Drowningman
Encyclopedia
Drowningman was a hardcore punk
band from Burlington, Vermont, which was active from 1996 to 2005. Formed in the fall of 1995 by Simon Brody, Denny Donovan, Javin Leonard, Dave Barnett and Todd Tomlinson, the band was heavily influenced by a variety of bands including Deadguy
, Unbroken
, Shotmaker, Unwound
, Sunny Day Real Estate
and Promise Ring
. This musical amalgamation helped to pioneer the modern metalcore
and mathcore
musical sub-genres. The band was known for revolving membership and frequent record label changes.
and played its first show in a basement at Hungerford Terrace on New Years Eve of 1996. A first demo recording from early 1996 is included on the Learn to Let It Go retrospective released by ReIgnition Recordings in 2004. Hungerford Terrance is famous for its involvement is the Underground Railroad with Harriet Tumbman in the slavery days.
, Cave In
, Cable
and Piebald
), Drowningman soon joined the roster and their debut 7" EP Weighted and Weighed Down was released in 1997, and was followed by the LP Busy Signal at the Suicide Hotline in 1998 and a split EP with frequent tour-mates The Dillinger Escape Plan
on the same label.
and was also talking to friends at Equal Vision Records
. The band returned to the studio soon after the addition of Joe Villemaire, Matt Roy and Zach Martin. Hydra Head
had become concerned with the revolving door policy and when the EP How They Light Cigarettes In Prison was presented to them, the reaction was underwhelming. Revelation Records expressed enthusiasm for the record and went on to release it in early 2000, initially shipping more copies than any previous Revelation EP.
Simon Brody described the emerging band on the Revelation Records website in the following fashion:
was embarked on to support the release. Soon after returning, production of the Rock And Roll Killing Machine record began in Washington, D.C.
at the Salad Days Studio. A great deal of technical difficulty was encountered; Simon Brody had claimed in interviews the stressed work environment caused the tempo of many of the songs to rush and that record lost some of the previous efforts melodic counterpoint. Still, it was well received, earning a 10/10 in respected extreme music magazine Terrorizer and finding its way into many publications' top ten lists for 2001.
Aside from making regular appearances at Hellfest, Krazy Fest
, Monster Fest and The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival
, Drowningman began touring extensively in support of this latest record. They toured with hardcore and metal bands as varied as Earth Crisis
, Glassjaw
, Shadows Fall
, Darkest Hour and Twelve Tribes
. However, projected gigs for early 2001 were curtailed when the group lost its drummer. By May 2001 road action was resumed with regular partners Darkest Hour on the "Bro-Down 2001" tour.
Several tours followed, first with Thursday and Waterdown, later with Atreyu and Vaux. By September the group announced they were to hook up with Converge
and Playing Enemy for East Coast and Midwest gigs, but backed out to prioritise songwriting.
Embroiled in contract disputes with Revelation Records the band went into God City Studios in early 2002 and recorded a series of improvised tracks for a final Revelation release tentatively and sarcastically entitled Best Record Ever. The instrumental tracks briefly circulated minus a 20 minute "meditation on a single riff" (a homage to the emerging and burgeoning stoner rock trend) and according to band members was never actually intended to be released.
, the members of Drowningman parted ways.
, Every Time I Die
and Zao.
and The Minor Times to promote the album Don't Push Us When We're Hot. A promotional video for the track White People Are Stupid was directed by Joseph Patisall. Simon Brody had lost all interest in the band and MTV airing the video with the abbreviated title WPAS was the beginning of the actual end.
In early October 2005 Drowningman re-inducted former members guitarist Frank Smecker and drummer Dave Joyal
, the later having prior involvement during the Still Loves You EP. The band broke up permanently after recording a version of Black Flag
's Loose Nut for the Reignition Records re-issue of the tribute album Black On Black.
