Kilgore (band)

Lore & Background

The band began in 1991 at La Salle Academy, a Catholic high school in Providence, where musicians gathered for concerts. Original members included Brian McKenzie (guitar), Bill Southerland (drums), Jason Smith (bass), Erick Linsao (guitar), and Jay Berndt (vocals). Initially called Regicide, they changed to Smudge after high school, then to Stain after discovering an Australian pop-punk band with the same name. By the end of 1994, they adopted the name Kilgore Smudge, later shortened to Kilgore.

Kilgore Smudge released their first demo Spill in 1993 and played at Providence clubs, opening for acts such as The Cro-Mags, Sick of It All, Sheer Terror, and Life of Agony. Their second demo, Die Cast (1994), led to a contract with Giant/Revolution Records. Blue Collar Solitude (1995) was produced by Howard Benson in Los Angeles, and the band toured with Marilyn Manson, Biohazard, and Clutch. A Search for Reason (1998), produced by Ed Stasium, was followed by a slot on Ozzfest 1998, a national tour with Slayer and Fear Factory, and a European tour with Fear Factory and Spineshank.

After singer Jay Berndt left in early 1999, the band remained active until 2000. Members pursued other projects: Berndt fronted country band The Revival Preachers and released solo work; McKenzie performed as a solo singer/songwriter; Pelletier scored video game soundtracks; Southerland worked with children and briefly reunited with Berndt in Bloodwitch. In 2007, original members reunited for a benefit show. The band announced new music in 2017, releasing the song 'Death on the Installment Plan' and the EP Someday This War Is Going to End.

Reader's Guide

Kilgore's significance lies in their evolution from a high school band through multiple name changes to a nationally touring act on Ozzfest and with major metal acts. Their music blended groove metal with hardcore elements, and Jay Berndt's lyrics drew from Beat Generation authors, Dostoyevsky, Kafka, and Bukowski. Though they released only two studio albums, their 1998 Ozzfest appearance and tours with Slayer and Fear Factory placed them within the late-1990s metal scene. The band's legacy includes a cover of Pantera's 'Walk' used as entrance music for wrestler Rob Van Dam in Extreme Championship Wrestling. After a long hiatus, the band reunited in 2016 and released new material in 2017, demonstrating continued relevance among fans of 1990s heavy metal.

Did You Know?

• The band was originally named Regicide during high school.
• Their cover of Pantera's 'Walk' was used as Rob Van Dam's entrance music in Extreme Championship Wrestling.
• The band's name Kilgore Smudge was suggested by singer Jay Berndt as a nod to the character Kilgore Trout from Kurt Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions.
• In 2007, original members reunited for a benefit show called 'Fight to Remember', raising over $13,000 for breast cancer research.