Hed PE (also known as (hed) Planet Earth and stylized as (həd) ^p.e. or as (Hed)pe or (Hed)PE) or (həd) Planetary Evolution, is an American rock band from Huntington Beach, California. Formed in 1994, the band is known for its eclectic genre-crossing style, predominately in the fusion of gangsta rap and punk rock it has termed "G-punk", but also for its

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use the ...

-fused music. After releasing three albums on Jive Records, Hed PE left the label to record independently. Hed PE was signed with Suburban Noize Records from 2006 until 2010. Since 2014, the band has been signed with Pavement Music. Since 2006, the band has become known for its involvement in the 9/11 Truth movement, referencing it in many of their song lyrics and concerts, as well as the concept of the album '' New World Orphans''. To date, Hed PE has released twelve studio albums, one live album and three compilation albums, and has sold over 700,000 albums worldwide.

History

Formation and major-label debut (1994–1999)

The band was formed by vocalist Jared Gomes, also known as "M.C.U.D." (MC Underdog), and guitarist

Wes Geer Wesley Harmon Geer Jr. is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the band Hed PE, formed in 1994 in Huntington Beach, CA. He also toured with nu metal band Korn. Biography Geer was born in Fullerton, California. He met rappe ...

, who became friends amidst the Orange County hardcore punk scene. Gomes and Geer recruited guitarist Chizad, bassist Mawk, drummer B.C. Vaught and DJ Product © 1969. They named the group "Hed", which stands for "higher education". The band built a following with their energetic performances at local venues, and released the self-financed

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

, ''

Church of Realities ''Church of Realities'' is the sophomore extended play by American punk rock band Hed PE. Self-distributed in 1995, it was the band's first release. Production DJ Product©1969 drew the EP's cover. Music The music of ''Church of Realities'' e ...

''. Legal issues forced Hed to change their name, adding "PE", which stood for "Planetary Evolution (later changed to planet earth) ". Hed PE signed with Jive Records, releasing their self-titled debut album in 1997. In his review of the album,

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...

's Steve Huey wrote "There are some slow and/or unfocused moments ..but overall, its aggression will probably play well with late-'90s metal and punk fans." Due to the label's contractual terms and the disappointing sales of the album, the band found themselves unable to repay the cash advances given to them by Jive. Gomes is quoted as saying "We had these romantic visions of the music industry, and we thought it would be cool to be a punk band on a rap label. So we fulfilled that dream, but it was also probably the worst thing that could have happened. ..We've had offers from

Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...

and others that we can't take because we owe Jive so much money."

''Broke'' and ''Blackout'' (2000–2004)

On June 6, 2000, Hed PE appeared on the tribute album '' Nativity in Black II'', covering Black Sabbath's "Sabbra Cadabra". Hed PE released their second studio album, ''

Broke Broke may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Film and television * ''Broke'' (1991 film), a 1991 British television film by Stephen Bill in the anthology series ''ScreenPlay'' * Broke (2009 film), a Canadian documentary film * '' Broke*'', ...

'' on August 22, 2000. It peaked at No. 63 on the ''Billboard'' 200, while its first single, "Bartender", peaked at No. 23 on the ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and at No. 27 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. Allmusic's Jason D. Taylor wrote: "''Broke'' may have not found as much success in the competitive mainstream market as some would have liked, and even despite its distinct departure from the group's debut, it is an album that shows more vision than other rap-tinged rock albums to come out in 2000." The most negative response to the album came from critics who viewed its lyrics as misogynistic. On October 27, 2000, Gomes was arrested for possession of marijuana while the band was performing in Waterbury, Connecticut. He was released on a US$1,500 bond. In 2001, Hed PE performed on the Ozzfest tour alongside bands such as Korn, Static-X, and System of a Down. A music video for "Killing Time", the second single from ''Broke'', was produced in promotion of the film '' 3000 Miles to Graceland'', which featured the song on its soundtrack. Hed PE released their third studio album, '' Blackout'', on March 18, 2003. It peaked at No. 33 on the ''Billboard'' 200, while its title track peaked at No. 21 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and at No. 32 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. Allmusic's Johnny Loftus wrote that "While it expands on melodic elements that had previously played a supporting role in the band's sound, ''Blackout'' also delivers truckloads of crushing guitar and pounding rhythm. And whether or not it is the presence of a top-line producer, (hed) pe have figured out a way to imbue their aggressive mix of heavy rock and hip-hop with some serious hooks." Guitarist Jaxon joined the band in early 2004. He is the fourth person to fill this position.

