Earshot

Earshot emerged in 1999 as a Tool-inspired metal outfit devoted to the same fusion of brooding, heavy riffs. Vocalist and guitarist Will Martin assembled the lineup with guitarists Mike Callahan and Scott Kohler plus drummer Dieter Hartmann. Warner Bros. extended the quartet a deal after encountering their melodic metal, prompting the band to begin sessions under producer David Kahne. Mixer Andy Wallace subsequently refined the finished tracks, and the resulting album Letting Go appeared in summer 2002.