With a diehard audience earned the old-school way and modern rock anthems suited for the digital age, Throw The Fight celebrates two decades of passion and perseverance. Mixing soaring melodicism and heavy bombast without ever sacrificing hooks, the Minnesota outfit was built to last.

Songs like “Cover Your Tracks,” “Hourglass,” “Bury Me Alive,” and “Awakening” are undeniable bangers. They resonate with an urgent connection similar to the sound championed by the likes of I Prevail, Wage War, or A Day To Remember, with a unique creative voice shaped by the Midwest and over 20 years of experience. Close to 700,000 monthly listeners drove Throw The Fight to nearly 70 million streams on Spotify, where tastemaker playlists regularly introduce them to new listeners.

Frontman Kade Kastelitz, guitarists Ryan Baustert and Kris Weiser, and drummer Alex Sullivan make a career-defining statement with their breathtaking fifth album, Strangeworld. Produced by Josh Gilbert and Joseph McQueen (As I Lay Dying, Bad Wolves, Light The Torch, Upon A Burning Body), the record is a potent distillation of the strengths of their catalog and a huge step forward to the future. It’s the first Throw The Fight album released in collaboration with Long Branch Records and SPV.

“The album title refers to the odd state of the world we have all been living through these past few years,” Kastelitz offers. “Sometimes we can feel like we aren’t on the same planet anymore.”

The Strangeworld songs came together in Weiser’s cabin during the worldwide pandemic shutdown. Once the band honed the material to their liking, they headed to Sparrow Sound in Pasadena, California, with Gilbert (former bassist for As I Lay Dying and now in Spiritbox) and McQueen. “We worked quickly,” Ryan explains. “We did a lot of tracking before we arrived. We trimmed a lot of the excess and focused mostly on vocal production, really dialing that in, which
was our biggest change.” 

The band’s earliest rumblings drew from melodic punk and hardcore like Alkaline Trio and New Found Glory. Over the years, the crunch of New Wave Of American Metal acts like Killswitch Engage and the raucous rebellion of Every Time I Die found their way into their sound. Ultimately, Throw The Fight isn’t limited by genre conventions, opting to serve each song as the specific song demands. This made for an exciting, eclectic, diverse catalog connected by authenticity and dedication.

Throw The Fight independently sold thousands of their debut EP and topped the unsigned category of the community-driven Pure Volume. A magnetic live show, a determined work ethic, and an electric connection with crowds earned Throw The Fight an invitation to Vans Warped Tour early on. Grassroots support saw Alternative Press anoint them as an Unsigned Band To Watch in 2006.

Tours with Bullet For My Valentine, Black Veil Brides, and All That Remains; shows with Avenged Sevenfold, Papa Roach, and Red Jumpsuit Apparatus; festival appearances and headlining gigs introduced audiences to the power of the band’s sound as it evolved across four albums, and EPs.

The aptly titled In Pursuit of Tomorrow (2008) was an ambitious debut. The band collaborated with platinum producer John Feldmann (blink-182, Korn, The Used) on What Doesn’t Kill Us (2012), which boasted the unstoppable “Not So Hollywood,” among other highlights. Cryptic Rock declared Throw The Fight “better than ever, with heavier, catchier songs” on album three, Transmissions (2016).

Settle Your Sins (2020) saw longtime bassist and co-vocalist Kastelitz step up to the frontman position. His overwhelmingly captivating performances drove songs like “Paper Wings” and “Misery” to become new fan favorites, each powered equally by stellar musicianship and emotion. The 2021 acoustic EP, Inside Out, resulted in 2.7 million views for the “Wolves in the Dark” music video.

Strangeworld is just as powerful lyrically as it is musically. “Cover Your Tracks” kicks off the record with a call to action to question everything. “Hourglass” references the passage of time. “Moments are precious,” Kade says. “It’s a reminder to embrace life and be grateful for our limited time on this planet.” “Obey” resists forced complacency. “Lost Without You” deals with the grieving process.

“Sorry, Not Sorry” is “about releasing guilt for following your passions and dreams, realizing it’s not selfish. It’s self-care,” Kade explains. It’s a bold summary of what Throw The Fight represents. “It’s a ‘Strangeworld,’ but through music and art, we can express what we feel and deal with daily.”

Throw The Fight creating a record this powerful from a position of strength was no accident.

“We’ve consistently executed something every day for years and never quit,” Ryan says. “It doesn’t sound very exciting, but that’s the secret. That’s why we can still do this 20 years in. We maintained our independent, DIY work ethic from day one, continually doing things on our terms.”

Followers of Justin Risler