TOURNAMENT "Swordswallower" CDep out Dec. 21st, 2007!
Brooklyn, NY's TOURNAMENT debut EP "Swordswallower" is a 5 song spastic hardcore-punk blast that showcases the quartet playing at break neck DRIVE LIKE JEHU inspired hyper speeds and then slowing it down to KARP styled sluggishness, all with a great late 80s DISCHORD feel to it.
TOURNAMENT formed in the summer of 2006 because friends like to drink beer and play music in the summer. The original line-up included Sean Kraft, Jordan Lovelace, and Montana Masback, who had played together in the Dischord-style indie-punk group THE PARAGRAPH (Cosmonaut Records), with Erik Messina from hometown friends and instrumental-avant-rockers TALK TO PLANTS, now playing bass. The idea was to have fun playing freewheeling, fast and heavy punk rock.
After conjuring up the first batch of songs, in November of 2006 they decided to part ways with Erik, whose sensibilities were not meshing with the rest of the band. They then called upon Nick Dellapenna (also ex-THE PARAGRAPH) to fill void left on bass, knowing that he would be moving to San Francisco in May of 2007. With the familiar rhythm and rumble section back together they began playing shows.
Feeling comfortable and confident with their songs they called upon long time friend Kevin Reilly Jr. to record a Demo E.P. in January of 2007. Kevin had recorded some of the member's previous bands such as CALISTOGA KID and BLACK CENTIPEDE. The "Swordswallower" E.P. was recorded in their rehearsal space at Monster Island in Brooklyn, and in two consecutive weekends the basic tracks were laid down. The recording was then brought to Kevin's Last Stop Studio in Rockland County for vocals and overdubs. It was mixed in house and then sent to Silver Sonya Audio in D.C. for mastering.
In April 2007, they recruited another ex-TALK TO PLANTS member, Ryan Kelly, to replace Nick on bass. After a couple practices with both Ryan and Nick, and a dual-bass farewell/induction show, Nick was off to California, and Ryan was holding down the bass duties.
In their short time together, TOURNAMENT's eclectic sound has allowed them to play gigs alongside a diverse list of bands including BARONESS, TOMBS, ANNIHILATION TIME and TRAP THEM.
Many bands come to mind when summing up what TOURNAMENT sounds like; Drive Like Jehu, Karp, The Jesus Lizard, Hot Snakes, Fugazi, Wipers, etc...But their real accomplishment is paying an homage to all these different sounds, while also forging out of them one of their own.
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