The Revolution Smile was a Sacramento, CA-based alternative metal combo led by
Shaun Lopez, a guitar player who had spent much of the '90s with the post-grunge quartet
Far. Upon that band's 1998 demise,
Lopez was set to join ex-
Quicksand frontman
Walter Schreifels in
Rival Schools. However, a desire to pursue singing and songwriting -- not simply be the guitar slinger -- led
Lopez to strike out on his own. Though the Revolution Smile was essentially his basement project,
Lopez was eventually joined by guitarist Tim McCord, drummer Jeremy White, and bassist Octavio Gallardo. In 2001, the quartet recorded and self-released At War With Plastic. Around this point, things started moving a little faster for
the Rev Smile, and
Lopez in particular.
Fred Durst had spent much of the previous year on a well-publicized search for a new
Limp Bizkit guitarist, in the wake of
Wes Borland's noisy departure from the band.
Durst's people called
Lopez, who was on the radar due to his work with
Far.
Lopez turned down the
Bizkit audition, but did agree to showcase his new band for
Durst's fledgling vanity imprint Flawless. The showcase led to a deal, but there was a problem.
The Revolution Smile's next EP had already been slated for release through a label started under the auspices of Buddyhead, the infamous humor and gossip website. Some bad blood was shed, legal maneuvering ensued, and eventually the Revolution Smile holed up with producer Dave Sardy to record their Flawless debut.
Above the Noise dropped in July 2003; it featured a straight-ahead alt.metal sound comparable to
Foo Fighters or
Filter.
The Revolution Smile supported the record with a slot on that summer's Ozzfest extravaganza. ~ Johnny Loftus