Take Cover is a collection of Orange County metal act Throwdown‘s hard to find cover songs recorded over the years that have never been available in a single collection. “Becoming” (Pantera), “Propaganda” (Sepultura), “London Dungeon” (Misfits), “Planets Collide” (Crowbar), and “Baby Got Back” (Sir Mix-A-Lot) are featured on this 5-song EP, which arrives on digital and streaming platforms on Friday.
Throwdown recently regained control of the master recordings of three of their albums: Haymaker (2003), Vendetta (2005), and Venom & Tears (2007), all of which are now available on Apple Music, Spotify, and elsewhere via their own, newly-founded Pit Viper Records. Venom & Tears features the group’s most-streamed song, “Holy Roller,” which has been played 1.4M times on Spotify. Six of the band’s Top 10 all-time most streamed songs appear on Deathless (2009), released via eOne. The Intolerance (2014) track “Fight Or Die,” on 2014’s Intolerance, makes an appearance at No. 14.
Metal Hammer declared, “Throwdown kick out the heaviest and most stomping metal… Proudly and defiantly keeping the memory (and sound) of Pantera alive and kicking.” Part of Revolver’s “Future of Metal” issue, Throwdown are veterans of Ozzfest and Warped Tour. They spent the early 2000s traveling the world with Lamb Of God, Killswitch Engage, Machine Head, Korn, and In Flames, as well as headlining runs like their own “Scum of the Earth” tour, with Soilwork as support.
“BECOMING” was first released as part of a tribute to late Pantera guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott, available only via Metal Hammer magazine in the UK, back in 2009. “PROPAGANDA” was an iTunes-only bonus track with Venom & Tears, outside North America. “LONDON DUNGEON” was part of a label sampler compilation in 2006. “PLANETS COLLIDE” was the B-side to the “Americana” single from Venom & Tears. “London Dungeon” and “Planets Collide” were also released together as a limited 7” single, Covered in Venom.
“BABY GOT BACK” is nearly 20 years old, from an early incarnation of Throwdown, featuring Peters on guitar instead of vocals.
Like every Throwdown release stretching back to their 2003 breakthrough Haymaker, the cover art for Take Cover was handled by Grammy-nominated artist Ryan Clark of Invisible Creature.
A preorder is live at the band’s official Bandcamp page, with an immediate download of “Planets Collide.” TAKE COVER will be available on all digital services for streaming and download on Friday.
