Killdozer was an American noise rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1983 with members Bill Hobson, Dan Hobson and Michael Gerald. They took their name from the 1974 TV movie, directed by Jerry London, itself based on a Theodore Sturgeon short story. They released their first album, Intellectuals are the Shoeshine Boys of the Ruling Elite, in the same year. The band split in 1990 but reformed in 1993, losing guitarist Bill Hobson and gaining Paul Zagoras, and continued until they split up in 1996. Their farewell tour was officially titled "Fuck You, We Quit!", and included Erik Tunison of Die Kreuzen in place of Dan Hobson on drums and Jeff Ditzenberger on additional guitar.
Killdozer played with all original members at Touch and Go Records' 25th anniversary celebration in Chicago on September 9, 2006. To promote the event, flyers declared "Fuck You, We Reunite!", harkening back to the name of their farewell tour ("Fuck You, We Quit!"). Subsequently, in response to the audience at the concert "pleading for more Killdozer", Touch and Go announced a handful of U.S. tour dates for the fall of 2008.
Meanwhile, drummer Dan Hobson has remained active in the Madison music scene, playing in several bands, including Cement Pond with Tim Sullivan (of Drug Induced Nightmare No. 4) on guitar, Steve Burke (of The Gomers) on guitar and vocals, and Gordon Ranney (also of The Gomers) on bass and vocals. The group has released one album entitled Vanilla Guerilla on the independent Corporate Hell Inc. record label in 2005. Michael Gerald is a lawyer in Los Angeles.
A 28-track double-disc tribute album, We Will Bury You, was released in 2006 by indie labels -ismist Recordings and Crustacean Records. Killdozer itself contributed two songs, one to start each disc: a cover of The Trammps' "Disco Inferno" and a Butch Vig remix of the Killdozer song "King of Sex", originally from the band's 1985 Snake Boy album.
Artistry
Killdozer was notable for its slow, grinding song structures and blackly humorous lyrics, growled ominously by singer/guitarist Michael Gerald at the top of his lungs. Many of their songs were disturbing narratives of small-town life gone awry, and later had a jaded, left-wing political perspective.
The band also became famous for its cover songs, an example being Don McLean's "American Pie". A version exists on their 1989 all-covers album For Ladies Only.