"High school never ends," goes one rock song, and that's not necessarily a bad thing for the boys of Chiodos. What started as a high school extracurricular has grown into a full musical act, complete with screaming fans and sold out tours. They've reached all that despite lacking funding and big-time production wasn't a reality for most of their career. Independent, for this band, doesn't necessarily mean invisible.

Chiodos: Can't Stop The Rock

"We're Chiodos. Here we are. Get ready."

"High school never ends," goes one rock song, and that's not necessarily a bad thing for the boys of Chiodos. What started as a high school extracurricular has grown into a full musical act, complete with screaming fans and sold out tours. They've reached all that despite lacking funding and big-time production wasn't a reality for most of their career. Independent, for this band, doesn't necessarily mean invisible.

Chiodos: Cool in School

The band was born in Davison, Michigan, where all six of the members met at the same high school. Craig Owens (vocals), Bradley Bell (keyboard), Pat McManaman (guitar), Jason Hale (guitar), Matt Goddard (bass) and Derrick Frost (drums) were playing in the local circuit and writing their own songs before long.

Local fame followed the release of their 2002 demo, The Best Way to Ruin Your Life. A wider fan base was hit by their 2003 EP, The Heartless Control Everything, a 7-track effort that was released by indie label Search and Rescue. A touring stint followed, which included gigs with higher profile bands like Coheed & Cambria and Yellowcard. Thanks to the buzz from the touring, Equal Vision signed the band in 2004.

Chiodos Comes to Town

All's Well That Ends Well is unarguably the band's breakout album. After its release in July 2005, it made #3 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers list and peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200. It was, by any measure, a success. A string of shows - some of which they headlined - and tours followed the release. Bone Palace Ballet, their 2007 follow-up, was just as successful, peaking with a #5 spot on the Billboard 200.

Not everything, however, was well for the band. Despite the outstanding performance of their albums on the charts and a number of successful performances, other artists began speaking out against them. Internal rifts were beginning to form within the band as well. Members also began leaving, beginning with drummer Derrick Frost in early 2009.

By late 2009, vocalist Craig Owens had been let go, which the band announced via their MySpace page. Owens, meanwhile, did not seem to be having an easy time of the firing, as he posted on social network Twitter. The remaining four members - the original core - is yet to announce their next move.

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