DROWNINGMAN

Vermont's Drowningman has been noted by many as a mid-90's conspirator in a mutation of hardcore, the mixing of metal, hardcore, indie-rock and noise elements breeding many descriptors and definitions, most including the words "chaotic," "spastic," or clever pigeon holes such as "screamo." Formed by Denny Donovan and Simon Brody after several years of discussion and Brody's return from college in Boston in 1996, Drowningman saw their first EP "weighted and weighed down" released by Boston's Hydrahead Records.

The next year saw Drowningman touring the Northeast extensively with bands that began to define a new sound associated with the Hydrahead label in the company of Cave In, Isis, Converge, Cable, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Botch. By 1998 Drowningman released it's first full-length on Hydrahead "Busy Signal at the Suicide Hotline," followed the next year by their split with The Dillinger Escape Plan also courtesy of Hydrahead Records. By later in 1999 Drowningman had been enticed to move to California's Revelation Records for the release of "How They Light Cigarettes in Prison," which showed Drowningman establishing their own unique sound.

Extensive touring followed with The Dillinger Escape Plan, Glassjaw and Earth Crisis and the release in late 2000 of "Rock and Roll Killing Machine." Both the EP and LP were received with heavy critical appraise and extensive college radio airplay, RNRKM went on to be rated one of "Terrorizer" magazine's Top Ten albums on the year and charted highly on CMJ's Loud Rock charts. 2001 saw lots of festival appearances and more touring with Darkest Hour and Thursday and the release of "...Still Loves You" on Equal Vision records. By 2002, after some member changes, a new brief line-up was assembled and Drowningman did a US tour with Vaux, summer dates with Dillinger Escape Plan, Nora and a final appearance at Krazyfest.

Unfortunately, the extensive touring and "rock and roll life-style" had taken it's toll on Simon Brody, who had begun to lose interest in the rotating line-ups and decided to rejoin with Denny Donovan who had left the band the year before their move to Revelation Records. Drowningman broke up and the two moved to the Bay Area of California to start a short-lived band called The Scheme which featured ex-members of Lifetime, Jets to Brazil and Redemption 87. By 2003 both Brody and Donovan pursued outside interests: Brody graduate school, Donovan solo musical endeavors. Early 2004 found Donovan and Brody on the same coast and feeling the lingering pull of unfinished business. Recruiting ex-members of past local compatriots from bands Non Compos and Perfect Salesman, the Killing Machine was reassembled. The remainder of 2004, Drowningman toured regionally playing shows with The Dillinger Escape Plan and The Bronx along with a triumphant return headlining the Hot Topic stage at Hellfest.

A September 2004 release courtesy of Law of Inertia, "Learn to Let it Go" featured mostly unreleased or very rare demos spanning 1996- 2003. After the departure of Denny Donovan(for the 4th time), early 2005 saw the band writing and demoing material in addition to playing more regional shows with the likes of The Red Chord and Silent Drive, along with a tour of the US with The Minor Times. Fall 2005 will see the band releasing a brand new LP "Don't Push Us When We're Hot" via Thorp Records.