''Only in Amerika'' (2004)

Hed PE left Jive Records, releasing their fourth studio album, '' Only in Amerika'', on Koch Records on October 19, 2004. It peaked at No. 20 on the Top Independent Albums chart and at No. 186 on the ''Billboard'' 200. In his review of the album, Johnny Loftus wrote "It wants to be a confrontational megaphone in the ear of conservatives, but Jahred's torrential rhetoric is too messy and blatantly offensive to incite anything but superficial anger, and the music – though occasionally explosive – takes a backseat to the ranting."

Suburban Noize Records (2006–2010)

In 2006, Hed PE signed with Suburban Noize Records, recording their fifth studio album, ''

Back 2 Base X ''Back 2 Base X'' (written as ''B∆CK 2 B∆SE X'') is the fifth studio album by American rock band Hed PE. Released on June 6, 2006, it is the band's first release on Suburban Noize. Music ''Back 2 Base X'' was influenced by classic punk b ...

''. The album was intended as a return to the basics of rock music, and did not rely as heavily on studio enhancement as previous releases. The album was released on June 6, 2006, the same day as '' The Best of (həd) Planet Earth'', a compilation album produced by Jive Records without the band's authorization or consent. ''Back 2 Base X'' peaked at No. 12 on the Independent Albums chart, and at No. 154 on the ''Billboard'' 200. Allmusic's Rob Theakston wrote that "''Back 2 Base X'' suffers from the same problems as ''Amerika'': it tries to be conceptual in thought à la

Tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

and vicious in its political commentary à la Fugazi or System of a Down, but somehow falls short by sounding like an angry stoner on a soapbox. It won't win any new fans, but existing fans of (hed) pe's work won't be turning their backs away from the band in anger anytime soon, either." On June 26, 2007, the band released their sixth studio album, '' Insomnia''. It peaked at No. 16 on the Independent Albums chart, and at No. 138 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The album's lead single, "Suffa", became one of the most requested tracks at Sirius Satellite Radio's Hard Attack, while the song's music video was voted one of the Top 10 of 2007 on MTV's '' Headbangers Ball''. Hed PE released their first live album, ''

The D.I.Y. Guys ''The D.I.Y. Guys'' is the first live album by American rock band Hed PE, released on July 8, 2008. The live CD portion of the presentation was captured at Hollywood's legendary Key Club during their ''Insomnia'' tour. The CD portion also contain ...

'', in 2008. On December 20, 2008, Hed PE released their new single "Renegade" with the drummer Christopher Hendrich who appeared in the music video as well. On January 13, 2009, they released their seventh studio album, '' New World Orphans''. It was released in three different versions; each contains a different set of bonus tracks. In 2009, drummer Trauma joined the band. He is the sixth person to fill this position. The band's eighth studio album, ''

Truth Rising ''Truth Rising'' is the eighth studio album by American rock band Hed PE. Released on October 26, 2010, the album received mixed reviews and debuted at #98 on the Billboard 200. The album also peaked #13 on the Top Independent albums charts. Mu ...

'', was released on October 26, 2010, to mixed reviews. It would be the last album the band recorded for Suburban Noize, which Gomes described as having "imploded on itself" approximately around 2010, leaving the band without a label for the next four years.

''Evolution'' and ''Forever!'' (2014–2019)

Hed PE subsequently signed with Pavement Music. In a 2012 interview, frontman Jared Gomes stated that their album for 2013 titled ''Ascension'' would be released within the first half of 2014. Towards the end of 2013, DJ Product mysteriously left the band with no explanation and no comment from the other members. On January 1, 2014, Gomes stated on the band's official Facebook that the new upcoming (hed) PE album will be named "Evolution" and to be released within the year. On May 13, 2014, On the band's official Facebook page, they released the official announcement of when the band's new album

Evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

will hit stores. The album is set for release July 22, 2014. They also released a teaser of the tone of the new album on their Facebook page and soon after, the track "One More Body". In 2015, it was confirmed that 12-year guitarist

Jaxon Benge Jaxon Benge (born Jackson Lee Benge) is the former guitarist for American punk rock band, Hed PE. He exclusively uses Ibanez Seven-string guitars in the studio and when performing live. Jaxon utilizes a number of styles in his music such as Spee ...

and original bassist Mark Young had left the band. They were replaced by guitarist Greg "Gregzilla" Harrison and bassist Kurt "Kid Bass" Blankenship, leaving vocalist Jared Gomes as the group's only remaining original member.

