40 Below Summer

40 Below Summer came together in New Jersey in 1998, when drummer Carlos Aguilar met singer Max Illidge in an earlier band called Alien. Guitarist Joey D'Amico joined soon after, followed by bassist-turned-guitarist Pete Savad and bassist Jordan Plingos. The lineup self-released two early records, Side Show Freaks and Rain, before catching the attention of management.

Illidge's vocals moved between roaring and melodic passages over guitars tuned heavily down and layered with samples and electronic texture, a sound that placed the band within the nu metal and alternative metal wave signed by major labels around 2000. Management company No Name, known for Slipknot and Mudvayne, helped land them a deal with Warner's London-Sire imprint.

Their major-label debut, Invitation to the Dance, was produced by GGGarth, who had worked with Rage Against the Machine, Mudvayne and Kittie, and released in 2001. London-Sire collapsed soon after, leaving the band in contract limbo at Warner Bros. for a year before they were released to sign with Razor & Tie for their second album, The Mourning After.

The band toured with acts including Chimaira, Ill Niño, Drowning Pool and Coal Chamber before breaking up in 2005. They regrouped briefly in 2006 and 2010, then reformed permanently in 2011, later releasing the album Untethered in 2025. Illidge, the band's voice throughout its history, died in 2020.