Simon Brody now claims that last record was incredibly ill-advised and should not have been a Drowningman record. In a 10th anniversary retrospective spotlighting the bands first Hydra Head release, the frontman spoke freely about his retirement from "the rock and roll lifestyle" and legal studies.
A review of the band's retrospective release on ReIgnition by long-time friend of the band, Kevin Stewart-Panko summed up the final round the best:
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
band from Burlington, Vermont, which was active from 1996 to 2005. Formed in the fall of 1995 by Simon Brody, Denny Donovan, Javin Leonard, Dave Barnett and Todd Tomlinson, the band was heavily influenced by a variety of bands including Deadguy
Deadguy
Deadguy was a metalcore band from New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA.-History:Formed in 1994, Deadguy took inspiration from bands like Unsane and Today is the Day. The band took their name from a line in the John Candy movie, Only the Lonely,...
, Unbroken
Unbroken
Unbroken was a Hardcore punk band from San Diego, California. They were influential in the Southern California hardcore scene during the mid-to-late 1990s. The band chose the name Unbroken because they wanted to emphasize their dedication to the straight edge philosophy of drug abstinence...
, Shotmaker, Unwound
Unwound
Unwound was a United States post-hardcore band based in Tumwater/Olympia, Washington. Formed in 1991, the band consisted of Justin Trosper , Vern Rumsey , and Brandt Sandeno , all of whom had previously been in a band called Giant Henry. Brandt Sandeno quit Unwound in 1992 and was replaced by...
, Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. In the 1990s, the group expanded upon the grunge style that was popular in the local scene to make a more melodic sound. While not the first band to be classified as emo, they were instrumental in establishing the genre. In...
and Promise Ring
Promise Ring
"Promise Ring" is the debut single by R&B singer Tiffany Evans from her self-titled debut album. It features Ciara. The song was produced by Mr. Collipark and The Clutch. It was officially released to iTunes on May 29, 2007. Once released, the song began to receive airplay on mainstream radio...
. This musical amalgamation helped to pioneer the modern metalcore
Metalcore
Metalcore is a subgenre of heavy metal combining various elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk. The name is a portmanteau of the names of the two genres. The term took on its current meaning in the mid-1990s, describing bands such as Earth Crisis, Deadguy and Integrity...
and mathcore
Mathcore
Mathcore is a rhythmically complex and dissonant fusion style of hardcore punk and Metal. It has its roots in bands such as Converge, Botch, and The Dillinger Escape Plan. The term mathcore is suggested by analogy with math rock. Both math rock and mathcore make use of unusual time signatures...
musical sub-genres. The band was known for revolving membership and frequent record label changes.
Formation
Drowingman was formed in Burlington, VermontBurlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
and played its first show in a basement at Hungerford Terrace on New Years Eve of 1996. A first demo recording from early 1996 is included on the Learn to Let It Go retrospective released by ReIgnition Recordings in 2004. Hungerford Terrance is famous for its involvement is the Underground Railroad with Harriet Tumbman in the slavery days.
Hydra Head Records era
By 1997 the band had begun playing throughout the Northeast. Frequently sharing bills with bands on the Boston-based Hydra Head Records (ConvergeConverge (band)
Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...
, Cave In
Cave In
Cave In is an American rock band that formed in 1995, in Methuen, Massachusetts. After several members changes in the late 90's, their lineup solidified with the 1998 release of Until Your Heart Stops through Hydra Head Records. Their early albums were prominent releases in the independent...
, Cable
Cable
A cable is two or more wires running side by side and bonded, twisted or braided together to form a single assembly. In mechanics cables, otherwise known as wire ropes, are used for lifting, hauling and towing or conveying force through tension. In electrical engineering cables are used to carry...
and Piebald
Piebald
A piebald or pied animal is one that has a spotting pattern of large unpigmented, usually white, areas of hair, feathers, or scales and normally pigmented patches, generally black. The colour of the animal's skin underneath its coat is also pigmented under the dark patches and unpigmented under...
