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| » WRETCH Biography |
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Rising from the ashes of the glorious 1980’s underground Cleveland
metal scene, Wretch reunite to record and release their debut album
“Reborn”. The band soundly deliver 11 tracks of explosive,
aggressive, 80s-style power metal guaranteed to satisfy the most
die-hard of underground heavy metal fans. Led by dynamic front man
Colin Watson, the band lets their early musical influences (Accept,
Iron Maiden, Metal Church, Judas Priest) shine through while forging
and creating their own unique, original sound. Their debut album,
produced by Breaker guitarist Don Depew, features 10 Wretch originals
plus a cover of Breaker’s classic “Touch Like Thunder”. The CD
packaging includes a 16-page full color booklet with original artwork
by Alex Yarborough. Formed in the early 1980s, Wretch established a
loyal, die-hard regional following by becoming a staple on the
fledging Cleveland metal concert circuit. They were one of the
regular opening bands for Breaker, the area’s biggest drawing band
at the time, and shared the stage with many national metal acts of
the decade. The band recorded several demos over the years but never
released an official album. Their lone commercial appearance was
contributing the song “Life”, with a different lead singer, to
the 1990 Auburn Records “Heavy Artillery” compilation. With
the help of Auburn Records President Bill Peters (one of the band’s
biggest fans!), Wretch reformed to record a one song demo for a new
compilation project several years ago. So impressive was the work
that a full-length album was planned. Upon completion of the
recording sessions, bassist Dennis Hayes and drummer Jeff Curenton
were both offered an opportunity to join Seven Witches and tour.
Hayes later left Seven Witches to join up with Tim ‘Ripper’
Owens’ new project Beyond Fear. Curenton continued in Seven Witches
and recorded on the band’s 2006 “Amped” album. Both members
were replaced, along with guitarist Dave Hayes who left with his
brother Dennis. The current line-up is: Colin Watson (vocals), Nick
Giannakos (guitar), Mike Cykon (guitar), Tim Frederick (bass) and
Chris Koshock (drums). The band’s core writing team of Watson and
Giannakos has remained intact for over 20 years. Giannakos is also a
member of Breaker. In recent years, Wretch have performed at both the
2004 & 2005 BW&BK metal festivals in Cleveland and
contributed the song “Reborn” to a recent compilation CD for
Germany’s prestigious HEAVY Magazine. With the release of
“Reborn”, the band is finally able to present their music to
metal fans worldwide. They are already hard at work writing new
material for the follow-up album that they plan to record and release
in 2007.
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