What's Humming through the skulls of Orange County?

JOHN REESE, LAGUNA BEACH-BASED MANAGER OF BANDS AND PRODUCERS > At the Drive-In. "Simply amazing. Their live show is beyond belief. They opened for Rage Against the Machine on a tour and were stellar. I've heard an advance of their new CD, and it's great—should be out in late summer or early fall. They'll create their own genre, especially the track 'Invalid Litter Department.'"

> Amen. "The Sex Pistols meet old AC/DC. Punk with a hardcore Gothic feel, a hard sound to describe, but it will annihilate you. They have a new album coming out in September on Virgin, and they're on the Tattoo the Earth festival with Slipknot and Slayer, among others."

> Glassjaw. "New York emotional hardcore. They and At the Drive-In will rule the world. Glassjaw will be the sound of the new millennium like Korn and Limp Bizkit have been."

> Slipknot. "A destructive machine. One word describes this band: angry. But kids need it. Their next album will be huge."

> Mest. "They have a forthcoming album on Maverick. Chicago punk attitude and great hooks."

> Sunny Day Real Estate. "This band deserves much more success, and hopefully their upcoming CD on Time Bomb will give them that."

> AFI. "Their new CD on Nitro will be a breakthrough for them and will set them apart from all the other bands in the skate-punk genre, something melodic but that still kicks major ass."