Switchblade (baund)

**Switchblade** wur a five-piece metal baund frae Sydney, Australie, formed in 2001 an endin in 2011. Switchblade wur the support act for baunds sic as Slayer, Machine Head, Exodus, Trivium an Nevermore. Thay released twa studio albums, an an' a'  appeared at Metal for the Brain an the Come Together Music Festival.

## History
### Formation (2001–2003)

Switchblade wis formed bi guitarist Andrew Najdek, drummer Mat Piccolotto an bassist Ben Bessant in 2001. The trio spent the better pairt o thair feenal heich schuil years playin metal cover sangs an writin a haundful o oreeginals which wad acome early Switchblade demos. Vocalist Chris Apps jynt the baund prior tae the recordin o the baund's vera first demo, but split frae the group directly follaein the recordin.

In early 2002 Switchblade recordit a new an muckle hivier demo an began tae audeetion vocalists. The auditions wur unsuccessful, an the group struggled tae find a frontman till Piccolotto answered an internet messageboard post bi vocalist Colin "Sway" Druery, who shared a seemilar muisical vision an jynt the baund in 2002. Switchblade began wirkin thegither on oreeginal material, but a few short months intae rehearsals, Sway wad permanently damage his vocal cords an wis forced tae leave. Switchblade wis ance again leukin for a suitable frontman. Durin this downtime Najdek began uisin a seven-string guitar, an tunin hintle lawer than he previously did. As a result of this the baund's muisical style muivit away frae its thrash metal an daith metal core an teuk on a hintle mair groove metal approach, seemilar tae baunds lik Pantera, Machine Head an Fear Factory.

Switchblade again foond thairsels recordin anither instrumental demo at the end o 2002, the first o the new material written completely on a seiven string guitar. Sway got a copy o the demo an wis compelled tae return tae the baund. Inspired bi this new soond, Sway quickly wrote leerics for the new Switchblade material, recordit his vocals on the instrumental tracks, an Switchblade's 2003 demo *Incoming* wis released in early 2003.

### ''Incoming'' (2003–2004)

Switchblade then began doin the roonds on the Sydney metal scene an wis suin tourin interstate an supportin heicher profile local baunds lik Daysend, Sunk Loto an Dungeon. Meanwhile, Piccolotto an aa briefly jynt local thrash metal baund Descend, who disbandit shortly efter, an Najdek became a member o local pouer metal baund Friar Rush.

In mid 2004 the baund realised its muisical output wis leemitit bi anly haein ane guitarist, sae a seicont guitarist wis addit in Scott Bernasconi, who played his first shaw wi Switchblade on 19 Juin 2004. The baund's material wis re-wirked tae mak room for a seicont guitarist. Suin efter, Switchblade played a string o shows wi nou Los Angeles based tech-metal ootfit Devolved, Sydney baund Daysend, an Machine Head. Switchblade then beukit thairsels intae the studio tae record thair debut album wi Astennu producin.

### ''The End of All Once Known'' (2005)

*[[The End of All Once Known]]* wis released on 12 Mairch 2005, showcasin a mair melodic an technical approach than previously.

Switchblade then began a series o shows aroond Australie tae support the album, but Bernasconi an Sway left the baund efter a feenal performance Sydney on 29 October 2005. Durin the feenal sang o the set, Sway wis jynt on stage bi a guid friend o the baund, Adam Helmrich, who wis asked tae jyne Switchblade amaist immediately.

In late 2007 Bernasconi wis the temporary live guitarist for industrial daith metal baund The Amenta on thair 2007 Australie an New Zealand tour, replacin Psycroptic guitarist Joe Haley.

### Comeback (2006)

Follaein the depairtur o Sway an Bernasconi, Switchblade teuk a break tae focus on fyndin a seicont guitarist. Wi Helmrich awready confirmed as new vocalist, Anthony Delvecchio wis annoonced as the new Switchblade guitarist in early 2006. The new lineup wis then beukit tae mak its first appearance at the annual Metalstock Festival, held in Scone, New Sooth Wales ower the Easter weekend. Twa weeks afore the shaw Bessant relocatit tae Perth an cut aff aw contact wi the baund. Symon Alhaddad, guitarist for Sydney daith/thrash metal baund Vaticide temporarily filled in on bass guitar, eventually joinin Switchblade permanently.

Wi the baund's lineup nou solidifee'd, Switchblade went on tae play a nummer o key local shows includin the 2006 Come Together Music Festival, an a shaw at the Marquee, Sydney, which wis filmed an recordit for a futur live DVD. The baund endit 2006 bi appearin at Metal for the Brain an then supportin Nevermore in Sydney on the same day.

