1) The ultimate progressive/technical thrash band, WatchTower ushered in a … Read Full Bio ↴1) The ultimate progressive/technical thrash band, WatchTower ushered in a new era of extreme metal with their 1985 debut album, Energetic Disassembly, hailed as "Rush meets Metallica at 200 mph" by one publication. Featuring an array of chaotic time changes, aggressive vocals, and possibly one of the most accomplished rhythm sections in metal, this was one of the highlights of metal in the '80s. By 1989 WatchTower's line-up had changed when they released their sophomore effort, Control And Resistance. The album's quality did not diminish, although the overall atmosphere was a bit more reined in compared with the wildness of their debut. While WatchTower never attained mainstream success, they are considered the godfathers of the progressive/technical metal movement and have been cited as an influence on other progressive bands such as Dream Theater, Cynic, Atheist, Death, Sieges Even, and Spiral Architect.

After the release of 'Control And Resistance' the band went on indefinite hiatus, with Doug Keyser and Rick Colaluca jumping to Retarted Elf and Ron Jarzombek launching Spastic Ink after recovering from multiple hand surgeries. Keyser, Colaluca, and Jarzombek reunited with original vocalist Jason McMaster in 1999 to record the song 'Run If You Can' for Nuclear Blast's A Tribute to Accept and appeared live at Germany's Bang Your Head!!! in 2000 and Holland's Headway Festival in 2004.

Since reuniting WatchTower have re-commenced and then aborted work on the long-dormant third album, 'Mathematics', several times but as of 2009 the album is at long last being worked on once again. On April 9, 2010, WatchTower released a preliminary mix of a brand new song, 'The Size of Matter', as a digital-only single via Amazon, iTunes, and other outlets. It marks the band's first new piece of music since their seminal 1989 album, Control And Resistance, and features core members Ron Jarzombek, Doug Keyser, and Rick Colaluca along with a returning Alan Tecchio on vocals. Tecchio replaces original frontman Jason McMaster for the second time in band history.

On April 23, 2010, WatchTower played their first live show in some 20 years with Tecchio on vocals as co-headliners of Germany's Keep It True festival in Lauda-Königshofen.

Members:
Alan Tecchio - vocals
Ron Jarzombek - guitars
Doug Keyser - bass
Rick Colaluca - drums

Former members:
Jason McMaster - vocals
Billy White - guitars
Mike Soliz - vocals

WatchTower online:
www.myspace.com/officialwatchtower
www.facebook.com/pages/Watchtower/258144101528
www.watchtowerband.net/

2) Heavy stoner/doom band from Melbourne, Australia.
https://www.facebook.com/watchtoweroz/
https://watchtowerwatchtower.bandcamp.com/

Meltdown
Watchtower Lyrics

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There's an air of urgency, the wail of sirens pierces the night
The damage has already been done, irreversible accidents, security's tight
This is not a drill, it's a drastic tragedy to cope with
Time is the worst enemy, to those who play with the fate of man

Breakdown, warning, nuclear nightmare, reality
Breakdown, warning, contaminates society
Breakdown, warning, radioactive atmosphere

Breakdown, warning, mistakes are now becoming clear

Meltdown, becomes a word of panic
Meltdown, radiation burns the skin
Meltdown, the public has yet to be informed
Meltdown, invisible killer closing in

Breakdown, warning, nuclear nightmare, reality
Breakdown, warning, contaminates society
Breakdown, warning, radioactive atmosphere
Breakdown, warning, mistakes are now becoming clear

Geiger counters crackle in a frenzy, useless meters to prove our danger
An enemy that man created, how ironic that he cannot fight
Technology beyond control, build up of waste, no safe disposal

Breakdown, warning, nuclear nightmare, reality
Breakdown, warning, contaminates society

Breakdown, warning, radioactive atmosphere
Breakdown, warning, mistakes are now becoming clear to us!

Overall Meaning

The Watchtower's song "Meltdown" is a powerful and thought-provoking commentary on human's relationship with technology, particularly nuclear technology. The song begins with an air of urgency as the wail of sirens pierces the night. The first two lines refer to the irreversible accidents that have already taken place, resulting in security measures becoming tighter. The song emphasizes that this is not a mere drill; it is a drastic tragedy that we must cope with. The words "breakdown," "warning," "nuclear nightmare," and "reality" are repeated multiple times to highlight the urgency of the situation.

The chorus emphasizes the destructive power of a melting nuclear reactor - the contamination of society, the radioactive atmosphere, the radiation burns on the skin, and the invisible killer that is closing in. The song suggests that we have created an enemy that we cannot fight, and we are facing the consequences of the technology we've chosen to develop. The lyrics particularly criticize the build-up of nuclear waste with no safe disposal solutions, which is beyond human control.

Overall, "Meltdown" is a warning that we must be mindful of the consequences that our actions may have on our planet and future generations. It highlights the fact that our pursuit of technology and the desire for innovation shouldn't come at the expense of our environment and lives. We must be responsible and think about the impact of our choices to avoid reaching a point of no return.

Line by Line Meaning

There's an air of urgency, the wail of sirens pierces the night
The situation is urgent and dangerous, as indicated by the sound of emergency sirens at night.

The damage has already been done, irreversible accidents, security's tight
Accidents have already occurred and caused irreparable damage, leading to heightened security measures.

This is not a drill, it's a drastic tragedy to cope with
The situation is serious and not a practice exercise, and a tragic event to manage.

Time is the worst enemy, to those who play with the fate of man
Those who ignore safety and gamble with human lives only have time as their enemy.

Meltdown becomes a word of panic
The word 'meltdown' evokes panic and anxiety.

Meltdown, radiation burns the skin
A meltdown results in dangerous radiation that can cause burns to human skin.

Meltdown, the public has yet to be informed
Even though a meltdown has occurred, the public has not been informed yet.

Meltdown, invisible killer closing in
The radiation from a meltdown is a hidden and deadly threat that is spreading closer.

Geiger counters crackle in a frenzy, useless meters to prove our danger
Even Geiger counters, used to measure radiation levels, are malfunctioning and providing unreliable readings amidst the dire situation.

An enemy that man created, how ironic that he cannot fight
The situation was created by humans, yet they are unable to effectively combat the threat they have brought upon themselves.

Technology beyond control, build up of waste, no safe disposal
The technology used is out of control, leading to the dangerous accumulation of waste with no safe method of disposal.

Breakdown, warning, nuclear nightmare, reality
The situation is a true nuclear nightmare, with breakdowns occurring and warnings issued.

Breakdown, warning, contaminates society
The breakdowns and warnings have resulted in society being contaminated.

Breakdown, warning, radioactive atmosphere
The breakdowns and warnings have created an atmosphere filled with dangerous radiation.

Breakdown, warning, mistakes are now becoming clear to us!
As the situation worsens, the mistakes made by humans are becoming clearer to us.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LUKE WHITE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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