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The SoCal alt-metal foursome Alien Ant Farm formed in 1996 with the raging singer/songwriter Dryden Mitchell, guitarist Terry Corso, bassist Tye Zamora, and drummer Mike Cosgrove. They independently released their quirky debut, Greatest Hits, toward the end of the '90s and soon enough noise surrounded the band. It won the award for Best Independent Album at the 1999 L.A. Music Awards and Alien Ant Farm found themselves striking a deal with Papa Roach's New Noize, which was partnered with DreamWorks. Two years later they made their major-label introduction with ANThology, issued in March 2001. Debut single Smooth Criminal was a funky metal mix of Michael Jackson's original song, and pop kids of the TRL generation loved it. The song hit number one on the modern rock charts, and the album eventually went platinum. A year later, between tours of Europe, the band was back in the studio recording new music. Guitarist Corso subsequently exited the group and was replaced by Joe Hill. Zamora next left for college after recording of the band's fourth effort wrapped. Up in the Attic appeared in July 2006 on New Door Records, as hardcore vet Alex Barreto (Chain of Strength, Inside Out) entered on bass.