Though Filter are the brainchild of frontman Richard Patrick, who creates much of the industrial band's music by himself, lead guitarist Geno Lenardo is a component of the band's stage show.

Lenardo, born October 28, 1969, attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, studying music production and engineering. He then began working as recording engineer. Lenardo also wrote songs for Ministry, Sister Machine Gun and Chemlab.

Touring with Chemlab led to Lenardo's being tapped as lead guitarist for Filter, the group ex–Nine Inch Nails touring guitarist Patrick conceived in the early '90s with programmer Brian Liesegang.

Lenardo didn't participate in the recording of Filter's debut LP, Short Bus, which was done in Patrick's hometown of Cleveland and issued in 1995. But he did tour behind the LP, which included "Hey Man Nice Shot" (RealAudio excerpt). Other stage members of Filter were bassist Frank Cavanaugh and drummer Matt Walker (now replaced by Steven Gillis).

"[Lenardo] loves to tour, and he loves to get out there and do it," Patrick said.

"There's no solos," Lenardo offered, regarding Filter's sound. "The music's definitely more about the songs."

Liesegang quit Filter in 1997, due to disagreements with Patrick, leaving room for Lenardo to contribute to the songwriting on Filter's most recent LP, Title of Record (1999). Lenardo co-wrote "It's Gonna Kill Me" and "Skinny" and played percussion on the LP.

"I never wanted to be the 'Richard Patrick Show,' and this is the first record — and the first band situation that I've been in — where I think that everybody is standing on their own two feet as a f---ing intelligent, artistic, creative individual," Patrick said about Title of Record. "The culmination of [Lenardo's] musical talent and my musical talent made this great f---ing music, and it's exciting to me because this is the first time I've actually co-written songs for Filter. So there's a hope, there's a light at the end of the tunnel for guys in the band who they don't have to just sit around and wait for me to write the f---ing record."

"There was some back and forth," Lenardo said about the songwriting. "It was great. We all added interesting things."

Singles from the new LP include "Welcome to the Fold" and "Take a Picture."

Filter were featured on this year's Family Values tour and shortly will begin a U.S. tour with hard rockers Staind.

Other birthdays on Thursday: Charlie Daniels, 62; Hank B. Marvin (Shadows), 58; Wayne Fontana, 54; Telma Hopkins (Tony Orlando & Dawn), 51; Stephen Morris (Joy Division, New Order), 42; William Reid (Jesus & Mary Chain), 41; Neville Henry (Blow Monkeys), 40; Caitlin Cary (Whiskeytown), 31; and Ted Hawkins, 1936–1995.