Bruiser

Formed in 2005, the Chicago rock band Bruiser drew its founding members from Local H, where Joe Daniels handled drums, and from Imagination Playground, whose ranks included bassist Mark Mills and guitarist Daniel Stock. After sharing stages with several notable acts, Daniels chose to step down, leading Bruiser to enlist Chris Balagot behind the kit in late 2007. The updated lineup, regarded by some as a step forward, unveiled its debut album, Fantastic Theory, in 2008.