Waterdown

The German hardcore outfit Waterdown originally featured six members: bassist Christian Kruse, guitarists Holger Behrens and Claus Wilgenbusch, drummer Jörg Schwoeppe, and vocalists Ingo Rieser and Marcel Bischoff. The group came together in April 2000. That summer they supported the Toronto-based hardcore thrash band Grade during its abbreviated German run, an opportunity that prompted Grade’s vocalist Kyle Bishop and bassist Matt Jones to steer Waterdown toward a deal with the Victory label. Additional road work alongside Snapcase, Boy Sets Fire, Avail, and Jimmy Eat World helped spread the band’s reputation. Its first album, Never Kill the Boy on the First Date, reached stores in May 2001, while the follow-up, The Files You Have on Me, surfaced two years afterward. Bischoff departed at the close of 2003, leaving the lineup intact. Now operating as a five-piece, the reduced ensemble delivered the aggressive All Riot in early 2006.