Keep it in the family: 23 bands whose members are related

Bands form in a number of ways, but a tried-and-tested formula that frequently delivers the goods starts at home, with brothers and sisters teaming up. Looking back across rock history, we found 23 bands that boast siblings who managed to stop squabbling long enough to make it big. And they are…

Though losing rhythm guitarist Malcolm Young from their ranks in 2014, three years prior to his tragic passing, younger brother Angus continues to lead the charge with AC/DC. The fact they replaced Malcolm with nephew Stevie Young maintained the familial balance.

There are a handful of killer sister-brother combos out there and among the frontrunners have to be Lzzy and Arejay Hale. As vocalist/guitarist and drummer respectively, they’ve been kicking up fiery old-school rock sounds since the late ’90s.

Drummer Chris Adler may have departed the fold, but for the majority of the band’s existence he and guitarist brother Willie were integral facets of Lamb Of God, helping to make them one of the most vital units in modern metal.

One of a smattering of twins who have shaken up the rock landscape, Benji and Joel Madden have always been the de facto co-leaders of Good Charlotte. Dealing initially in pop-punk, they have since developed their own distinct sound.

Brothers Joe and Mario Duplantier – respectively guitarist/vocalist and drummer – have helped put France on the map when it comes to all-out heaviness. Though frequently mentioned alongside peers Lamb Of God and Mastodon, they wield a unique sound of their own making.

Guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul may not have used their last name in album credits, but the tight bond they shared in life echoed in the music they made together – first in Pantera, and later Damageplan.

With Jared Leto upfront on guitar and vocals it’s easy to overlook the other members of 30 Seconds To Mars, including the band’s only other mainstay: drummer Shannon Leto. Since 1998 the brothers have been churning out soaring alt.rock anthems.

Though brothers Josh and Zac Farro would exit the band in 2010 – the latter returning to the drum throne in 2017 – they were a fundamental part in the formation of Paramore, shaping their first three albums and establishing the group's original sound.

Frontman Scott Weiland may have perennially stolen the spotlight, but there would be no Stone Temple Pilots without the DeLeo brothers (guitarist Dean and bassist Robert), who are responsible for penning the lion’s share of their grungy anthems.

Joining forces in Brazilian thrash architects Sepultura and operating in the band together for 13 years, brothers Max and Igor Cavalera created a hell of a racket together. Teaming back up in Cavalera Conspiracy has only cemented their legacy of heaviness.

The hardcore scene is all about community, and sometimes that can extend to family – as it did in the case of Every Time I Die. With Jordan Buckley handling guitar and brother Keith upfront on vocals, they were one of the most exciting bands the genre had ever spawned…

Three quarters of the line-up drawn from one gene pool, Kevin, Justin and Jesse Bivona provide the music while Aimee Interrupter fronts the band. Dealing in bouncy ska-punk, their profile has grown with every release.

Gerard Way might well be the face of the band, but bassist brother Mikey was an integral part of the My Chemical Romance alchemy – they helped to change the face of emo and post-hardcore.

Tragically, guitarist and Architects founder member Tom Searle died of cancer in 2016, but alongside drummer and twin brother Dan he helped shape and lead the metalcore band as their profile and levels of critical acclaim grew ever higher.

Three quarters of Greta Van Fleet are drawn from the same family – vocalist Josh Kiszka, guitarist Jake, and bassist Sam – and together with drummer Danny Wagner they’ve been churning out some seriously old school-worshipping rock sounds since 2012.

In their 30-year career, UK prog-rockers Anathema endured a number of line-up changes before their hiatus, but for a long period they featured three members of the Cavanagh family – Vincent, Daniel and Jamie – plus Douglas siblings John and Lee, making them perhaps the ultimate ‘family band’.

Present from the 2006 birth of the band, vocalist Dani Winter-Bates and bassist brother Davyd have helped raise the profile of UK metalcore.

Another brother-sister combo, the pairing of vocalist Eva Spence and vocalist/keyboardist James have helped shape one of the most unique and boundary-pushing bands the UK has spawned since the turn of the millennium.

More twins, brothers Matthew (bass, backing vocals) and Nathan (vocals) are responsible for some of the most ruthlessly catchy alternative rock unleashed in the ’00s and early ’10s, winning themselves a Kerrang! Award in 2007 for their efforts.

Since half the band shared the same surname, it wasn't unreasonable that the Van Halen brothers would go ahead and name themselves as such. Late, great guitarist Eddie may well have garnered the most attention for his game-changing chops, but drummer Alex was every bit as essential to the stadium-rock titans.

Twin-time again, this time coming in the form of brothers Ben and James Johnston. As drummer and bassist respectively, they have provided the rhythmic backbone as the band evolved from a dissonant, quirky act to arena-filling rock behemoths.

It was evidently guitars for Christmas in the Hawkins household, landing in the hands of brothers Justin (lead and vocals) and Dan (rhythm). The riotous glam rock they went on to make with The Darkness reached the top of the UK album charts.

The similarity of Airbourne’s output to that of AC/DC has been often commented upon, but they share another similarity in hosting sibling members. In their case, it’s frontman Joel and drummer Ryan representing the O’Keeffe family, and their native Australia.

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