''Stampede!'' and ''Class of 2020'' (2019–present)

On June 21, 2019, the band released a new 10-track album titled ''Stampede!'', which was noted for taking a departure from the style of their previous albums through the inclusion of auto-tune on many of the tracks. In August 2020, Hed PE released the album ''Class of 2020'' which was described as a return to the original G-punk sound of the band. The record saw a reunion with original guitarist Chad "Chizad" Benekos for the first time in nearly two decades, who performed in the song "Greedy Girl". Original member DJ Product © 1969 also returned to play on the album as well as create the artwork for the record which was a throwback to their album ''Broke'' to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release.

Style

Music and lyrics

Hed PE performs a style of music which they have referred to as "G-punk", a phrase inspired by the term " G-funk". Hed PE has also described its music as "schizophrenic". Hed PE's music is a fusion of styles ranging from hip hop,

, and ska to hard rock, punk, and heavy metal. Other elements that have been incorporated into this style include blues, funk,

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...

and industrial. Jared Gomes' vocal style ranges from melodic singing to rapping, screaming, and

death growl A death growl, or simply growl, is an extended vocal technique usually employed in extreme styles of music, particularly in death metal and other extreme subgenres of heavy metal music. Death growl vocals are sometimes criticized for their ...

s. The band's lyrics draw from a number of subjects, including

social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, Equal opportunity, opportunities, and Social privilege, privileges within a society. In Western Civilization, Western and Culture of Asia, Asian cultures, the concept of social ...

, the existence of extraterrestrial life, criticism of organized religion, the 9/11 Truth movement, cannabis use and sexual intercourse. Gomes, in addition to the 9/11 Truth movement, has expressed support for social liberal politicians such as Nancy Pelosi and president

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

. However, Gomes' 2004 lyrics for ''Only in Amerika'' supported American

nationalism Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...

, and called for brutal retaliation against Al Qaeda for the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Influences

The band's influences include Beastie Boys, Black Sabbath, Bob Marley,

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are c ...

, Nine Inch Nails, Notorious B.I.G. and Rage Against the Machine. Hed PE's second album, ''Broke'', incorporated

classic rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...

and world music influences, while ''Back 2 Base X'' was influenced by classic punk bands such as the Sex Pistols and The Clash, ''Insomnia'' was influenced by

thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, . ...

bands such as Slayer, and '' New World Orphans'' was influenced by Suicidal Tendencies and Minor Threat. Guitarist Jaxon has been credited for encouraging a heavier, hardcore punk-influenced musical style.

Band members

Current members

* Jared "M.C.U.D." Gomes – lead vocals, melodica (1994–present) * Jeremiah “Trauma” Stratton – drums (2009–present) * Kurt "Kid Bass" Blankenship – bass (2015–present) * Nathan Javier – lead guitar (2021–present) * Nordberg – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2022–present)

Former members

* Ken "The Finger" Sachs – keyboards (1994–1996) * Chad "Chizad" Benekos – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1994–2002) * Wesley "Wesstyle" Geer – lead guitar (1994–2003) * Ben "B.C." Vaught – drums (1994–2003) * Doug "DJ Product © 1969" Boyce – turntables, samples, melodica, backing vocals (1994–2013; 2019) * Mark "Mawk" Young – bass (1994–2015) * Sonny Mayo – rhythm guitar (2002–2003) * Christopher Hendrich – drums (2004) * Mark "Moke" Bistany – drums (2004–2006) * Devin Lebsack – drums (2006–2007) * Anthony "Tiny Bubz" Biuso (Tiny Bubz) – (2007–2008) * Jackson "Jaxon" Benge – lead guitar (2004–2015) * Greg "Gregzilla" Harrison – lead guitar (2015–2017) * Will Von Arx – lead guitar (2017–2018) * D.J. Blackard – (2018–2021)

