Met in middle school

The members of Trapt met in middle school in the mid-’90s, and were in an early NOFX cover band called the Swinging Udders, with Manny Terres on guitar and Aaron Azlant on lead vocals. Shortly thereafter, the band reformed and developed an act with Chris Taylor Brown (lead vocals), Simon Ormandy (guitar), Rick Sanders (guitar), Pete Charell (bass), and David Stege (drums). Originally, the band were rapcore . The band’s first few rehearsals were in Ormandy’s guesthouse, which had a party-like atmosphere with its loft overlooking the living room. They began playing at local venues in 1997 before any members had graduated high school. In 1998, still before graduation, they were already opening for up-and-coming fellow acts like Papa Roach . They recorded and released their first CD, Amalgamation , in 1999, which they sold at their live shows. Sanders departed from the band afterwards, but the band opted to remain a quartet instead of recruiting an additional guitarist. Drummer Stege also left the band not longer after. He was replaced by Robin Diaz, and in 2000 the band released the EP Glimpse .