iSound

Some bands spend their whole careers just hoping to produce an album as complex, cohesive and creative as A Fever You Can't Sweat Out. Not Panic! At The Disco: They managed to get it right on the first try. Before you grab a cold washcloth, let's diagnose what caused A Fever. It all started in the suburbs of Las Vegas when 12-year-old Ryan Ross asked his parents for a guitar for Christmas. Not to be outdone, neighborhood pal Spencer Smith begged his parents for a drum set so the duo could start jamming. "Really, from that first year [playing instruments], all we really did was cover Blink 182 songs," remembers Spencer, laughing. The band eventually matured, moved on from all the small things and recruited classmates Brent Wilson and Brendon Urie on bass and vocals, respectively. With the final lineup now in place, the newly christened Panic! At The Disco (from a line in the Name Taken song "Panic") started practicing in Spencer's grandmother's living room and...