Throwdown

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For the 2005 Hong Kong film, see Throw Down. For the program on the Food Network, see Throwdown! with Bobby Flay.
For a definition of the word "throwdown", see the Wiktionary entry throwdown.
Throwdown
performing at las Cruces NM as part of Warped Tour 07
performing at las Cruces NM as part of Warped Tour 07
Background information
Origin Orange County, California
Genre(s) Metalcore (early)
Thrash/groove metal (recent)
Years active 1997 - Current
Label(s) Indecision Records
Prime Directive Records
Trustkill Records
Members
Dave Peters
Mark Choiniere
Mark Mitchell
Ben Dussault
Former members
Keith Barney
Tommy Love
Dom Macaluso
Brandan Schieppati
Javier Van Huss
Marc Jackson
Ken Floyd
Wes Keely
Matt Mentley

Throwdown is a straight edge metalcore/groove metal band from Orange County, California. They have toured as part of Ozzfest, Sounds of the Underground and Warped Tour, as well as with bands like In Flames, Lamb of God, As I Lay Dying, Sick of It All, Norma Jean, Soulfly, Korn, and Hatebreed. The songs "Forever" and "Burn" have been staples on MTV2's Headbanger's Ball and Revolver Magazine called them part of "The Future of Metal" after hearing the album Vendetta. Their most recent album Venom and Tears has taken even more of a metal direction, with critics likening the bands current sound to that of Pantera, Sepultura, early Metallica and Crowbar.

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] 1997-2002

Original vocalist Keith Barney formed the band with bass player Dom Macaluso, guitarist Tommy Love, guitarist Javier Van Huss and drummer Marc Jackson. Then Eighteen Visions guitarist and current Bleeding Through vocalist Brandan Schieppati replaced Van Huss (himself the bass player of Eighteen Visions at the time) shortly before the band recorded their demo and Throwdown for Prime Directive Records.

Original Eighteen Visions guitarist Dave Peters joined the band, replacing Schieppati, before the band recorded their Drive Me Dead EP for Indecision Records. The album You Don't Have To Be Blood To Be Family was released by Indecision Records in 2001. The following year, Barney expressed a desire to switch to guitar (which he played in Eighteen Visions already) because he would often lose his voice on tour. Peters took over on vocals. Fill-in guitarist Matt Mentley would fill in whenever Barney had shows with Eighteen Visions. Lacking a permanent drummer after the departure of Jackson, 18V drummer Ken Floyd regularly filled in around this time as well.

[edit] 2003

Throwdown recorded Haymaker, their breakthrough album featuring straight-edge anthem "Forever," for the Trustkill label. The lineup was Peters on vocals, Macaluso on bass, Love & Barney on guitars and a friend named Jarred Alexander who was hired as session drummer. A tour with Hatebreed followed in support of the album's release. Peters started a side-projected called Medic while Macaluso and Love started the band The Lost, who released an EP with Indecision very reminiscent of the group HIM. Neither project stayed active for very long. Barney began to focus his attention on 18V much more.

[edit] 2004

Throwdown began 2004 newly energized and regrouped. Barney was asked to step-down to make Mentley his official replacement. Peters, Macaluso and Mentley renewed their commitment to recording and touring while Love would commit to that summer's Ozzfest only. They hit Japan with a fill-in drummer and a short tour of Europe served as drummer Ben Dussault's introduction to the band (former drummer Marc Jackson filled in for Love on guitar for that tour) before Peters, Dussault, Mentley, Macaluso and Love hit the Ozzfest second stage all summer long. Also playing the festival that year were; Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Slayer, Dimmu Borgir, Superjoint Ritual, Black Label Society, Slipknot, Hatebreed, Lamb of God, Atreyu, Bleeding Through, Lacuna Coil, Every Time I Die, Unearth, God Forbid, Otep, Devildriver and Magna-Fi. The band included a cover of the Sepultura classic "Roots Bloody Roots" in their Ozzfest set. The group filmed their first music video ("Forever") with director Christopher Sims. That fall, they toured with Norma Jean before closing the year with a successful tour with Lamb Of God, Fear Factory and Children Of Bodom. Love officially left the band, on good terms, at the end of the year.

