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Die Kreuzen

From Alfawiki
Die Kreuzen
IndustryMusic
PredecessorThe Stellas
Founded1981 in Rockford, Illinois, United States
FounderDan Kubinski, Brian Egeness, Keith Brammer, Erik Tunison
Headquarters
Milwaukee
,
United States
Key people
Dan Kubinski, Brian Egeness, Keith Brammer, Erik Tunison
ProductsMusic albums, EPs, singles
Number of employees
4 (band members)
ParentTouch & Go Records (label)
Websitewww.diekreuzen.com

Die Kreuzen ( ) is a rock group originating from Rockford, Illinois in 1981, later relocating to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The band's name, derived from a German Bible, is an incorrect grammatical form in German meaning "the crosses." Initially rooted in hardcore punk, their sound gradually transitioned toward alternative rock.

Formation and early period

The band first performed under the name "The Stellas," with members Dan Kubinski (vocals), Brian Egeness (guitar), Keith Brammer (bass), and Erik Tunison (drums).

Following contributions to the compilations Charred Remains and The Master Tape, their initial official release was the Cows and Beer EP. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1984, featured 21 tracks including reworked songs from Cows and Beer. The 1986 album October File represented a stylistic shift from hardcore punk toward more deliberate, conceptual compositions. With their third release, Century Days (1988), the band incorporated piano and brass instruments into their arrangements.

Subsequent developments, side ventures, and disbandment

In 1989, Keith Brammer became part of Wreck. Other members engaged in various side projects; notably, Kubinski and Egeness formed Chick Treat, a Cheap Trick tribute band. Egeness departed Die Kreuzen in April 1992, after which the remaining musicians created Chainfall alongside guitarist Charles Jordan. Kubinski and Tunison later participated in Fuckface, while Brammer played with Carnival Strippers. Additionally, Brammer, Tunison, and Kubinski collaborated within the industrial group Boy Dirt Car. Tunison toured with Killdozer around 1996 and joined Milwaukee’s D Minus in the early 2000s; he also contributed to Steve Aoki’s 2012 track "The Kids Will Have Their Say."

Kubinski established Custom Grand followed by Decapitado before forming The Crosses, a band performing both original material and Die Kreuzen songs. The Crosses released the single "Hate Market" in 2024 and are working on an EP slated for late 2025. Kubinski also produces solo work under the name DeadFinger, issuing a full-length album in 2022 with another planned for 2026. Meanwhile, Egeness has composed film scores such as for The Astonished Man (2008) and Wake Before I Die (2011).

Most of Die Kreuzen’s recordings were produced by Butch Vig, who later gained fame producing Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins. Apart from their debut 7" on Version Sound, all their releases were issued through Chicago-based Touch & Go Records.

Recognition and reunion

In 1986, Robert Palmer of The New York Times identified Die Kreuzen as "one of the new bands recasting the legacy of 70's Gothic-metal (Black Sabbath, etc.) for this modern age."

The tribute compilation Lean Into It – A Tribute to Die Kreuzen, released in 2005, featured cover versions by artists including Napalm Death, Mike Watt, Voivod, Season to Risk, and Vic Bondi. Thurston Moore contributed liner notes praising them: "Man, there was a point there when Die Kreuzen were the best band in the USA."

In 2011, Die Kreuzen was inducted into the Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) Hall of Fame. During their acceptance speech, they acknowledged several contemporary musicians deserving recognition such as IfIHadAHiFi, Northless, the Zebras, and Zola Jesus.

The band returned to live performances with a sold-out show on May 26, 2012, at Milwaukee’s Turner Hall. They followed this with an appearance at the 2013 Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Netherlands, alongside the Afterburner event. Upon their return to America, Die Kreuzen held a secret warm-up gig at a Milwaukee venue before playing shows at The Double Door in Chicago and another Turner Hall concert. Additional dates that year included Phatheadz II in Green Bay; performances in Madison and Minneapolis with Negative Approach, Mudhoney, and The Melvins; plus a show at McAuliffe's Pub in Racine.

In August 2025, journalist Sahan Jayasuriya published Don't Say Please: The Oral History of Die Kreuzen through Feral House. This volume contains interviews with band members as well as insights from artists like Thurston Moore, Steve Albini, Neko Case, Butch Vig, and Lou Barlow. The book has received favorable attention through author appearances at independent bookstores and record shops along with features on podcasts such as Veil of Sound and Booked on Rock.

Musical style

Die Kreuzen began their career as a hardcore punk group but gradually integrated influences from heavy metal, gothic rock, shoegaze, and alternative rock. They gained recognition for foreseeing the grunge movement of the 1990s and were praised for bringing a sophisticated approach and varied lyrical themes to the heavy metal genre.

Albums

EPs

7" singles

  • "Gone Away"/"Different Ways" (live) (1989)
  • "Pink Flag"/"Land of Treason" (1990)
  • "Big Bad Days"/"Gone Away" (acoustic) (1991)

Demo releases

  • Demo Tape (1982)

Compilation appearances

  • Charred Remains tape (1981): tracks "Pain", "Hate Me"
  • The Master Tape LP (1982): songs "On the Street", "All White", "Fighting"
  • America's Dairyland tape (1983): recordings "Think For Me", "Enemies", "Rumors"
  • Code Blue tape (1984): selections "Fuck Up", "Live Wire", "Champs"
  • Sugar Daddy Live Split Series Vol. 5 split 12" with Melvins, Negative Approach, Necros (2012): track "In School"

See also

External links

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