Artist description Rising from Tewksbury, Massachusetts Downshaft performs a blend of heavy metal mixing the Deftones with Pantera and Mudvayne with Snot. Get ready to bleed from the ears this is Downshaft. The band is consistently in the top 10 of their genre at www.mpulse.com. With only word-of-mouth support, they have done extremely well at mp3.com having three of the top four songs in their area. Fans of the band can attest to their intense live shows that are unparalleled. It all started in 1997. Marshall Jack, Jason Pasquariello, and Jon Cogswell started a Metallica cover band. Lacking a drummer, they were not able to do much. A mutual friend introduced Marshall to Matt Vincenty. They were both very much alike but so different in guitar playing. Marshall was more heavy metal whereas Matt was more alternative. Matt turned Marshall on to bands such as The Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden. Marshall showed Matt the sweet riffs of Pantera and the wonderful lounge singing of Snot. “We just clicked the minute we got together,” says Matt “I plugged in, turned on, and we rocked out.” Matt joined Marshall, Jason, and Jon, and started to work on original material. This was the beginning of something great. Then the unthinkable happened, Matt moved to New Jersey. Soon after Jason drifted away from the bass. Marshall and Jon continued to play and write songs. The next year Jon suggested to longtime friend Ryan Fisher that he should take up playing the drums. It took some convincing but after hours of listening to Pantera, he realized that drums were right for him. Marshall, Jon, and Fisher jammed a little for the next couple of months but there was still Jason, who had left behind his bass for rap music. Marshall got Jason to pick his bass up again. Marshall and Jason started pulling all-niters writing riffs and songs. The next few years went by slowly as the members honed their craft. Then some good news came their way: Matt was moving back from New Jersey! Graduation came and then Matt arrived. The band blew up. Being friends for years, they all played together with a tightness and intensity unheard of in most bands. They know each other so well they can read each other. They play off each other’s emotions making a crazy show. There is not a band out today that can touch the power of Downshaft live. Soon after they started, Jon decided to leave the group and focus on other things. Although this hurt the other band members, they decided to continue. Matt, the stereotypical longhaired rocker, took over all the guitar chores. Stay out of his way when he is on stage, he is a self-proclaimed madman. Ryan brings the heavy metal back beat fusing Pantera and Slayer. Although Downshaft is NOT rap-rock, Jason’s extensive listening of rap has made him sick in the bass department. Instead of playing the guitar, Marshall decided to focus fully on vocals. Focusing on one thing enabled Marshall have a much better stage presence. This added tons to the over-all feel of the band. Marshall’s alcohol induced hatred for everything lyrics brings it all together to form an explosive bomb of erupting guitars and hard-hitting drums that is Downshaft. With the line-up secured Downshaft had started. The band, with Jon’s help, recorded a three-song demo to display their talent. Now, with demo in hand they are playing shows all over the area and more. The songs could be described in many ways but I will just say that you will not be the same after you hear them.

Music Style hardcore/Metal

Musical Influences Deftones, Six Feet Under,Tool, Pantera, Slayer, Snot, Sepultura, converge

Similar Artists We do our own thing!!!

Group Members Marshall - Vox, Jon - Guitars, Jason - Bass, Chuck - Guitars, Fisher - Drums,

Press Reviews Downshaft, a strong hard core band wins me over. Their lead singer is good on the mic and the two guitar players and the band are tight as well. Members of 12:06 are bopping upfront for the RATM cover of "Killing in the Name of" when the Downshaft singer motions for Mrs.O'Connor to jump up on stage to help finish the song. It is a rare glimpse of good will between bands in this type of competition. Hats off to both bands. Some people have left, but the rowdiness level has been turned up signifigantly. The singer is all over the crowd and the crowd returns the favor. Pointing at co-host Stephanie he shouts out, "I know Soundcheck knows what I'm fucking talking about". Yes I think they might. Then he launches into what I will call the "Soundcheck song", good stuff, it seems spontaneous and unplanned but I'm left wondering whether it really is. The Downshaft singer is so connected to crowd, I imagine that he must have been born on stage. Savagelane.com

Location Tewksbury, MA - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).