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| Jacksonville, Florida-based alternative metal outfit Cold started out by sharing the aesthetic of another Florida band, Limp Bizkit. Both groups favored technically complex, bleak and brutal metal that merged elements of Jane's Addiction, Metallica and Tool. The Bizkit actually discovered Cold playing in the Jacksonville area and helped them sign to the A&M subsidiary Flip. Cold's eponymous debut album was released in the summer of 1998, and through constant touring the combo earned a devoted following. Their sophomore effort 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage appeared two years later, and Year of the Spider in 2003. By this point Cold was moving steadily away from the Limp Bizkit model in favor of a moodier sound suggestive of Staind. On Spider, the hit single "Stupid Girl" was an example of this. (Interestingly, "Stupid Girl" was co-written by Weezer's Rivers Cuomo.) Despite Year of the Spider doing well with rock fans, Geffen soured on Cold in the midst of promotion for the album. Being dropped from the label led to internal strife. Guitarist Kelly Hayes departed, guitarist Terry Balsamo left to join Evanescence, and drummer Sam McCandless and vocalist Scooter Ward were left high and dry. Then a family member of Ward's became ill, and the future of Cold looked bleak. However, the band endured. They signed a new deal with Lava/Atlantic, and issued Different Kind of Pain in August 2005. By this point Cold's lineup included Ward, McCandless, guitarists Matt Loughran and Mike Booth, and bassist Jeremy Marshall. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide |
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