Taking their name from an obscure 1960s Filipino band that is rumored to have been murdered by the Marcos dictatorship for their insurrectionist beliefs (so the story goes, anyway), spazz-metal outfit Flattbush was formed in the late '90s -- just a few years after Philippine transplants Enriko (vocals) and Arman Maniago (bass) moved to southern California. After six years of strategic advances within the metal underground, Flattbush also featured Americans Brad Walther (guitar) and Ray Banda (drums) when they signed to former Faith No More bassist Bill Gould's Kool Arrow Records. Their debut album, Smash the Octopus, was released in 2003; new drummer Joe Luevano arrived a year later. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia