Twisted Method

Twisted Method was an American nu metal band from Cape Coral, Florida, formed in 1998 by four Mariner High School friends - vocalist Derrick "Tripp" Tribbett, guitarist Andrew Howard, drummer Ben Goins, and bassist Derek DeSantis. DeSantis famously pawned his PlayStation to buy his first bass guitar. The band spent four years playing locally before their performance opening for another Cape Coral band caught the attention of manager Charlie Pennachio, who signed them to his management company and promised to get them a record deal within six months - delivering in five. MCA Records signed Twisted Method in 2002 based solely on their live performance without a demo, for a five-year $5.5 million contract. The band traveled to Los Angeles to record their debut album Escape from Cape Coma, the title a sardonic nod to their hometown - a retirement community they described as feeling like "the walking dead." The album was released in July 2003 after being delayed by MCA's merger into Geffen Records, and the band earned a spot on the second stage of the 2003 Ozzfest tour. Geffen expressed interest in financing a second album and sent the band on tour with Dope twice in 2004. The band disbanded in mid-2005 after Howard left to be with his newborn twin daughters and Goins departed for religious reasons. Tragically, guitarist Andrew Howard was found dead in his apartment on September 16, 2005 at age 23 - a case that remained unsolved. The remaining members moved on to other projects, with Tribbett and DeSantis forming Makeshift Romeo and Tribbett later filling in on bass for Dope.