Minus

Forming in 1998 while its members were still in their teens, Iceland's Minus quickly began turning heads among the local hardcore scene with brutal sounds and an incendiary live show. Comprised of vocalist Krummi, drummer Bjossi, bassist Johnny, and guitarists Frosti and Bjarni, the five-piece got their start wanting to simply make "disgusting music." Their debut, Hey Johnny!, appeared a year later as a raucous mix of post-hardcore sung in their native Icelandic. The band made the switch to English for 2001's more progressive Jesus Christ Bobby, and the spastic album garnered rave reviews from various U.K. press including Kerrang! and NME. Less hardcore and more rock in nature, Halldor Laxness — named in honor of the Nobel Prize-winning author — was next issued in 2003. Partying about as hard as they performed, Minus spent time following the record's release playing shows with a wide range of bands including the Distillers, Muse, Amen, and Biffy Clyro.