Upon their inception in 2005, Chokehold – a five piece metal band based in Oxfordshire – swiftly set about turning a previously stale metal scene on its head. Planting their roots firmly in the DIY ethics of old, the band hit the road at every given opportunity. After building a reputation as a dynamic live act, the band was quickly offered a co-headline slot on the Zero Tolerance sponsored ‘Metal Thrashing Mad’ tour, as well as a support slot to Germany’s Caliban.
Tearing themselves away from the live stage, Chokehold entered the studio with friend and producer Steve ‘Geezer’ Watkins to record the five-track EP ‘Legion’. Raw, dynamic and unrelenting, the disc soon caught the attention of Casket Records, who released the quintet’s debut full-length – the Nick Hemingway produced ‘The Killing Has Begun‘ – in April 2006. The album soon gained positive reviews from the likes of Terrorizer, Zero Tolerance and the Metal Observer. A video for the track ‘Faith of Fear‘ was completed soon after, receiving heavy rotation from Scuzz TV with the offer of a guest host slot on Total Rock radio following.
However, it wasn’t long before the urge to hit the road again became overpowering. In September 2006 they joined forces with Sinocence and Sandstone as the headline act on the ‘Casket Lullabies Tour’, tearing across the UK and Ireland for some 2 weeks and earning a sterling 4K review from Kerrang! Magazine in the process.
Since then the band has been hard at work in the studio, and following a mammoth 6-week recording stint have completed their new album entitled ‘Sweet Sense of Genocide‘. Clocking in at more than 40-minutes spread over 9 tracks, it represents Chokehold at their best; blending their love for old school thrash with a 21st century twist to create a genuinely unique sound.