), Drowningman soon joined the roster and their debut 7" EP Weighted and Weighed Down was released in 1997, and was followed by the LP Busy Signal at the Suicide Hotline in 1998 and a split EP with frequent tour-mates The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The group originated in 1997 after the disbanding of Arcane, a hardcore punk trio consisting of Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, and Chris Pennie. The band's current line-up consists of guitarist Ben Weinman,...
on the same label.
How They Light Cigarettes In Prison (2000)
By early 1999 the band was being courted by Revelation RecordsRevelation Records
Revelation Records is an independent record label focusing originally and primarily on hardcore punk. The label is known for its role in the evolution of hardcore and metallic post-hardcore with important releases by bands such as Youth of Today, Warzone, Sick of It All, Quicksand, Side By Side,...
and was also talking to friends at Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records
Equal Vision Records is a record label based in Albany, New York, which has a focus in metal or punk-based rock genres. Equal Vision Records was founded in the early 1990s by Ray Cappo ....
. The band returned to the studio soon after the addition of Joe Villemaire, Matt Roy and Zach Martin. Hydra Head
Hydra Head Records
Hydra Head Records is an independent record label which specializes in heavy metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner in 1993...
had become concerned with the revolving door policy and when the EP How They Light Cigarettes In Prison was presented to them, the reaction was underwhelming. Revelation Records expressed enthusiasm for the record and went on to release it in early 2000, initially shipping more copies than any previous Revelation EP.
Simon Brody described the emerging band on the Revelation Records website in the following fashion:
Rock And Roll Killing Machine (2000)
A first full US tour with The Dillinger Escape PlanThe Dillinger Escape Plan
The Dillinger Escape Plan is an American mathcore band from Morris Plains, New Jersey. The group originated in 1997 after the disbanding of Arcane, a hardcore punk trio consisting of Ben Weinman, Dimitri Minakakis, and Chris Pennie. The band's current line-up consists of guitarist Ben Weinman,...
was embarked on to support the release. Soon after returning, production of the Rock And Roll Killing Machine record began in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
at the Salad Days Studio. A great deal of technical difficulty was encountered; Simon Brody had claimed in interviews the stressed work environment caused the tempo of many of the songs to rush and that record lost some of the previous efforts melodic counterpoint. Still, it was well received, earning a 10/10 in respected extreme music magazine Terrorizer and finding its way into many publications' top ten lists for 2001.
Aside from making regular appearances at Hellfest, Krazy Fest
Krazy Fest
Krazy Fest was the brain child of Initial Records President Andy Rich. It was a weekend long music and lifestyle festival that ran annually for six years from 1998 through 2003...
, Monster Fest and The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival
New England Metal and Hardcore Festival
The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival is an annual festival held in Worcester, Massachusetts. It is a weekend-long concert of heavy metal and hardcore bands along with a merchandising and promotional area for record labels and other vendors...
, Drowningman began touring extensively in support of this latest record. They toured with hardcore and metal bands as varied as Earth Crisis
Earth Crisis
Earth Crisis is an American metalcore band from Syracuse, New York, active from 1989 until 2001, reuniting in 2007. Their most recent record, To the Death, was released in May 2009 through Century Media....
, Glassjaw
Glassjaw
Glassjaw is a four-piece rock band from Long Island, New York. The band is fronted by vocalist Daryl Palumbo and guitarist Justin Beck, and have undergone numerous line-up changes since their inception...
, Shadows Fall
Shadows Fall
Shadows Fall is an American heavy metal band from Springfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. They are one of the few contemporary metal bands who take their lyrical influence from Eastern philosophy and some references to the Rastafari culture...
, Darkest Hour and Twelve Tribes
Twelve Tribes (band)
Twelve Tribes was a metalcore band, from Dayton, Ohio, USA. Originally established in 1998, the group is currently signed to the independent record label Ferret Music...