Timeline

ImageSize = width:1130 height:auto barincrement:20 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:0 right:10 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/01/1994 till:01/06/2022 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1994 ScaleMinor = increment:1 start:1994 Colors = id:Vocals value:red legend:Lead_vocals id:backing value:pink legend:Backing_vocals id:LGuitar value:teal legend:Lead_guitar id:RGuitar value:brightgreen legend:Rhythm_guitar id:keyboard value:purple legend:Keyboards id:turntables/samples value:lavender legend:Turntables,_samples id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:Lines value:black legend:Studio_album id:other value:gray(0.5) legend:Other_release LineData = at:12/08/1997 color:black layer:back at:22/08/2000 color:black layer:back at:18/03/2003 color:black layer:back at:19/10/2004 color:black layer:back at:06/06/2006 color:black layer:back at:17/07/2007 color:black layer:back at:13/01/2009 color:black layer:back at:26/10/2010 color:black layer:back at:22/07/2014 color:black layer:back at:25/07/2016 color:black layer:back at:21/06/2019 color:black layer:back at:21/08/2020 color:black layer:back at:04/02/2022 color:black layer:back at:01/06/1994 color:other layer:back at:15/08/1995 color:other layer:back at:01/01/1998 color:other layer:back at:01/01/2004 color:other layer:back at:01/06/2009 color:other layer:back at:23/07/2021 color:other layer:back at:08/07/2008 color:other layer:back at:06/06/2006 color:other layer:back at:22/06/2010 color:other layer:back at:05/08/2013 color:other layer:back BarData = bar:Jared text:"Jared Gomes" bar:Wesstyle text:"Wesstyle" bar:Chizad text:"Chizad" bar:Sonny text:"Sonny Mayo" bar:Jaxon text:"Jaxon" bar:Gregzilla text:"Gregzilla" bar:Will text:"Will Von Arx" bar:Blackard text:"D.J. Blackard" bar:Javier text:"Nathan Javier" bar:Nordberg text:"Nordberg" bar:TheFinger text:"The Finger" bar:Product text:"DJ Product © 1969" bar:Mawk text:"Mawk" bar:Blankenship text:"Kid Bass" bar:B.C. text:"B.C. Vaught" bar:Christopher text:"Chris Hendrich" bar:Moke text:"Mark 'Moke' Bistany" bar:Devin text:"Devin Lebsack" bar:Tiny text:"Tiny Bubz" bar:Trauma text:"Trauma" PlotData= width:11 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(9,-4) bar:Jared from:01/01/1994 till:end color:Vocals bar:Mawk from:01/01/1994 till:01/03/2015 color:Bass bar:Blankenship from:01/03/2015 till:end color:Bass bar:TheFinger from:01/01/1994 till:31/12/1996 color:Keyboard bar:Product from:01/01/1994 till:31/12/1996 color:Turntables/samples bar:Product from:31/12/1996 till:31/12/2012 color:Keyboard bar:Product from:31/12/1996 till:31/12/2012 color:Turntables/samples width:7 bar:Product from:31/12/1996 till:31/12/2012 color:backing width:3 bar:Chizad from:01/01/1994 till:31/12/2002 color:RGuitar bar:Chizad from:01/01/1994 till:31/12/2002 color:backing width:3 bar:Wesstyle from:01/01/1994 till:31/12/2003 color:LGuitar bar:B.C. from:01/01/1994 till:31/12/2003 color:Drums bar:Sonny from:01/01/2003 till:31/12/2003 color:RGuitar bar:Christopher from:01/01/2004 till:31/07/2004 color:Drums bar:Moke from:01/08/2004 till:31/05/2006 color:Drums bar:Devin from:01/06/2006 till:18/07/2007 color:Drums bar:Tiny from:19/07/2007 till:31/12/2008 color:Drums bar:Jaxon from:01/01/2004 till:01/03/2015 color:LGuitar bar:Jaxon from:01/01/2004 till:01/03/2015 color:RGuitar width:3 bar:Gregzilla from:01/03/2015 till:01/10/2017 color:LGuitar bar:Gregzilla from:01/03/2015 till:01/10/2017 color:RGuitar width:3 bar:Will from:02/10/2017 till:31/12/2017 color:LGuitar bar:Will from:02/10/2017 till:31/12/2017 color:RGuitar width:3 bar:Blackard from:01/01/2018 till:30/08/2020 color:LGuitar bar:Blackard from:01/01/2018 till:30/08/2020 color:RGuitar width:3 bar:Javier from:27/07/2021 till:end color:LGuitar bar:Javier from:27/07/2021 till:02/04/2022 color:RGuitar width:3 bar:Nordberg from:02/04/2022 till:end color:RGuitar bar:Nordberg from:02/04/2022 till:end color:backing width:3 bar:Trauma from:01/01/2009 till:end color:Drums bar:Trauma from:08/12/2010 till:end color:backing width:3

Discography

Studio albums * '' Hed PE'' (1997) * ''

'' (2000) * '' Blackout'' (2003) * '' Only in Amerika'' (2004) * ''

'' (2006) * '' Insomnia'' (2007) * '' New World Orphans'' (2009) * ''

'' (2010) * ''

'' (2014) * ''Forever!'' (2016) * ''Stampede'' (2019) * ''Class of 2020'' (2020) * ''Sandmine'' (2021) * ''Califas Worldwide'' (2022)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hed PE 1994 establishments in California Musical groups established in 1994 Musical groups from Orange County, California Musical quintets Nu metal musical groups from California Punk rock groups from California Rap metal musical groups Rap rock groups Rapcore groups Suburban Noize Records artists