Deadfall was a British thrash metal

Thrash metal

Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...

 band from Nottingham

Nottingham

Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...

, England. Picking up where guitarist Mike Thompson's old band Polaris had ceased, Deadfall were among a collection of new fast rising thrash bands hailing from the UK, as part of the 'new wave' of UK thrash metal. Other such names include Headless Cross, Pitiful Reign and Evile

Evile

Evile is a thrash metal band from Huddersfield, West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom. Their debut album, Enter the Grave, was produced by Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark and was released worldwide in 2007 by Earache Records to critical acclaim by fans and critics...

.

Deadfall have released three recordings to date, Ordeal By Fire EP (2005), Fatal Deterrent (2006) and Vicious Vendetta EP (2006).

Early days

On their second gig, Deadfall, along with 60 other bands, entered the well respected Junktion 7 Battle of the Bands

Battle of the Bands

Battle of Bands is a contest in which two or more bands compete for the title of "best band". The winner is determined by a panel of judges, the general response of the audience, or a combination. The winning band usually receives a prize in addition to bragging rights. Traditionally, battles of...

 competition in the summer of 2005 with Mike Thompson on guitar and vocals, Dave Turner on lead guitar, Jimmi Mansell on bass guitar and Pete Mather providing the drums. The band's performance was met with rave reviews and they subsequently went on to win the competition, with Mather taking away the prize for Best Drummer in the process.

2005 also saw the release of the bands first EP, Ordeal By Fire, featuring a combination of updated versions of Thompson's old Polaris era songs and Deadfall originals. The EP was greeted with generally positive reactions, and earned the band enough credibility to continue wide spread performances.

2006-2007

The band spent the first few months of 2006 touring widely, but due to internal differences Dave Turner departed the band in the second quarter. Whilst the band located a new lead guitarist, they produced their second release, the full length Fatal Deterrent, featuring what can be described as the definitive versions of many of the Ordeal By Fire tracks, and a collection of new material.

In early 2006, Deadfall were asked to play the prestigious Bloodstock metal festival

Bloodstock

Bloodstock was an annual metal music festival held from 2001 to 2006 over two days in The Assembly Rooms, Derby, England. The event featured big-name mainstream, underground and new bands split between two stages, as well as a 'Metal Market' offering general genre merchandise and CDs...

, and in the autumn of that year, with new addition Ryan Ashley on lead guitar, the band successfully co-headlined the second stage, receiving positive reactions. Shortly after, Deadfall's third release, Vicious Vendetta, featuring all original material was released, and the band secured a support slot on the 2006 UK tour of thrash metal

Thrash metal

Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...

 legends Exodus

Exodus (band)

Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...

 at Junktion 7, Nottingham

Nottingham

Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...

. Towards the end of 2006, Ashley left the group due to other commitments, and as 2007 began the band started searching for a new lead guitarist.

Split, subsequent reform and split

In March 2007, Deadfall officially split to pursue various side projects, with Mike and Pete appearing in the neo-thrash band Cynapse, and Jimmi playing bass guitar for traditional thrashers Territory. However, following a successful one-off show at Junktion 7 and increased fan pressure, the band officially reformed in August 2007, and were in the process of finalising new songs and booking an extensive come-back tour. But they split up again in late 2007 though they did reunite for one last show in August 2008, according to their Myspace page.

Discography

Ordeal By Fire (2005)

1. State Of The Art
2. Second To None
3. Nine Lies
4. Ordeal By Fire
5. Life Or Death
6. Hold My Own

Fatal Deterrent (2006)

1. State Of The Art
2. Ordeal By Fire
3. The Powers That Be
4. Second To None
5. Hold My Own
6. Obliterate
7. Pandemonium
8. Nine Lies
9. Resistance Is Futile

Vicious Vendetta (2006)

1. Vicious Vendetta
2. Point Of Death
3. Lethal Dosage (Of Evil)