Speak No Evil

Formed in Los Angeles during the mid-'90s, the metal quintet Speak No Evil united vocalist Curtis Skelton, guitarists Danny Gill and Lisardo "Lee" Rios, bassist Greg Weiss, and drummer Charlie Waymire after the two guitarists had relocated from Miami to the West Coast. Universal put out the band's self-titled debut in 1999, which was succeeded two years later by Welcome to the Downside. Although the music recalls such metallic heavyweights as Soundgarden and Pantera, the lyrics echo politically minded outfits like Rage Against the Machine, most clearly on the sophomore release's "Lunatic" and "Downside."