DW Norton

Richard William "DW" Norton (born 22 February 1970), is a Scottish-born Australian entertainer, songwriter, producer, guitarist and founding mainstay of metallers, Superheist (1993–2004, 2016–present). In 1998 he established Faultline Records – he has worked as the label's in house producer and CEO. He lives with his wife and fellow artist, London Gabraelle-Norton.

DW Norton
Birth nameRichard William Norton
Born (1970-02-22) 22 February 1970
Glasgow, Scotland
GenresHard rock, Heavy metal music, alternative metal, Nu metal
Occupation(s)Song writer, producer, guitarist
Instrument(s)Guitar
Years active1992–present

Biography

DW Norton was the guitarist for Big Pop Monsters, an alternative rock group, alongside Rod "Berger" McLeod on vocals, Sean Pentecost on drums and Adrian Sudborough on bass guitar. In 1993 Norton, McLeod, Pentecost and Sudborough were joined by Fetah Sabawi on keyboards and samples to form Superheist in Frankston.[1][2][3]

In 1998, while still a member of Superheist, Norton established an independent record label, Faultline Records, initially for development of artists.[4] The label released Frankenbok's debut album, Greetings & Salutations, in early March 2000.[5] He also worked as an audio engineer at Backbeach Studios, Rye.[6]

DW Norton, at left, as a member of Superheist, August 2016.

Norton was a nominee for Engineer of the Year at the ARIA Music Awards of 2002 for his work on Superheist's track, "A Dignified Rage" (August 2002).[7] In the previous year the group's album, The Prize Recruit (April 2001), had been nominated for Producer of the Year and Engineer of the Year for Kalju Tonuma's work.[8][9][10]

Norton explained why he was using seven-string guitars, "[it] happened when we were recording The Prize Recruit. We'd tuned down so low for so many years, and it was the first time we'd worked with a proper producer [Tonuma], who just wasn't happy with the intonation on the guitars. It wasn't perfectly in tune because the strings were too floppy, so I went with a seven-string, which is tighter."[6] According to Rodney Holder, former member of progressive metalers Alchemist, Superheist, "went through many incarnations from extreme death metal, before finally finding commercial success in the late 1990s/early 2000s with the Nu Metal sound many fans recognise today."[2] They disbanded in February 2004.

Norton formed an alternative grinder band, Walk the Earth, with Richard DeSilva (ex-Bison) on guitar, Sam Johnson (ex-Down to Size) on bass guitar, James Ludbrook on lead vocals, and Matt Sanders (both ex-Damaged) on drums. They issued a six-track EP, Rampant Calamities (January 2005), which Nick Lord of FasterLouder felt, "should have been a chance for the group to introduce its sound with a collection of like-minded songs, solidifying a fan base in the process. Instead, this release is confused and fragmented, each song seeming like a tug-of-war between the band’s extreme music specialists and Norton’s polished pop-sensibilities."[11] It appeared on Faultline Records and was distributed by Shock Records.[11]

Superheist reformed in June 2016 with a new line-up: Norton was joined by Benny Clark on drums, Drew Dedman on bass guitar and Ezekiel Ox on lead vocals (ex-Full Scale, Mammal).[12][13]

References
  1. Holmgren, Magnus. "Superheist". passagen.se. Australian Rock Database (Magnus Holmgren). Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  2. Holder, Rodney (1 May 2018). "94. DW Norton – Guitarist & Songwriter of Superheist". Music Business Facts. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  3. O'Gorman, Ros (17 April 2001). "Transcript – Superheist". RadioUndercover. Undercover Media (Paul Cashmere, Ros O'Gorman). Archived from the original on 18 March 2002. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  4. "Faultline Records Prize". Musicoz. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  5. McFarlane, 'Frankenbok' entry. Archived from the original on 9 August 2004. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  6. Tauschke, Steve (13 September 2002). "Super Vision". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  7. "ARIA Awards – History: Winners by Year 2002: 16th Annual ARIA Awards". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Archived from the original on 11 December 2011. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  8. "ARIA Awards". ARIA Awards. Retrieved 13 July 2017.
  9. Foo Fighters - guest program
  10. DW Norton Discography at Discogs
  11. Lord, Nick (17 March 2005). "Walk the Earth – Rampant Calamities". FasterLouder. Junkee Media. Archived from the original on 27 August 2016. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  12. Innes, Matt (7 June 2017). "Superheist Raise Hell on New Album". scenestr. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  13. staff writer (1 February 2017). "Exclusive: Superheist Enlist Veteran Bassist Si Durrant Following Member Departures". theMusic.com.au. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
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