Watchtower: Техас прогрессив метал тобының тарихы

American progressive metal band

Watchtower is an American progressive metal band based in Austin, Texas, active from 1982 to 1993 and they have reunited occasionally since 1999. The band has released two studio albums―Energetic Disassembly (1985) and Control and Resistance (1989)―as well as one compilation album, four digital singles, one EP and three demo cassettes, and has been featured on numerous compilation albums. They are also notable for featuring vocalist Jason McMaster, who left Watchtower after the release of Energetic Disassembly to form Dangerous Toys, and was replaced by Alan Tecchio, who appeared on Control and Resistance and the band's 2016 EP Concepts of Math: Book One. After leaving the band once again in 2010, McMaster returned to Watchtower for the second time in 2023. Influenced by the progressive rock and then burgeoning new wave of British heavy metal scenes, Watchtower has been credited (along with Voivod and Coroner) for helping pioneer the subgenre of "technical thrash metal" (also known as "progressive thrash metal"), which mixed elements of progressive music with thrash/speed metal.

In 1999, original Watchtower members McMaster, Keyser and Colaluca reunited, along with Jarzombek, to record a cover of Accept's "Run If You Can" for A Tribute to Accept – Vol. 1 on Nuclear Blast Records. In 2000, Watchtower played the prestigious Bang Your Head!!! festival in Germany and later that summer supported Dream Theater in Houston and Dallas. The band also began work on the long dormant Mathematics album, but progress stalled once again. In 2002, Monster Records issued Demonstrations in Chaos, an archives release consisting of early recordings, demos, and unreleased tracks, including almost the complete original Energetic Disassembly recordings and the 1987 demos with Ron Jarzombek that got the band signed to Noise Records. Watchtower returned to Europe once more in 2004 to headline the Headway Festival in Amstelveen, Holland. That same year Ron Jarzombek released the second Spastic Ink album, Ink Compatible, with guest contributions by Watchtower bandmates Doug Keyser and Jason McMaster who contributed lead vocals on five songs. In the fall of 2004, Monster Records, now Monster Underground, reissued Energetic Disassembly on CD for the first time ever in the United States. The original CD reissue came 1993, courtesy of Germany's Institute of Art label. In the spring of 2009, Watchtower were confirmed as co headliners of the 13th edition of Germany's Keep It True Festival, set to take place in April 2010. The band also re commenced work on Mathematics with a view toward a 2010 release. Decibel Magazine featured Watchtower's Control and Resistance as part of their "Hall of Fame" series in their January 2010 issue.

On April 9, 2010, Watchtower released a preliminary mix of "The Size of Matter" from their forthcoming album Mathematics as a digital only single. It marked the band's first new music since Control and Resistance in 1989, featuring Jarzombek, Keyser, and Colaluca, with Alan Tecchio returning on vocals and replacing original frontman Jason McMaster for the second time in the band's history. In May 2010, Tecchio left Watchtower once again. After the announcement of Tecchio's departure. Watchtower's last public appearance was at the German Keep It True festival in 2010. On October 7, 2016, the EP Concepts of Math: Book One was released by Prosthetic Records, featuring previously released tracks, and new track, "Mathematica Calculis". On October 21, Watchtower released three new songs from Mathematics, M Theory Overture, Arguments Against Design and Technology Inaction, on iTunes and CD Baby. They reunited with Tecchio for the sessions of these tracks. Nothing has been posted on their Facebook page since 2016 and their official website is currently defunct. Nevertheless, Control and Resistance was reissued by Music On Vinyl in July 2018. After years of speculation regarding the current status of Watchtower, drummer Rick Colaluca confirmed in a statement on Facebook in July 2020 that the band had been on an indefinite hiatus, and stated it was "doubtful that [they would] ever reform, but not out of the question." Colaluca also revealed that the band had "discussions a few times over the past several years" about finishing their long in the works third album Mathematics, and added that "there are a couple of sticking points that we just can't seem to get past. We actually have a good bit of the remaining songs recorded to some degree." In a May 2022 interview, Tecchio stated that, even though Watchtower were "not like an active band", they had "pretty much the material" for their next EP Concepts of Math: Book Two. He also revealed that he had "one song in particular that [he was] still working on".

After more than two months of teasing a potential reunion, original singer Jason McMaster confirmed in a May 2023 interview on The Decibel Geek podcast that he would be rejoining Watchtower after a thirteen year absence, and added that the band had been rehearsing for a series of live dates for 2024, including festival appearances. On June 7, 2023, it was announced that Watchtower would be playing one of its first shows in 13 years, and with McMaster in 19 years, at the Keep It True Rising III festival in Germany on October 7. The band played their first U. S. show in over a decade at Fitzgerald's Bar in San Antonio and followed with an announcement that in March 2024, they would appear at the Hell's Heroes Festival at White Oak Music Hall in Houston, alongside such bands as Queensrÿche and Sodom.