Piledriver (band)

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Piledriver
Also known asThe Exalted Piledriver
Origin Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genres Speed metal, thrash metal, heavy metal
Years active1984–1989, 2004–2019
LabelsCobra, Full Moon Productions, High Vaultage, HME, Maximum Metal, Northern Storm, Satanic Metal

Piledriver is a Canadian thrash/speed metal band, formed in 1984 by a husband and wife duo who set out to record the heaviest album they could create. They enlisted Gord Kirchin as vocalist. They are known for an over-the-top image and flamboyant song titles and lyrics (as exemplified by such tracks as "Sex with Satan", "Alien Rape", "Sodomize the Dead", "Witch Hunt" and "Human Sacrifice").[ citation needed ] Their best known song is possibly the title track of their debut album, Metal Inquisition from 1984.[ citation needed ] The album was followed by Stay Ugly two years later in 1986. The second album had no involvement from the original songwriting team and instead featured Kirchin fronting an already formed band for the recording sessions. These two early recordings have globally sold nearly 500,000 copies to date. [1]

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The band soon disappeared. However, some years later, Kirchin revealed that the band and albums were just a studio project and that the band never really existed at all, with all the names and virtually everything else about the band being made up. Kirchin later formed his own band, Dogs with Jobs, sporadically working on solo material.

In 2004 a new band was formed under the revised name of The Exalted Piledriver. The original lineup was Steven Lederman (stage name Tupac Sade, drums), Rob Tollefson (stage name Lobo Elf Snort, bass) with Troy Ellis and Johnny Butts on guitars. This lineup recorded “Metal Manifesto Demos”, a handout CD to try and garner a record deal. Two of the songs also featured Andrew Kaemmer on bass. The original performing lineup played a series of shows including “The Montreal Metal Massacre” at The Spectrum in Montreal, a show that also included Anvil, Razor, DBC and others. For various reasons Lederman, Ellis and Butts left the band, beginning with Lederman’s departure in April of 2006. Kirchin began to hold auditions. In the summer of 2006 the line-up was finalized: Mark Kopernicky (stage name Kinky Pork Cream, guitars), Gerry Keough (stage name Glace Frothfritter, drums) and Robert Tollefson (stage name Lobo Elf Snort, bass). After many live shows in Canada, the US and in Europe, the band entered the studio in late 2007 to record the first album to feature an actual band. The album, entitled Metal Manifesto, was released in 2008. The band played shows in Canada and Europe during 2009, [2] including a date at the Headbanger's Open Air festival in Itzehoe, Germany in July. [3]

The band was reassembled with new supporting members in 2009.

This line-up has toured Brazil (fall 2017) and Colombia (2018), and played festivals such as Calgary MetalFest V (2016), Amsterdam Heavy Metal Maniacs (2018) and Storm Crusher Festival (2019), and headlined shows in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Quebec City.

Kirchin died from lung cancer at age 60 on 22 September 2022. [4]

Rob Tollefson died from throat cancer on September 10, 2016

Discography

As Piledriver

As The Exalted Piledriver

References

  1. ↑ Artists: Piledriver. MusicMight. Accessed May 6, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Upcoming shows from the official website". Archived from the original on February 6, 2009. Retrieved March 18, 2009.
  3. ↑ Line-up for Headbanger's Open Air 2009
  4. ↑ "PILEDRIVER Frontman GORD KIRCHIN Dead At 60". Blabbermouth.net . Archived from the original on September 23, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
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