Start With a Strong and Persistent Desire by Vex Red

Start With a Strong and Persistent Desire was Vex Red's opening shot, a 2002 debut from an English alternative rock band that had caught the ear of Ross Robinson. The nu metal producer signed them to I Am, his imprint at Virgin Records, and sat behind the desk for the album himself before it came out that March.

"Itch" went out first, back in 2001, and "Can't Smile" followed in 2002, getting as far as number 45 on the UK singles chart. The album had its own brief turn on the UK albums chart, peaking at 48 and hanging around for two weeks. It's a record that sits right where British alt-rock collided with nu metal, all coiled tension and sudden release.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.