| 5th Man Down | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Croydon, England |
| Genres | Alternative rock |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Members | |
| Glen Korner Stephen Clements Russell Wark Ben Sleeman |
|
| Past members | |
| Chris Lewis | |
5th Man Down was an alternative rock band from Croydon,[1] UK. The band released one full-length album, Are We Harmless? (2003) on Casket Music, part of Copro Records which signed acts such as Earthtone9. 5th Man Down independently released two EPs, Pure (2002) and Root Mean Square (2006).
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5th Man Down has been likened to bands such as The Foo Fighters, Alter Bridge, Tool, Led Zeppelin, Pearl Jam,[2] Faith No More and Incubus, with a predominantly "American rock radio" sound with sung, melodic vocals, intricate guitar work and a heavy, syncopated rhythm section. More eclectic, experimental and heavier influences can be heard in their later material.
A review of their only album by Emma Nixon for Gigs Unlimited likened the band's sound to that of Soundgarden, Disturbed, Black Sabbath or Iron Maiden. "‘We Break Down’ has a heavy and wicked intro to it you can imagine moshing/crowd surfing to at one of their gigs, and has a sort of Ozzy feel to it, until the chorus that is and then it goes into Disturbed mode again."[3]
The band was originally formed in 1998 as SON/R by Glen Korner and Stephen Clements, on lead guitar/vocals, and rhythm guitar, respectively. With the addition of Chris Lewis on bass guitar and Ben Sleeman on drums, the name was changed to 5th Man Down, and the band began to play the south London circuit.
In March 2000, Lewis left the band because of creative differences, and was replaced (on the same night) by Russell Wark. The band played extensively around the UK, and was well-received during two short US tours.
The band recorded two music videos (for the tracks, "I Cried" and "Wasted Time") and played at the Bloodstock heavy metal festival in Derby, UK, on the main stage in 2003. The video for "I Cried" was included on the Bloodstock DVD, Pure Blood Vol 1, which included 11 other bands who had played at Bloodstock.[4] The album, Are We Harmless?, received mostly positive reviews in the rock press.[3] [2] The band also undertook two short, self-funded US tours.
5th Man Down disbanded in June 2006. However, the band has not ruled out working together again in the future. In the meantime, an EP of recent recordings, "Root Mean Square", has been released via iTunes.
Lead singer Glen Korner now fronts UK metal band Godsized, which has achieved some success in the UK metal scene.