Alien Ant Farm

Lore & Background

Alien Ant Farm formed in 1996 in Riverside, California, with original members Dryden Mitchell (vocals), Terry Corso (guitars), Mike Cosgrove (drums), and Tye Zamora (bass). Their name came from Corso's daydream about alien ants farming Earth. The band released their debut album Greatest Hits independently in 1999, winning Best Independent Album at the L.A. Music Awards that year. They signed with DreamWorks Records in 2000 after forging a friendship with Papa Roach.

Their second album ANThology (2001) featured the hit cover of 'Smooth Criminal,' which reached No. 1 on the US Modern Rock charts and was a top single in several countries. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA.

Reader's Guide

Alien Ant Farm's significance lies in their unexpected crossover success with a cover of Michael Jackson's 'Smooth Criminal,' which introduced the band to a mainstream audience and became a staple of early 2000s rock radio. Their platinum-selling album ANThology and appearances in films like American Pie 2 and video games such as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 cemented their place in nu-metal era pop culture. Despite lineup changes and label issues that hindered later releases like Up in the Attic (2006), the band maintained a dedicated fanbase and continued to release albums, including Always and Forever (2015) and Mantras (2024). Their inclusion in a 2013 NME article titled '28 Nu-Metal Era Bands You Probably Forgot All About' reflects their status as a notable act from that period, remembered primarily for their genre-blending cover and energetic live performances.

Did You Know?

• The band's name came from guitarist Terry Corso's daydream about Earth being seeded by entities from other dimensions.
• Their cover of 'Smooth Criminal' was featured in the film American Pie 2 and the first season of WWE Tough Enough.
• In May 2002, the band was in a bus accident in Spain that killed their driver and fractured lead singer Dryden Mitchell's C2 vertebra.
• Their third album TruANT was produced by brothers Robert and Dean DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots.

From Independent Roots to a Major-Label Debut

Alien Ant Farm formed in 1996, bringing together vocalist Dryden Mitchell, guitarist Terry Corso, bassist Tye Zamora, and drummer Mike Cosgrove. Zamora and Cosgrove had previously played in a Primus cover band. The group released the $100 EP that year, followed by the Love Songs EP in 1998, and self-released their debut album Greatest Hits in 1999 through their own Chick Music Records label. That record took home the Best Independent Album award at the 1999 LA Music Awards. Eager for a bigger stage, the band toured European festivals and played showcases in Los Angeles, all while growing close to Papa Roach. When Papa Roach's commercial breakthrough gave them ownership of the New Noize label, an A&R representative from that imprint eventually found Alien Ant Farm. The turning point arrived when producer Jay Baumgardner, already recognized for his work with Korn and Slipknot, heard a demo of the band's cover of Michael Jackson's 'Smooth Criminal' playing over the speakers at a Papa Roach show. A month later, after completing Papa Roach's Infest, the A&R rep contacted Baumgardner, and he immediately agreed to produce their next record.

Behind the Mic: The NRG Sessions

By late 2000, Alien Ant Farm were in the studio at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, working alongside Baumgardner. They recorded two tracks first, then devoted a full month to writing new material. Their rehearsal space sat directly across from Baumgardner's studio, giving him a front-row view of the band's creative process at any hour. The workflow was collaborative: the group would tape rough ideas onto a recorder, and Mitchell would listen back in his car before the band reconvened to build additional parts. Engineer James Murray operated Pro Tools with assistance from Justin Harvey, while John Ewing and Brian Viture handled additional Pro Tools duties. Baumgardner emphasized Pro Tools as a crucial tool, noting it let them 'chop things up and edit things,' and pointed to Linkin Park as a band that 'epitomized what you could do with Pro Tools in rock.' Mitchell noted that Baumgardner left the songs largely intact, making only 'real minor stuff' like rearranging sections. The final mix was completed at NRG with Daniel Certa, and Tom Baker mastered the album at Precision Mastering in Hollywood.

Genre-Bending Sound and Personal Lyrics

Critics placed Anthology at the intersection of alternative metal, nu metal, and pop-punk, drawing comparisons to Incubus's Make Yourself and A Perfect Circle's Mer de Noms. The band reached for vocal harmonies inspired by Electric Light Orchestra, Steely Dan, and Queen, while Mitchell's delivery earned comparisons to Maynard James Keenan of Tool. Many of the songs were written during the collapse of a personal relationship, and that emotional rawness threads through the record. 'Courage' captures a partnership at its breaking point, while 'Movies' pairs staccato guitar with a funk-inflected bassline as Mitchell likens a romance to cinema. 'Flesh and Bone' channels the Police through Cosgrove's reggae-tinged drumming, with Tye Zamora's brother Jon adding background vocals. 'Whisper' is a pointed critique of the music industry, born from the band's experience of being rejected by labels after their showcases. 'Sticks and Stones' drew comparisons to Helmet and Prong, and 'Attitude' features a Latin beat with percussion from Toto's Lenny Castro, told from the perspective of an angry girlfriend. 'Stranded' includes slide guitar from Dredg vocalist Gavin Hayes.

Chart Success and a World on Tour

Released on March 6, 2001, through New Noize and DreamWorks Records, Anthology became the band's breakout moment. 'Movies' hit the airwaves as the lead single in January 2001, and the band immediately threw themselves into a grueling schedule: a cross-country US tour alongside Linkin Park and Taproot, a supporting slot for Orgy, and a two-week European run behind Papa Roach. 'Smooth Criminal' followed as the second single in June 2001, and the band appeared on that year's Warped Tour before re-releasing 'Movies' in early 2002. The touring never stopped, as they crisscrossed Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the United States. 'Attitude' became the third single in May 2002. Critics generally praised the album's energy and song diversity. Commercially, Anthology peaked at number 11 on the US Billboard 200 and cracked the top 40 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Germany, Ireland, and New Zealand. It earned platinum certification in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the US. 'Smooth Criminal' reached number 23 on the Hot 100 and topped the Australian charts, while 'Movies' found success across several Billboard component charts and 'Attitude' charted in the UK.