People may remember Johnny Throckmorton as the former vocalist for Richmond, VA-based bands ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY and IMMORTAL AVENGER. He was ATP's original singer and appeared on their first four albums, including the now classic, Staring At The Divine (Relapse), before departing the band in 2003. Throckmorton later joined Immortal Avenger and appeared on their 2006 EP, Sound The Alarm. Darkitect, also from Richmond, VA (RVA), has announced that they've hired Johnny to handle vocal duties, and finalized their line-up with bassist Jonathan Barrett. The band, which includes drummer Mike Dishman, and former Immortal Avenger axemen Wes Derrickson and Tommy Gunn, has already begun recording their debut full-length album. They're hoping for a late 2012 release.

From the official Darkitect Facebook page:

"We are proud to finally announce that Darkitect has a full line-up! We're very happy to say that we've brought in none other than our good friend, former Alabama Thunderpussy / Immortal Avenger / Before The Machine singer, Johnny Throckmorton to handle the vocal duties for us! In addition to Johnny, we have also hired our longtime friend Jonathan Barrett "J.B." to play the bass! Many of you already know how amazing Johnny is, and we can't wait to show off J.B.'s talents as well. Some of you know that we've been working on this band and the music for over a year now, so we hope you guys are as relieved and excited as we are about finally having a full line-up. We know now that Johnny and J.B. were always going to be the final pieces of the Darkitect puzzle, and we couldn't be happier. This not only means that we're now moving forward with recording our debut album, but we are also going to be out playing our first live shows very soon.

We're just pumped right now. Johnny has an unmatched work ethic when it comes to writing great lyrics, being at every rehearsal and writing session, and putting in the extra time doing pre-production work. Top that off with his incredible charisma on stage, and his wide range of vocal capabilities, and the decision to bring him in was easy. His voice goes from soft, to heavy, to angry, to brutal, and he never misses a step. Then there is J.B., who brings with him a great attitude, and a very fundamental style of bass playing that gives our music a thick foundation and a nice, firm backbone. We needed more of a David Ellefson-type than a Cliff Burton-type, which he handles perfectly. Plus, we've known J.B. for years, so he's just the right man for the job. We're all really stoked to have both these guys on board, and part of Darkitect.

Some of you (our more personal friends) have heard our pre-production demos, and/or come to hang out at rehearsals. You've described the music as dark, mean, heavy, melodic, technical, and intelligent. You'll be happy to know that your critiques are even more poignant now, after bringing these two guys to the fold. We've already begun the recording process for our debut album at our base of operations in RVA, Hammerhand Studios. We have high hopes to release the album before the end of the year. Keep checking back here for updates, studio webisodes, and even streaming album previews. And remember to tell your friends, especially those who enjoy heavy music. Thanks, and see you soon!"