Playing their own brand of speedy but intense thrash-oriented metal, Philadelphia's
One Dead Three Wounded was founded in 1998 as Desire 2 Destroy while musicians
Sam Tropio (guitar),
Matt McSorley (bass),
Mike Zahodski (drums), and
Tim Zahodski (vocals) were still in high school. After playing local gigs while working out a sound of their own, the group adopted the name
One Dead Three Wounded after hearing the phrase in a news report, and recorded their first three-song demo at Ground Control Studios in 2000. The demo was released later that year as part of a split EP with Always the Victim, and by the end of 2000
One Dead Three Wounded beefed up their sound with the addition of a second guitarist,
Jay Wilmot. In early 2002,
ODTW recorded a second three-song demo, known to fans at the "Heroin Demo," at Ground Control, which found the band coming into their own as a creative unit. As the band became busier, some of the members had trouble keeping up with
One Dead Three Wounded's demanding schedule, and in 2002
McSorley left the group, to be replaced by
Bob Katzianer, while in 2003, following a major tour with Saved by Grace and
Dark Day Dawning in support of the group's first full-length album
Paint the Town,
Tropio bowed out, with
Jim Fox taking over his spot on guitar. In 2005,
One Dead Three Wounded signed with 1x1 Records, who promptly reissued
Paint the Town and in the summer of 2006 released their second long-player,
Moving Units. In early 2007, bassist
Katzianer left the band, citing the rigors of
ODTW's touring schedule, and
John Lowe from Dead Again was recruited to fill his spot in the lineup. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide