Nelson is a sibling act founded by
Matthew and
Gunnar Nelson, the twin sons of 1950s teen idol
Rick Nelson. During the early '80s, the brothers joined a heavy metal band called Strange Agents. By the end of the decade, however, the group's name had changed to
Nelson, as the twins were the only remaining members. With
Matthew on bass,
Gunnar on guitar, and a handful of music vets onboard (including guitarist
Brett Garsed and former
Vinnie Vincent Invasion drummer
Bobby Rock),
Nelson made their debut in 1990 with the release of
After the Rain. Filled with polished, radio-friendly pop-metal, the album was a major hit in America, where it sold over a million copies and charted a number one single with "(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection." Three additional singles cracked the Top 40.
Despite the success of
Nelson's debut, Geffen Records balked at the band's intended follow-up. Entitled Imaginator, the proposed album was heavier than its predecessor and sported a conceptual theme. Geffen refused to release the record and sent the brothers back to the drawing board, resulting in a five-year hiatus between the release of
After the Rain and the appearance of the band's sophomore effort, the largely acoustic
Because They Can. Musical tastes had changed considerably during that period, and the album fared poorly, causing Geffen to drop the band from its roster.
Matthew and
Gunnar responded by founding their own independent label, Stone Canyon Records, which they named in tribute to their father's band.
With the future of
Nelson back in their hands,
Matthew and
Gunnar finally released Imaginator on Stone Canyon in 1996, followed by the progressive rock-leaning The Silence Is Broken in 1997. A year later, the brothers switched gears yet again with the country-tinged
Brother Harmony.
Nelson closed out the decade with the sparkling, melody-driven pop/rock album Life. In 2000, the siblings paid homage to their father with the live album Like Father, Like Sons, which featured covers of classic
Rick Nelson songs.
Though it would be several years before
Nelson's next studio album, the brothers kept busy during the early 2000s playing live shows and working on side projects. In 2006,
Gunnar appeared as a cast member on the third season of the VH1 reality show Celebrity Fit Club. The following year,
Nelson reunited for a cover of the classic holiday song "Jingle Bell Rock," which was included on the Razor & Tie compilation Monster Ballads Xmas. In 2010, the pair signed a recording contract with the Italian hard rock and heavy metal label Frontiers Records, and released the new studio album
Lightning Strikes Twice, which found them returning to the anthemic pop-metal of
After the Rain. In 2015,
Nelson delivered their second full-length studio album on Frontiers, the similarly pop/metal-infused
Peace Out. That same year saw the brothers release an LP of holiday songs called This Christmas. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine