In the mid-'90s they played in the arty punk band VSS, releasing a handful of singles and the album Nervous Circuits before the group disbanded in 1997. VSS' dark, angular approach influenced their next project, Slaves, although their 1998 EP and 1999 full-length, The Devils Pleasures, also hinted at a newfound, hedonistic glamour. By the time the millennium rolled around the group was known as Pleasure Forever, and their 2001 self-titled album celebrated their new name as well as the band's increasingly decadent sound. Two years later Sub Pop issued their second album, Alter, their most theatrical and accessible work yet. ~ Heather Phares