent musicians. He formed the band in the summer of 1985, originally intending to be a power trio, but when the guitarist didn't show for their first rehearsal, he bumped Ruins down to a rhythm-section-only duo. He's currently making his way on tour looking for a suitable sidekick to be the bassist in his outrageous punk rock duo.

Upstate New York band Coheed and Cambria prides itself on its conceptual hardcore sound and cites such diverse influences as At The Drive In, Rush, Iron Maiden and Journey. Mixing funk influences with equal parts of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, Maryland's Clutch has created a unique, contemporary metal sound. Fall of Troy's music features mathematically precise rhythms and complex fretwork, giving way to loose jam-inspired divergences.