Watchtower is an American progressive metal band based in Austin, Texas, active from 1982 to 1993 . 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- Demonstrations in Chaos (2002) , Four digital singles, one EP -Concepts in Math:Book One-(2016), and three early years demo cassettes. The quartet has also been featured on numerous compilation albums, one being the NOISE International records release of Doomsday New-2 (1989). They are also notable for featuring vocalist Jason McMaster, who left Watchtower after the release of Energetic Disassembly to co-found the rock group, Dangerous Toys, and was replaced for a short time with Mike Soliz (Militia) featured on the compilation Doomsday New-2, then a more permanent replacement in Alan Tecchio ( Hades), who appeared on Control and Resistance and the band’s 2016 EP Concepts of Math: Book One. McMaster reunited with the band in 2000 to play the Bang Your Head Festival in Balingen, Germany, and again in 2004 for the Headway Festival in Amstelveen, Holland. Tecchio joined the group again in 2010, to play Keep it True Festival in Lauda-Konigshofen. McMaster returns to Watchtower for the second time to play festivals in 2023 and 2024 to showcase this reunion at KEEP IT TRUE RISING in Wurzburg ,Germany, HELLS HEROES in Houston, TX. and LEGIONS OF METAL in Chicago, IL.
Influenced by 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. The band has also been cited as having influenced or inspired many notable progressive or heavy metal acts, including Dream Theater, Athiest, Nasty Savage and Death.
Watchtower Merchandise
Available in white shirt, or black shirt.
This shirt is a mockup of the band’s very first shirt design from 1983. The original shirt was white, which is why we wanted to be as close as possible, with minor updates for consistency to the band legacy logo.
On the front-The original shirt had a different logo, so that has been updated to the 1985 logo, the original shirt also said : DEATH THREAT” in our own font, that has also changed to ‘established 1982″ using the same original font ( created by founder, Billy White at around age 17 years old).
The shirt depicts the fallout shelter symbol you still see around in old buildings, referring to updated basements with steel doors, and reinforced walls in case of nuclear attack.
On the back – printed out is the band original mission statement of how the band is not write music for mass consumption. A creed to the underground.- i will quote- WE ARE FORMING AN ALLIANCE TO OVERTHROW AND ANNIHILATE THE PRESENCE OF SONGS THAT LACK INTEGRITY AND MUSIC PRODUCED FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF MATERIAL REWARD.
This statement, is a “just in case you didn’t notice”, our music is not for the timid.
$25 (plus shipping)
LOGO SHIRT front, TECHNO-TEXAS- back print-
Simple logo shirt, the Energetic Disassembly logo lives on- in gret print, shirt only available in black. the back print is TEXAS, done up in the motherboard grid graphic taken from the Energetic Disassembly art, as well.
BLACK ONLY
$25 (plus shipping)
Watchtower Zipper Hoodies
