Formation and major-label debut (1994–1999) The band was formed by vocalist
Jared Gomes, also known as "M.C.U.D." (MC Underdog), and guitarist
Wes Geer, who became friends amidst the
Orange County hardcore punk scene. Gomes and Geer recruited guitarist Chizad, bassist Mawk, drummer B.C. Vaught and DJ Product © 1969. They named the group "Hed", which was based on a song written by Gomes called "Heavy Head". The band built a following with their energetic performances at local venues, Hed PE signed with
Jive Records, releasing their
self-titled debut album in 1997. In his review of the album,
AllMusic's Steve Huey wrote "There are some slow and/or unfocused moments [...] but overall, its aggression will probably play well with late-'90s metal and punk fans." Due to the label's contractual terms and the disappointing sales of the album, the band found themselves unable to repay the cash advances given to them by Jive. Gomes is quoted as saying "We had these romantic visions of the music industry, and we thought it would be cool to be a punk band on a rap label. So we fulfilled that dream, but it was also probably the worst thing that could have happened. [...] We've had offers from
Sony and others that we can't take because we owe Jive so much money."
Broke and Blackout (2000–2004) On June 6, 2000, Hed PE appeared on the
tribute album Nativity in Black II, covering
Black Sabbath's "Sabbra Cadabra". AllMusic's Jason D. Taylor wrote: "
Broke may have not found as much success in the competitive mainstream market as some would have liked, and even despite its distinct departure from the group's debut, it is an album that shows more vision than other rap-tinged rock albums to come out in 2000." The most negative response to the album came from critics who viewed its lyrics as
misogynistic. Jared Gomes denied that he was
sexist in a 2001
Kerrang! magazine feature about
sexism in rock music, saying that some of his lyrics were deliberately controversial in order to provoke a reaction from people. He also noted that his lyrics offended other members in Hed PE, but they "live[d] with it". In 2001, Hed PE performed on the
Ozzfest tour alongside bands such as
Korn,
Static-X, and
System of a Down. Hed PE released their third studio album,
Blackout, on March 18, 2003. It peaked at No. 33 on the
Billboard 200, while its title track peaked at No. 21 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and at No. 32 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. Allmusic's Johnny Loftus wrote that "While it expands on melodic elements that had previously played a supporting role in the band's sound,
Blackout also delivers truckloads of crushing guitar and pounding rhythm. And whether or not it is the presence of a top-line producer, (hed) pe have figured out a way to imbue their aggressive mix of heavy rock and hip-hop with some serious hooks." Guitarist Jaxon joined the band in early 2004. He is the fourth person to fill this position.
Only in Amerika (2004) Hed PE left Jive Records, releasing their fourth studio album,
Only in Amerika, on
Koch Records on October 19, 2004. It peaked at No. 20 on the Top Independent Albums chart and at No. 186 on the
Billboard 200. In his review of the album, Johnny Loftus wrote "It wants to be a confrontational megaphone in the ear of conservatives, but Jahred's torrential rhetoric is too messy and blatantly offensive to incite anything but superficial anger, and the music – though occasionally explosive – takes a backseat to the ranting."
Suburban Noize Records (2006–2010) In 2006, Hed PE signed with
Suburban Noize Records, recording their fifth studio album,
Back 2 Base X. The album was intended as a return to the basics of rock music, and did not rely as heavily on studio enhancement as previous releases. The album was released on June 6, 2006, the same day as
The Best of (həd) Planet Earth, a compilation album produced by Jive Records without the band's authorization or consent. Allmusic's Rob Theakston wrote that "
Back 2 Base X suffers from the same problems as
Amerika: it tries to be conceptual in thought à la
Tool and vicious in its political commentary à la
Fugazi or System of a Down, but somehow falls short by sounding like an angry stoner on a soapbox. It won't win any new fans, but existing fans of (hed) pe's work won't be turning their backs away from the band in anger anytime soon, either." On June 26, 2007, the band released their sixth studio album,
Insomnia. It peaked at No. 16 on the Independent Albums chart, and at No. 138 on the
Billboard 200. The album's lead single, "Suffa", became one of the most requested tracks at
Sirius Satellite Radio's Hard Attack, while the song's music video was voted one of the Top 10 of 2007 on
MTV's
Headbangers Ball. Hed PE released their first live album,
The D.I.Y. Guys, in 2008. On January 13, 2009, they released their seventh studio album,
New World Orphans. It was released in three different versions; each contains a different set of bonus tracks. In 2009, drummer Trauma joined the band. He is the sixth person to fill this position.
Evolution and Forever! (2014–2019) Hed PE subsequently signed with Pavement Music. Towards the end of 2013, DJ Product mysteriously left the band with no explanation and no comment from the other members. On January 1, 2014, Gomes stated on the band's official Facebook that the new upcoming (hed) PE album will be named "Evolution" and to be released within the year. On May 13, 2014, On the band's official Facebook page, they released the official announcement of when the band's new album
Evolution will hit stores. The album is set for release July 22, 2014. They also released a teaser of the tone of the new album on their Facebook page and soon after, the track "One More Body". In 2015, it was confirmed that 12-year guitarist Jaxon Benge and original bassist Mark Young had left the band. They were replaced by guitarist Greg "Gregzilla" Harrison and bassist Kurt "Kid Bass" Blankenship, leaving vocalist
Jared Gomes as the group's only remaining original member.
Stampede!, Class of 2020, Sandmine, Califas Worldwide and Detox (2019–present) On June 21, 2019, the band released a new 10-track album titled
Stampede!, which was noted for taking a departure from the style of their previous albums through the inclusion of
auto-tune on many of the tracks. In August 2020, Hed PE released the album
Class of 2020 which was described as a return to the original G-punk sound of the band. The record saw a reunion with original guitarist Chad "Chizad" Benekos for the first time in nearly two decades, who performed in the song "Greedy Girl". Original member DJ Product © 1969 also returned to play on the album as well as create the artwork for the record which was a throwback to their album
Broke to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its release. On May 7, 2021, the band announced the extended play
Sandmine, which was released on July 23, 2021. A lyric video accompanied the release, created by Eitan Melody from EITANS DESIGNS and featuring artwork by Remy Dovianus. On October 22 of the same year, the band announced the studio album
Califas Worldwide, which was released on December 17, 2021. For the 20th anniversary of Broke, on April 8, 2022, the band released "Bartenders", a remake of "Bartender" featuring
Dropout Kings and
DJ Lethal. On October 14, 2022, the band released a rerecorded version of their song "Let's Ride" with
Madchild for a deluxe edition of their album "Back 2 Base X". On February 5, 2023, the band released a cover of the
Ramones song "
I Wanna Be Sedated". During that same year, Hed PE released three singles, "Detox", "Too Late" and "Waiting", from their next studio album
Detox, due on December 15, 2023. The band's next album
New and Improved, a collection of song covers and re-recordings of "Bartender" and "Raise Hell", was released on May 30, 2025. They co-headlined
Michigan Metal Fest in August of that year with
Chelsea Grin and
Hatebreed. ==Style==