Whatever Happened to the Breakout Rock + Metal Bands of 2013?

Put down the Candy Crush, stop sharing your Vines and tell your mob you don't need them for your "Harlem Shake" video. It's no longer 2013, but we can at least look back at some of the music from that year and see how things turned out for the breakout rock and metal acts of that year.

It was an interesting year with familiar faces like David Draiman, Chino Moreno, Thom Yorke and Philip H. Anselmo turning up in new places. We got a couple of supergroups. And female led acts started making an impact in the alt-rock world.

READ MORE: Whatever Happened to the Breakout Rock + Metal Acts of 2003?

The class of 2013 gave us some future Grammy nominees, some influential music, but also some acts that faded away after their breakout offerings.

So let's take a look at what happened to the the breakout rock and metal acts of 2013.

Atoms for Peace

What Happened With Atoms for Peace in 2013?

2013 was the year that Atoms for Peace actually became a recording band. The group was initially formed by Radiohead’s Thom Yorke in 2013 to help him promote his solo album The Eraser at live shows, but after finding their chemistry on the road, Yorke took the all-star collective into the studio.

The five-piece of Yorke, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, producer Nigel Godrich, Beck drummer Joey Waronker and David Byrne percussionist Mauro Refosco quickly pieced together a full-length album after their touring was complete, with the result being the 2013 album Amok.

Though the album debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart, it didn’t catch fire in the U.S. with the singles “Default,” “Judge, Jury and Executioner” and “Before Your Weary Eyes” failing to chart stateside, but garnering some radio support in other countries.

Atoms for Peace, “Default”

What Happened to Atoms for Peace?

As you might expect, scheduling became an issue with the group’s members having other projects to consider. Yorke has occasionally played music from the band’s catalog and the group as a whole reunited at one of his 2018 shows. But for the most part, the group has remained inactive since supporting their debut release.

††† (Crosses)

What Happened With ††† (Crosses) in 2013?

Deftones’ Chino Moreno had actively sought out other musical avenues outside of the band in the early 2010s and one of those acts was ††† (Crosses). The band dropped a pair of EPs in 2011 and 2012 (a third would come later) but saw their radio breakthrough with “The Epilogue” in 2013.

The band also signed a record deal with Sumerian Records in 2013, paving the way to combine all three of their EPs into a self-titled debut album the following year, but “The Epilogue” really started to put the trio of Moreno, Shaun Lopez and Chuck Doom on the map.

††† (Crosses), “The Epilogue”

What Happened to ††† (Crosses)?

The band issued their self-titled debut album in 2014, then toured in support of it, but a long layoff followed. In 2020, ††† (Crosses) returned with a surprise cover of Cause and Effect’s “The Beginning of the End.” In 2021, they dropped a cover of Q Lazzarus’ “Goodbye Horses.” And by 2022, they issued the double single “Initiation / Protection” and a cover of George
Michael’s “One More Try.”

In 2022, it was also revealed that Moreno and Lopez had split with Chuck Doom. Lopez revealed that part of the reason why there had been such a lengthy break was because of Doom and that rather than waiting on Doom to be free, they decided to continue as a duo. They issued the Permanent Radiant EP in 2022, with their second album, Goodnight, God Bless, I Love U, Delete, expected in 2023.

Chvrches

What Happened With Chvrches in 2013?

The Scottish alt-rock outfit Chvrches made their initial imprint on the music scene in 2013, issuing their debut effort The Bones of What You Believe in 2013. The group already had some momentum as 2013 arrived, with “The Mother We Share” picking up radio play late in 2012. By the time the album cycle was over, the songs “Recover,” “Gun,” “Lies,” “We Sink” and “Under the Tide” all received airplay in different parts of the world, cementing the band as one of alt-rock’s shining stars to look out for in the next decade.

Chvrches, “The Mother We Share”

What Happened to Chvrches?