. However, projected gigs for early 2001 were curtailed when the group lost its drummer. By May 2001 road action was resumed with regular partners Darkest Hour on the "Bro-Down 2001" tour.
Drowningman Still Loves You (2002)
The band then recorded an EP for Equal Vision Records which was released in 2002 entitled Drowningman Still Loves You. To be sure the band had not gone soft the spine of the CD release read "even if no one else ever will."Several tours followed, first with Thursday and Waterdown, later with Atreyu and Vaux. By September the group announced they were to hook up with Converge
Converge (band)
Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...
and Playing Enemy for East Coast and Midwest gigs, but backed out to prioritise songwriting.
Embroiled in contract disputes with Revelation Records the band went into God City Studios in early 2002 and recorded a series of improvised tracks for a final Revelation release tentatively and sarcastically entitled Best Record Ever. The instrumental tracks briefly circulated minus a 20 minute "meditation on a single riff" (a homage to the emerging and burgeoning stoner rock trend) and according to band members was never actually intended to be released.
Break up
Shortly after a particularly rowdy final performance at Krazy Fest in LouisvilleLouisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, the members of Drowningman parted ways.
Brief revival
Denny Donovan and Simon Brody revived Drowningman briefly, beginning with a 2005 trek with The Dillinger Escape Plan, Misery SignalsMisery Signals
Misery Signals is an American metalcore band formed in Wisconsin in 2002. The sound of their music is defined by bright melodies backed up by odd time signatures, chugging riffs, and breakdowns.-Formation :...
, Every Time I Die
Every Time I Die
Every Time I Die is a metalcore band from Buffalo, New York, formed in 1998. Their musical style is rooted in technical hardcore with strong southern metal and mathcore elements, and is also characterised by their cryptic, bitingly sarcastic lyrics. The band announced on July 14, 2008 that they had...
and Zao.
Don't Push Us When We're Hot (2005)
Drowningman announced a Summer 2005 nationwide US trek partnered with The Number Twelve Looks Like YouThe Number Twelve Looks Like You
The Number Twelve Looks Like You was a mathcore band from Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Their music combined elements of grindcore, progressive metal, hardcore punk and jazz...
and The Minor Times to promote the album Don't Push Us When We're Hot. A promotional video for the track White People Are Stupid was directed by Joseph Patisall. Simon Brody had lost all interest in the band and MTV airing the video with the abbreviated title WPAS was the beginning of the actual end.
In early October 2005 Drowningman re-inducted former members guitarist Frank Smecker and drummer Dave Joyal
Dave Joyal
Dave Joyal is an American musician, and current member of Secret Secret Dino Club. He uses and endorses Noble & Cooley Drums, Paiste Cymbals, Evans Drumheads / D'Addario and Pro-Mark Drumsticks. He has filled in on occasion for RCA recording artists, Young And Divine, along with The Static Age...
, the later having prior involvement during the Still Loves You EP. The band broke up permanently after recording a version of Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
's Loose Nut for the Reignition Records re-issue of the tribute album Black On Black.
Band life excess
Simon Brody now lives in the Kansas City area and attributes much of the band's difficulty to the excesses of band life which he spoke candidly about on former a former tour-mates band advice website.Simon Brody now claims that last record was incredibly ill-advised and should not have been a Drowningman record. In a 10th anniversary retrospective spotlighting the bands first Hydra Head release, the frontman spoke freely about his retirement from "the rock and roll lifestyle" and legal studies.
A review of the band's retrospective release on ReIgnition by long-time friend of the band, Kevin Stewart-Panko summed up the final round the best:
Discography
- 1997: Weighted and Weighed Down (7" single)
- 1998: Busy Signal at the Suicide Hotline
- 2000: How They Light Cigarettes In Prison (EP)
- 2000: Rock and Roll Killing Machine
- 2002: Drowningman Still Loves You (EP)
- 2004: Learn to Let It Go: The Demos
- 2005: Don't Push Us When We're Hot