Valient Thorr

If you remember anything from middle-school science class about the planet Venus, you might recall that it's the second planet from the Sun. However, chances are good that your teachers didn't tell you about Valient Thorr, who claim to be from Venus. Fueled by Thin Lizzy guitar riffs and over-the-top showmanship, the band rocks out like an interplanetary (and predominantly bearded) MC5. In addition to being the unlikely breakout band on the Vans Warped Tour for the past two summers, Valient Thorr recently released its sophomore full-length, Legend of the World, which is as much a carefully constructed critique of the Bush administration's stance on foreign policy as it is the soundtrack to the greatest party this galaxy has even seen.