The group derived their name (as a joke) from celebrity Tony Danza, upon one of his professions being tap dancing. The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza released four studio albums before disbanding in 2012.
The group signed with Corrosive Recording in 2005 after self-releasing their debut album. Their second most recent release, Danza II: Electric Boogaloo, was issued in 2007 on Black Market Activities. The album's name is a parody of the Danzig album, Danzig II: Lucifuge, as well as the 1980s film Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo. The album features short, humorous skits interspersed with the songs making fun of their surroundings growing up. In March 2008, the band crashed their tour van after playing a show in Lewisville, Texas. Former member Brad Thomson founded Midgets with Machetes, a record label distributed by Uprising Records. The band released their third album, Danza III: The Series of Unfortunate Events, on July 6, 2010. On the record, Josh Travis performs lead and rhythm guitar on an 8-string guitar as well as the bass. It also marks the first album by the band to include drummer Mike Bradley. The songs "I Am Sammy Jankis" and "The Union" have been released as singles.
On September 24, 2009, the band announced that Layne Meylain and Mike Butler had amicably left the group. At the same time, the band formally announced their next album, Danza III: A Series of Unfortunante Events. The album focuses on lyrical themes such as, personal, social, political and global "unfortunate events" tied around three musical themes, technical, groove-based and ambient. It will be recorded in November with Jeremiah Scott and Steve Blackmon.
The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza fits right in with today's emerging mathcore heroes, including Ion Dissonance, Ed Gein, The Red Chord, Premonitions Of War, Into The Moat, and Burnt By The Sun. The schizophrenic high-end guitars provide a blanket of psychotic aural assault amidst massive, dense tech breakdowns that will have you slipping, sliding, and dancing every which way. Much like Into The Moat, these guys barrel through one breakdown after the next, successively building on and expanding some of the tightest grooves tech metal has to offer. The bombarding grind-like speeds make a good part of their material sound like Ion Dissonance and Dillinger Escape Plan, while the massive guitar/bass/drum aesthetic using during stop-n-go breakdowns is very similar to Burnt By The Sun.
The latest album Danza III shows the bands proficiency at infusing elements of post metal into technical hardcore metal with amazing use of polymetric/polyrythmic technicalities!
Hold The Line
The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Was the only sound I heard
Breathing smoke that sets the scene
In this scene murder is the only word
Don't stand in front of me If its me or you its gonna be you
Hold the line
There's no such thing as time
Still my life waits for me in a different place
But till then with blood stained vision
There is no such thing as grace
Hold the line In this moment of pulling triggers
There's no such thing as time
Hold the line If its me or you its gonna be you
Can you see it in my eyes
Now bring me back home
The lyrics of The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza's song Hold the Line express a sense of urgency and impending violence. The opening lines suggest that the singer is on the verge of something intense as they can hear the sound of their own heartbeat. Breathing in the smoke only adds to the ominous feeling of the impending threat. In this scene, murder is the only word and the singer challenges anyone who gets in their way that they will be the one to lose the fight.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the need to "hold the line" in the heat of the moment. There is no time to hesitate, as the action needs to be taken and the trigger needs to be pulled. The singer is resigned to their fate, as their life waits for them in a different place, full of bloodshed and with no grace. The final line of the chorus suggests that the singer has gone through a lot and wants to go back home.
The theme of the song is confrontational and violent, and the lyrics are designed to create tension and encourage the listener to stand their ground in extreme situations.
Line by Line Meaning
The sound from inside of my chest beating
The only thing I could hear was my own heartbeat
Was the only sound I heard
There was complete silence except for my heartbeat
Breathing smoke that sets the scene
Taking in the smoke that created the atmosphere
In this scene murder is the only word
The only thing happening in this scene is killing
Don't stand in front of me If its me or you its gonna be you
If we are in danger, I will do whatever it takes to save myself
Hold the line
Stay strong and don't give up
In this moment of pulling triggers
In the midst of violence and confrontation
There's no such thing as time
Time becomes meaningless in dangerous situations
Still my life waits for me in a different place
I have a future to look forward to
But till then with blood stained vision
Until I escape this situation, I can only see violence
There is no such thing as grace
In this violent world, there is no mercy
Can you see it in my eyes
Do you understand the intensity of this situation from my expression
Now bring me back home
I want to return to safety and security
Contributed by Bailey B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.