Artist Biography
by Greg Prato
Similar in style and approach to such industrial metal outfits as
Ministry and
KMFDM,
Gravity Kills followed in their predecessor's path but ultimately failed to cause as big a splash. Guitarist
Matt Dudenhoffer, keyboard player
Douglas Firley, and bassist/drummer
Kurt Kerns
had been kicking around in various St. Louis, MO, bands since the
mid-'80s, but the chance to land a song on a compilation by KPNT-FM got
them together to record. The prospective hitmakers had no vocalist,
however, so
Kerns called his cousin,
Jeff Scheel,
in Dallas in 1994. The industrial-techno group recorded an original
composition, called "Guilty," in three days, called themselves
Gravity Kills,
and made the compilation. Soonafter, "Guilty" became the station's
most-requested song and gathered airplay around the U.S. and Canada,
leading to the group signing a recording contract with Wax Trax!/TVT.
Gravity Kills'
appeal was widened by appearances on the soundtracks for Mortal Kombat
and Seven and in March of 1996, the quartet released a self-titled debut
album, promoting the release by supporting
the Sex Pistols on their reunion tour of America. 1997 saw the release of a remix collection, called
Manipulated, and a year later, their second all-new studio album
Perversion. Not much was heard from
Gravity Kills for the next few years, which led to rumors that the group had broken up. Although
Kerns
left the group during this interim period, the breakup rumors
ultimately proved to be false; after switching record labels (their new
home is Sanctuary Records),
Gravity Kills issued their fourth release,
Superstarved,
in March of 2002. Shortly after the album's release the band announced
that they would be ceasing all operations, and they spent the next
decade playing the occasional one-off show and fending off rumours of a
possible return to the recording studio.
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