Pleymo

French rap-metal/alternative metal six-piece Pleymo was formed in 1997, when the genre was truly at the top of its game. Bands like Limp Bizkit and Linkin Park ruled the airwaves and their sound was made popular and in high demand all over the world. However, as general enthusiasm for the genre was gradually replaced by bored indifference by the first half of the next decade, and bigger bands either moved on in search of different sounds or carried on working for diminishing audience, Pleymo chose to hold on to a by then unfashionable sound. Moreover, they did so with enough energy and inventiveness to keep things fresh and interesting well into the 2000s. The members of the band were still in their late teens when they came together to form Pleymo. Originally there were only four of them -- Marc Maggiori (vocals), Benoit Julliard (bass, keyboards, backing vocals), Fred Ceraudo (drums), and guitar player Mattias. The original name of the band was "Pleymobill," after a line of plastic toys. It was shortened to Pleymo within a year, when the band's lineup expanded to five due to the inclusion of turntablist DJ Frank (Frank Bailleul). Erik Devilloutreys replaced Mattias as the band's guitar player and remained a permanent member. At that point the musicians cited Rage Against the Machine, Korn, and Primus as their main musical influences. Looking to expand their fan base, Pleymo created a sort of underground coalition with a number of like-minded bands, such as AqME, Watcha, and Enhancer. The coalition was dubbed "Team Nowhere" -- the bands performed together and helped each other out in various ways. The group's first record, an eponymous four-track EP, was issued in 1998, to little interest. Still, Pleymo continued to build a formidable reputation in the underground as...