Whiplash - Biography
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Biography
Tony Portaro, legendary guitarist and founder of WHIPLASH, leads the thrashing power trio lineup of Dan Foord and Dank DeLong.
WHIPLASH, a three-piece powerhouse that hailed from New Jersey back in 1984, was formed when Portaro, on guitar and vocals, joined forces with drummer Tony Scaglione and recruited bassist Tony Bono. They were signed by Roadrunner Records in 1985 to record their debut album "Power And Pain."
Witnessed by bands such as Metallica and Exodus, WHIPLASH performed their first show in 1985, alongside Possessed and Death Angel, at Ruthie's Inn in Berkeley, California.
Innovators of the East Coast thrash style, they were influenced by the bands from the San Francisco Bay area, where thrash was born. WHIPLASH embarked on an extensive European tour with Sodom before releasing their second thrash classic "Ticket To Mayhem" in 1987. Scaglione had left to do a stint with Slayer, and the line-up changes that continually followed allowed Portaro to establish his complex style and develop the direction of each record. The addition of a vocalist on WHIPLASH's third release "Insult To Injury" (1990), gave Portaro the freedom to focus on his guitar work.
In 1996, WHIPLASH became a 5-piece, adding a second guitarist. Portaro swapped dynamic leads and served up creative guitar harmonies on "Cult Of One." Following 1997's release of "Sit Stand Kneel Prey," the original power trio lineup of the three Tony's - Portaro, Scaglione and Bono - reunited for the 1998 release of "Thrashback." This record returned to the basic thrash elements found in "Power And Pain."
During a 10 year hiatus from the business of music, during which time Tony Bono passed away in 2002, Portaro wrote, produced and engineered, before reforming another power trio lineup. WHIPLASH released "Unborn Again" in 2009, and began touring during the reemergence of the old school metal scene.
Having studied at Boston's Berklee College of Music, Tony Portaro continually explores structure, theory and technique, creating songs that are unique and appealing. His brilliant guitar style endeavors to bring new generations of metal heads back to the old school foundation of the thrash core. With pure, soaring leads surrounded by pounding riffs, Portaro's intricate notes burn off the strings and shoot straight into the mosh pit.
In 2011, Tony Portaro formed a new thrashing lineup that includes Dank DeLong, a New York bassist, originally from Pennsylvania. With his music influences from the 80's NY Metal/Hardcore/Punk scene, Dank developed his own bass style. His subsequent project work and acoustic background boosts his powerful backing vocals. Dank's undeniable stage presence and animated performance adds pure adrenaline energy to WHIPLASH.
Dan "Loord" Foord completes the power trio, taking the reigning seat on drums. Formerly of UK's SikTh, and a teacher at London's Academy of Contemporary Music, Foord has a progressive, mathematical style. Much in-demand on his own collaborative projects, he is an intense, thrash machine. As one of the UK's finest technical drummers, Dan Foord plays with the power and complexity of a controlled explosion.
WHIPLASH began rerecording classic thrash songs from "POWER AND PAIN" and "TICKET TO MAYHEM" in-between touring. They have been writing new material for a 2012 release, scheduled to be titled "SONIC ASYLUM."
Thrash 'Til Death!
(source: http://www.reverbnation.com/whiplashusa#!)
WHIPLASH, a three-piece powerhouse that hailed from New Jersey back in 1984, was formed when Portaro, on guitar and vocals, joined forces with drummer Tony Scaglione and recruited bassist Tony Bono. They were signed by Roadrunner Records in 1985 to record their debut album "Power And Pain."
Witnessed by bands such as Metallica and Exodus, WHIPLASH performed their first show in 1985, alongside Possessed and Death Angel, at Ruthie's Inn in Berkeley, California.
Innovators of the East Coast thrash style, they were influenced by the bands from the San Francisco Bay area, where thrash was born. WHIPLASH embarked on an extensive European tour with Sodom before releasing their second thrash classic "Ticket To Mayhem" in 1987. Scaglione had left to do a stint with Slayer, and the line-up changes that continually followed allowed Portaro to establish his complex style and develop the direction of each record. The addition of a vocalist on WHIPLASH's third release "Insult To Injury" (1990), gave Portaro the freedom to focus on his guitar work.
In 1996, WHIPLASH became a 5-piece, adding a second guitarist. Portaro swapped dynamic leads and served up creative guitar harmonies on "Cult Of One." Following 1997's release of "Sit Stand Kneel Prey," the original power trio lineup of the three Tony's - Portaro, Scaglione and Bono - reunited for the 1998 release of "Thrashback." This record returned to the basic thrash elements found in "Power And Pain."
During a 10 year hiatus from the business of music, during which time Tony Bono passed away in 2002, Portaro wrote, produced and engineered, before reforming another power trio lineup. WHIPLASH released "Unborn Again" in 2009, and began touring during the reemergence of the old school metal scene.
Having studied at Boston's Berklee College of Music, Tony Portaro continually explores structure, theory and technique, creating songs that are unique and appealing. His brilliant guitar style endeavors to bring new generations of metal heads back to the old school foundation of the thrash core. With pure, soaring leads surrounded by pounding riffs, Portaro's intricate notes burn off the strings and shoot straight into the mosh pit.
In 2011, Tony Portaro formed a new thrashing lineup that includes Dank DeLong, a New York bassist, originally from Pennsylvania. With his music influences from the 80's NY Metal/Hardcore/Punk scene, Dank developed his own bass style. His subsequent project work and acoustic background boosts his powerful backing vocals. Dank's undeniable stage presence and animated performance adds pure adrenaline energy to WHIPLASH.
Dan "Loord" Foord completes the power trio, taking the reigning seat on drums. Formerly of UK's SikTh, and a teacher at London's Academy of Contemporary Music, Foord has a progressive, mathematical style. Much in-demand on his own collaborative projects, he is an intense, thrash machine. As one of the UK's finest technical drummers, Dan Foord plays with the power and complexity of a controlled explosion.
WHIPLASH began rerecording classic thrash songs from "POWER AND PAIN" and "TICKET TO MAYHEM" in-between touring. They have been writing new material for a 2012 release, scheduled to be titled "SONIC ASYLUM."
Thrash 'Til Death!
(source: http://www.reverbnation.com/whiplashusa#!)