Undertow

Undertow is a German thrash metal band that forms in November 1993 and remains active. The line-up includes Joachim Baschin, who performs vocals and guitars, with Thomas “UnderTOM” Jentsch on bass and Rainer Pflanz on drums, who joins in 2004. The band develops a sound that combines thrash metal, doom metal and hardcore, and it is also described in relation to heavy metal and straight edge hardcore.

Style and background

The band is associated with the German heavy scene and is often compared with Crowbar in press coverage. Over time, Undertow moves toward a more distinct style that blends doom, thrash metal and hardcore rather than staying within a single genre. It also plays numerous tours and shares stages with bands including Crowbar, Pro-Pain, Eye Hate God, Hypocrisy and Katatonia.

Recordings

Undertow releases material on several labels, including Sub Zero Records, Silverdust Records, Prevision Music and Supreme Chaos Records. Its releases include Slope in 1997, Harm on E in 1999, Unit E in 2002, 34CE (Threeforce) in 2003, Milgram in 2006 and Don’t Pray To The Ashes... in 2010.

Related act with the same name

There is also a different Undertow from Seattle, Washington, active in the early to mid-1990s, which is a straight edge hardcore band. That group features John Pettibone on vocals, Mark Holcomb on guitar, Demian Johnston on bass and Ryan Murphy on drums, and it releases recordings on Indecision Records, Bloodlink Records, Excursion Records and Overkill Records.