Walking the fine line between hardcore and metal, Throwdown have always been one of those bands that have divided listeners; there are those who think they’re too metal, those who think they’re too hardcore, and, with the release of last year’s endlessly listenable Venom & Tears, those that think they sound too much like Pantera.

The band doesn’t seem to care very much about the complaints of sixteen year old Blabberbrats, though, and judging by the reaction of the crowd durning their recent headlining stint here in NYC as part of their Scum of the Earth (with Soilwork and War of Ages), their fan base doesn’t particularly care, either. Soft spoken, easy going, and bearing something of a passing resemblance to the actor Jason Mewes with his long blond hair hanging out from beneath a black knit skull cap, guitarist Mark Choiniere was cool enough to sit down with me just hours before hitting the stage to talk about touring, fan reaction to the band’s musical shifts, line-up changes, playing guitar solos for the first time, and lots more. Read the full transcript after the jump.

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