Primer 55 is not your average group of rock stars. The band was formed in 1997 after years of suffering through the stale music scene in Memphis, TN, dominated by <a target='_blank' href="http://www.last.fm/tag/death%20metal" class="bbcode_tag" rel="tag">death metal</a> and <a target='_blank' href="http://www.last.fm/tag/cover" class="bbcode_tag" rel="tag">cover</a> bands. Rather than sit back and complain, the group decided to do something about it. Guitarist Bobby Burns, led by his heavy metal past, co-founded the band with vocalist <a target='_blank' href="http://www.last.fm/music/J-Sin" class="bbcode_artist">J-Sin</a> who added a more hip-hop flavor to the mix. The two enlisted the help of friends <span title="Unknown artist" class="bbcode_unknown">Mike &quot;Jr.&quot; Christopher</span> on bass and <span title="Unknown artist" class="bbcode_unknown">Josh McLane</span> on drums. They soon gained an underground following from their intense live performances and in 1999 released their self-titled debut album on the independent label <span title="Unknown label" class="bbcode_unknown">Propellant Transmissions</span>. Shortly after this release, the group was offered a contract with <a target='_blank' href="http://www.last.fm/label/Island+Def+Jam" class="bbcode_label">Island Def Jam</a>. After they graciously accepted the offer, the group continued with their hybrid <a target='_blank' href="http://www.last.fm/tag/heavy%20metal" class="bbcode_tag" rel="tag">heavy metal</a>/<a target='_blank' href="http://www.last.fm/tag/hip-hop" class="bbcode_tag" rel="tag">hip-hop</a> style on their 2000 release <a target='_blank' title="Primer 55 - Introduction To Mayhem" href="http://www.last.fm/music/Primer+55/Introduction+To+Mayhem" class="bbcode_album">Introduction To Mayhem</a>. The album is a trip into the depths of extreme passion and music authority. With the help of <a target='_blank' href="http://www.last.fm/music/Incubus" class="bbcode_artist">Incubus</a> <a target='_blank' href="http://www.last.fm/music/DJ+Chris+Kilmore" class="bbcode_artist">DJ Chris Kilmore</a>, <a target='_blank' href="http://www.last.fm/music/%28Hed%29+Planet+Earth" class="bbcode_artist">(Hed) Planet Earth</a> frontman <a target='_blank' href="http://www.last.fm/music/MCUD" class="bbcode_artist">MCUD</a>, and <a target='_blank' href="http://www.last.fm/music/Relative+Ash" class="bbcode_artist">Relative Ash</a> vocalist Mark Harrington, the album solidified Primer 55 as a musical force to be reckoned with. Following the release, the band toured almost nonstop and found themselves amongst the elite of <a target='_blank' href="http://www.last.fm/tag/hard%20rock" class="bbcode_tag" rel="tag">hard rock</a>. In 2001, the band replaced drummer <span title="Unknown artist" class="bbcode_unknown">Josh McLane</span>, who left for personal reasons, with <span title="Unknown artist" class="bbcode_unknown">John Kamoosi</span> to continue work on new material. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License and may also be available under the GNU FDL.