At the stairt o 2007, Switchblade haed oreeginally planned tae cease aw live shows. Housomeivver thay wur then affered the openin spot on a tour bi Trivium. Tae caipitalise on this appearance, Switchblade then played some tour dates aroond the kintra an featurt on a naitional tourin metal event billed as the Festival o the Dead.

### ''Invictus Infinitum'' (2008 - 2011)

In 2008 Switchblade optit tae put aw live shows on hauld an focus on the writin an recordin o the new album. In a 30 Julie 2008 MySpace blog, Switchblade revealed the title o thair follae-up album tae be *[[Invictus Infinitum]]*. Thay an aa revealed that Alhaddad wad be leavin the baund, replaced wi Gerard Dack o Infernal Method.

*Invictus Infinitum* wis released in Australie on 6 Juin 2009 on Melbourne-based label AmpHead Music, an wis supportit bi a naitional tour which included shows wi Psycroptic, The Amenta, Daysend, Alarum, Frankenbok an mony mair. The album wis mixed bi Grammy Awaird-winnin producer Neil Kernon in the US an featurt Nevermore guitarist Jeff Loomis on the track "Reflective Curse."

On 15 October 2009 Switchblade capped aff a massive year bi supportin thrash metal baund Slayer, for thair ane-aff Australian performance o the seminal album *[[Reign in Blood]]*. It wis an aa annoonced that the baund wad be supporting the newly reformed Wollongong-based baund Segression, who wur ane o the maist prolific Australian metal baunds durin the 90's, but haed braken up in 2002.

In 2010 Switchblade played a sma nummer o select shows includin a Sydney festival for the 30t anniversary o lang-runnin hivy metal store Utopia Records, wi baunds sic as The Amenta, Daysend an mair, an an' a' supportit thrash metal legends Exodus in Sydney. Suin efter it wis annoonced that the baund wis wirkin on a new release due in 2011, an wad be takin a short break frae live shows.

In Mey 2011, housomeivver the baund postit an offeecial annooncement statin the members o Switchblade wur pairtin ways, an muivin on tae ither muisical projects. Andrew Najdek an Gerard Dack are members o new Sydney melodic daith metal baund "Icon of Deceit" an Delvecchio plays in Sydney black/melodic daith metal baund "Sanctium".

## Members
### Last Active Lineup

* Adam Helmrich – vocals (2006 - 2011)
* Andrew Najdek – guitar (2001 - 2011)
* Mat Piccolotto – drums (2001 - 2011)
* Anthony Delvecchio – guitar (2006 - 2011)
* Gerard Dack – bass guitar (2008 - 2011)

### Past members

* Colin "Sway" Druery – vocals (2002–2005)
* Scott Bernasconi – guitar (2004–2005)
* Ben Bessant – bass guitar (2001–2005)
* Chris Apps – vocals (2001)
* Symon Alhaddad – bass guitar (2006–2008)

## Discography
**Incoming* (EP, 2003)
**[[The End of All Once Known]]* (2005)
**[[Invictus Infinitum]]* (2009)

## References

* http://www.pyromusic.net/index.php?p=reviews_review&id=1422  - Album Review frae Pyromusic.net
* http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/16145/tempidx/4/menuid/2  - Album Review frae *[[Blistering]]* magazine
* http://metalasfuck.net/zine/reviews/2009/switchblade-invictus-infinitum-amphead  - Album Review frae Metalasfuck.net
* http://metalobsession.net/switchblade-invictus-infinitium - Album Review frae Metalobsession.net
* http://www.themetalforge.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=174  - Album Review frae TheMetalForge.com
* http://www.noisetheory.org/reviews_view.php?id=615  - Album Review frae NoiseTheory.com
* http://www.blastwave.co.uk/reviews/arevs/show_album_review.asp?ID=1151  - Album Review frae Blastwave.co.uk
* http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/reviews/events/7613/  - Live Review frae FasterLouder.com
* http://www.themetalforge.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=162  - Live Review frae TheMetalForge.com
* http://www.pyromusic.net/index.php?p=gigs_review&review=Under%20Raven%20Skies%20Part%202&id=21  - Live Review frae Pyromusic.net
* http://www.themetalforge.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=72  - Interview wi Mat frae TheMetalForge.com
* http://www.pyromusic.net/index.php?p=interviews_interview&interview=Switchblade&id=54  - Interview wi Mat frae Pyromusic.net

## Freemit airtins
* Offeecial wabsteid 
* Switchblade MySpace
* Switchblade Facebook