The penultimate progressive technical thrash band, Watchtower ushered in a new era of extreme metal with the masterpiece that is their debut album, Energetic Disassembly. Featuring an array of chaotic time changes, aggressive vocals, and possibly the most accomplished rhythm section in metal, this was one of the highlights of metal in the eighties. Half the band had changed three years later when the followup, Control And Resistance, was released, but the quality did not diminish, though the overall atmosphere was a bit more restrained compared to the wildness of the debut. There aren't enough adjectives to truly describe how powerful and influential this band was -- they are truly pioneers in the realm of progressive/technical metal.

Since the release of Control the band has been on hold while the various members pursued other projects, amongst them Ron Jarzombek's solo project Spastic Ink and Doug and Rick's venture called Retarted Elf. For years the band have at various times worked on a third album entitled Mathematics, but the chances of a new release appeared slim until the summer of 2000, when the band (McMaster, Jarzombek, Keyser, and Colaluca) reunited to play a few festivals in Germany and some local gigs. The band is still alive, playing the occasional gig/festival, and a new song was recorded in 2010 with Alan Tecchio back at the mic, though he has since departed as he isn't able to commit full-time to the band (nor can McMaster, so the search for a vocalist is on).