The year 1999 was a good one for metal in Cleveland Ohio. It was this year that a revamped and rejuvenated Girth went from the practice space to the studio and stage, honing their lethal live show and laying tracks for their now classic power metal opus, Freedom Rising.
This grinding slab of metal was the first collaboration for core members Dan Potter (vocals) and Pat Mahnke (guitar) and set in stone their unique brand of power groove. Due to the underground success of tracks like Genghis Khan and Freedom Rising, Girth more often found themselves being offered to travel outside of Cleveland to other Mid-West markets like Chicago, Indianapolis and Lexington. . Not to mention shows in every corner of Ohio.
In 2000, they released a 3 song promotional EP. This offering featured such live favorites as Breakdown and Only The Truth. These tracks showed a maturity that can only be achieved by a band with the on stage experience that Girth had earned over the last 3 years. Most often given away at live shows to fans and passed around to various radio outlets, it was incredibly well received by both.
The next couple of years proved to be trying times. Several line-up changes and differences of opinion almost got the best of the band. As always, Girth persevered and returned from it all with their most powerful and gripping piece of work to date, 2005's "The Sweetness of Rejection". The new and more focused line-up, now featuring John Hughes (drums), a human metronome with thunderous double kick, Matt Beale, a driven perfectionist on rhythm/lead guitar , and Frank Slodic, the fucking stage animal, is ready to hit the stage again armed with such razor sharp weapons as Blackout and Sinner. Girth is more deadly than ever before, and there's gonna be a blood trail behind them. Their new material is already in the works, and is guaranteed to be the most ass-kicking, fist throwing, mosh erupting music to hit your ears.
It seems this will be the year for Girth judging by heavy rotation of their newest effort on several stations nationwide and bookings that are beginning to again stray outside of Ohio. Success is on the threshold for Girth, and when it is achieved, it will be well deserved for the hardest working metal band in Cleveland.
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