From their humble beginnings in 1993, the Italian rock band, Linea 77 made up of Emo (vocals), Nitto (vocals), Tokyo (drums), Dade (bass), and Chinaski (guitar), has grown into one of the pioneers of rock music across Europe. Starting out as a punk rock cover band, Linea 77 built up a cult following playing local venues and squats in the burgeoning Italian hardcore scene. In 1995 the band recorded their first demo, and then went on to sign a deal with Dracma Records. They soon released Kung Fu, a collection of demo tracks and studio out-takes, and were met with critical acclaim. After two years, they moved on and were signed to Milan's indie label Collapse/White&Black. In 1998 they released their first full length album, Too Much Happiness... Makes Kids Paranoid. This album caught the attention of leading cult label, Earache Records. Too Much Happiness... Makes Kids Paranoid was re-released in 2000 on a global scale with Earache. In 2000, Linea 77 took their “happy-core” metal to a new level, with their second album, Ketchup Suicide, which featured songs demonstrating the band's boundless energy and ability to write infectiously catchy lyrics. Linea 77's next album, Numb was released in 2003, and ranges from Smashing Pumpkins-esque cute-rock to big chorus winners. The innovative lyrics are influenced by everything from war and economics to television. "Numb" propelled Linea 77 on to the charts in Italy, and secured them a spot at the MTV festival in Bologna. From humble hardcore origins, Linea 77 has held fast to its roots. While at first, it's slightly oddball nature seemed too hard for audiences to comprehend; it is now the band's trademark. The Band prides itself on its free-form expression of rock music, which utilizes various influences drawn from a wide spectrum to create what the band calls "free" rock.