The band went on to release three more albums over the next decade, with their sophomore set, Every Open Eye, debuting inside the Top 10 at No. 8. They’ve also enjoyed a string of Hot Rock & Alternative chart hits, including “Leave a Trace,” “Never Ending Circles,” “Bury It” (with Hayley Williams), “Get Out,” “My Enemy,” “Miracle,” and “How Not to Drown,” the latter of which won an NME Award for Best Song by a U.K. Artist in 2022.

Deafheaven

What Happened With Deafheaven in 2013?

Though Deafheaven debuted with 2011’s Roads to Judah album, 2013 was a true breakout for the band thanks to their sophomore set, Sunbather, which was a popular choice on many year end critics polls. In fact, Metacritic noted that it was the “best reviewed major album” of the year.

The lead song “Dream House” made several year-end “best of” song lists, with Pitchfork ranking it at No. 9 for the year. The album wasn’t a huge seller, peaking at No. 130, but the word of mouth on the record made the band one of the most popular new acts of the decade.

Deafheaven, “Dream House”

What Happened to Deafheaven?

The buzz paid off as the band’s follow-up album, New Bermuda, debuted inside the Top 100 albums at No. 63, their highest mark to date. They released two more albums after, 2018’s Ordinary Corrupt Human Love and 2021’s Infinite Granite.

In 2019, the band’s song “Honeycomb” was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the Grammys, but ultimately lost to High on Fire.

Device

What Happened With Device in 2013?

With Disturbed on an extended hiatus, David Draiman used his newfound free time to launch, Device, an industrial-leaning metal band that paired him with former Filter guitarist Geno Lenardo.

The album turned out to be a star-studded affair, with guest turns from Geezer Butler, M. Shadows, Glenn Hughes, Serj Tankian, Tom Morello and Lzzy Hale. Hale duetted with Draiman on a cover of the Lita Ford-Ozzy Osbourne song “Close My Eyes Forever.” But it was the lead single “Vilify” that shot to the top of the Active and Mainstream Rock charts. The group also scored a minor radio hit with the follow-up single “You Think You Know.”

Device, “Vilify”

What Happened to Device?

Draiman put together a touring band that included Evanescence drummer Will Hunt and Dope guitarist Virus, but when the tour started Lenardo was not part of the run. The group completed touring in support of the record.

But, with Disturbed returning from hiatus in 2015, another Device album never came. Speaking with Loudwire the same year, Draiman revealed that the band was no longer his focus. "As they say, 'never say never, but I really don't have any intentions of [another Device album]. I'm gonna make sure that I pay proper attention to the leviathan from here on out. And that's not diminishing anything. Because all of us had really amazing opportunities and experiences when we were working with our respective projects.” Disturbed have remained one of rock’s top bands since their return and Device have not returned since that period.

Haim

What Happened With Haim in 2013?

In 2013, siblings Este, Danielle and Alana Haim issued their debut album, Days Are Gone, through Polydor Records. The group already had a good start with “Forever” peaking at No. 24 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart in the fall of 2012, but their star really started to rise with the album’s release and the fourth song off the album, “The Wire,” climbing the charts in 2013. The record also yielded the singles “Don’t Save Me,” “Falling,” “If I Could Change Your Mind” and “My Song 5,” giving the band an impressive six singles off their debut disc.

The album peaked at No. 6, which was an impressive total for a debut album, They also appeared as a music guest on Saturday Night Live as one of the highlights in touring on their debut record.

Haim, “The Wire”

What Happened to Haim?

The next decade saw Haim’s star just continue to rise. Their second album, 2017’s Something to Tell You, yielded the hit songs “Want You Back” and “Little of Your Love” en route to a No. 7 debut stateside.

2020’s Women in Music, Pt. III was one of their biggest albums yet, delivering six singles including “Now I’m In It,” “Summer Girl,” “The Steps” and “Gasoline,” the latter pairing them with Taylor Swift. The album was nominated for Album of the Year at the 63rd Annual Grammys, while “The Steps” earned a Best Rock Performance nomination.