[edit] 2005

Throwdown spent the early part of the year writing and recording Vendetta, made at Planet Z Studios with producer Zeus. Shortly before the album was recorded, Mark Choiniere joined the band, although he does not appear in the video for "Burn" (which features the band as a four-piece with Mentley the only guitar player). Peters, Dussault, Choiniere, Mentley & Macaluso hit the inaugural Sounds Of The Underground tour with Lamb Of God, Clutch, Poison the Well, Opeth, From Autumn To Ashes, Unearth, Chimaira, Norma Jean, Every Time I Die, GWAR, Strapping Young Lad, High on Fire, All That Remains, Madball, DevilDriver, Terror, A Life Once Lost, Fear Before the March of Flames, The Red Chord, Nora and The Black Dahlia Murder. In the fall, they headlined a US tour sponsored by To Die For Clothing with Sinai Beach as support. That tour was Macaluso's last with the group. Mentley switched to bass, with Mark Choiniere covering all guitar duties in the live setting. Throwdown has remained a four-piece ever since.

[edit] 2006

Throwdown toured with As I Lay Dying, In Flames and Soulfly at various points, co-headlined with Black Dahlia Murder and went to South America, Australia and on a US headliner with Zao, Evergreen Terrace and Maylene & The Sons Of Disaster as support. They also played a handful of West Coast Vans Warped Tour dates and the UK's Download Festival in 2006, alongside Metallica and Guns N' Roses. And they recorded covers of songs by Misfits and Crowbar with producer Mudrock in 2006. They also played the Los Angeles date of the "Strhess Tour" with Shadows Fall, Poison The Well and It Dies Today.

[edit] 2007

Throwdown recorded Venom & Tears with producer Mudrock in Los Angeles. A cover of Sepultura's "Pro da" was recorded during the same session. They spent the summer headlining the Ernie Ball stage on the Vans Warped Tour. After Warped Tour, they filmed a video for "Holy Roller" with director Andy Reale. In the fall, they supported Machine Head on a US tour. Mentley left the band afterward. His replacement, Mark Mitchell, made his live debut with the band in South America in December. Peters recorded a guest appearance on the next Soulfly album as well.

[edit] 2008

In February, the band commenced headlining the "Scum Of The Earth" tour in support of "Venom And Tears" with Soilwork, Through The Eyes Of The Dead and War Of Ages in tow. They also appeared on tour with Korn in Australia in April, but had logistical problems with the Auckland, New Zealand show and thus did not appear. Also they have announced a trek supporting Killswitch Engage in Canada and a return to the UK Download Festival.

In March 2008 they announced that they have fulfilled their contract obligations and are no longer signed to Trustkill Records.

[edit] Band lineup

[edit] Former members

  • Dom Macaluso - Bass (1997 - 2005))
  • Keith Barney - Vocals (1997-2002), Guitar (2002-2004)
  • Tommy Love - Guitar (1997-2004)
  • Marc Jackson - Drums (1997 - 2002)
  • Javier Van Huss - Bass (1997-1998)
  • Brandan Schieppati - Guitar (1998-2000)
  • Wes Keely - Drums (2003 - 2003)
  • Matt Mentley - Guitar (2004 - 2005), Bass (2005 - 2007)

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] EPs

  • Throwdown (1999)
  • Drive Me Dead (2000)
  • Split (2001)
  • Face the Mirror (2002)
  • Americana/Planets Collide (2007) Digital EP
  • Covered In Venom And Tears (2007) 7" Vinyl

[edit] Other contributions

  • Baby Got Back (Sir-Mix-A-Lot cover, appeared on Too Legit for the Pit: Takes the Rap) (2001)
  • Roots Bloody Roots (Sepultura cover, appeared in Throwdown's live set, and can be found on youtube) (2005)
  • A New Level (Pantera cover, appeared in Throwdown's live set, and can be found on youtube) (2005)
  • London Dungen (The Misfits cover, appeared on Covered In Venom And Tears 7" vinyl release (2007) and Trustkill Takeover Vol. II) (2007)
  • Planets Collide (Crowbar cover, appeared on Covered In Venom And Tears 7" vinyl release and Americana/Planets Collide Digital EP released exclusively through iTunes) (2007)
  • Pro da (Sepultura cover, appeared on the iTunes exclusive release of Venom And Tears) (2007)

[edit] DVDs

  • Together, Forever, United (2004)
  • "Nothing Left" appears on Sounds Of The Underground - Live From The Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ - July 2 2005 - Vol. 1 (2005)

[edit] Videos

[edit] Interviews

[edit] External links

[edit] References