Happy Fourth of July!

It was on this day in 1776 that the Declaration of Independence was signed and the colonies officially separated from Great Britain, formally becoming the United States of America. We've come a long way since then, and we still have a lot of work to do, but the Fourth of July is always a good time to express your admiration for the red, white and blue.

Plenty of rock and metal artists have shown patriotism before, whether it was onstage, at an event or in some other kind of photo. Bands have performed for U.S. veterans and even traveled to military bases to perform for stationed troops (we're looking at you, Avenged Sevenfold), while others have simply used the American flag as a symbol during their live performances.

READ MORE: Which U.S. State Rocks the Hardest?

A lot has happened in the United States over the last few years that we probably thought we'd never see in our lifetimes. But at the end of the day, we still have music — and that's something that'll hopefully be able to bring people together for generations to come.

Scroll below to see some patriotic rockers.

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