The sisters also branched out in the entertainment world. Alana Haim had the lead female role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Licorice Pizza in 2021. Este Haim, meanwhile, got involved with music for several different series and films. She scored music for Netflix’s Maid, scored the film Cha Cha Real Smooth, did music for Netflix’s Do Revenge and served as a music consultant for Season 2 of HBO’s White Lotus.

The Orwells

What Happened With The Orwells in 2013?

Chicago rockers The Orwells took a big step forward in 2013 with the song “Who Needs You.” The group made a memorable appearance playing the song on The Late Show With David Letterman, and the song shot to No. 23 on the Alternative Songs chart. It served as a perfect entry point for the band’s sophomore set, Disgraceland, which arrived the following year.

The Orwells, “Who Needs You”

What Happened to The Orwells?

The momentum of “Who Needs You” carried the band into 2014, when “Dirty Sheets,” “The Righteous Ones” and “Let It Burn” enjoyed modest success at alt rock radio. The album topped out at No. 69 on the Billboard 200.

The Orwells followed in 2017 with their third album, Terrible Human Beings, but the singles “Buddy” and “They Put a Body Bag in the Bayou” didn’t catch fire at radio.

The group split a year later amid sexual abuse allegations concerning multiple members. The band denied the allegations, but Consequence of Sound published accusations against band members from nine women. The Orwells were dropped by their label, but singer Mario Cuomo decided to release the band’s self-titled fourth album through his YouTube channel.

In 2023, the band reunited, issuing a statement that they had been falsely accused of inappropriate conduct and that after taking legal action that included a business tort and defamation suit, they issued the double-single “Bar Fly” and “Friendly Fire” upon making their reunion statement.

Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals

What Happened With Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals in 2013?

Post Pantera, Philip Anselmo dabbled in a number of different groups, launching Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals in 2011 and issuing their debut album, Walk Through Exits Only in 2013.

As expected, Anselmo definitely brought something brutal to the table, dropping the hard-hitting title track and a mix of hardcore, groove and thrash influences on the follow-up “Bedridden.”

Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals, “Walk Through Exits Only”

What Happened to Philip H. Anselmo & the Illegals?

With Anselmo balancing multiple projects, it would be early 2018 before the Illegals resurfaced with new music again. Choosing Mental Illness as a Virtue was the band’s sophomore set, featuring the song “The Ignorant Point.”

Things took a turn in 2018 when Anselmo employed the Illegals to revisit Pantera’s music for a special set amidst their show, opening the door for more Pantera-centric performances in the future. The response to Anselmo revisiting Pantera’s music then led the singer to consider revisiting Pantera’s music on a larger scale, with 2022 and 2023 seeing Anselmo reconnect with Rex Brown and welcoming Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante for a Pantera tribute run.

The Winery Dogs

What Happened With The Winery Dogs in 2013?

Mike Portnoy has been a man of many bands since his exit from Dream Theater, but one of his best has been The Winery Dogs. Paired up with legendary bassist Billy Sheehan, the group initially formed and disbanded a trio with John Sykes before Richie Kotzen became the third member of the power trio.

With a more bluesy and classic rock vibe, the group issued their self-titled debut album in 2013 with plenty of interest. It debuted at No. 27 on the Billboard 200, and yielded the promotional single “I’m No Angel.”

The Winery Dogs, “I’m No Angel”

What Happened to The Winery Dogs?

The band made the most of their inaugural run, issuing a live album, Unleashed in Japan 2013, and also founding their “Dog Camp” summer retreat for fans that wanted to jam.

After the positive reaction to their debut, the group quickly returned to the studio to capitalize, issuing a second album Hot Streak in 2015.

In April 2017, the group announced plans to take a break, though a 5-song EP titled Dog Years and a second live album arrived just a few months later. The music would have tide fans over as the break extended a couple of years. The band reunited for a month-long tour in 2019, but the pandemic shut down any future plans until they returned with a third album, 2023’s III.