Killdozer: The Last Waltz

Monolithic, irreplaceable, pre-grunge punk icon Killdozer is no more. During the fall of 1996, bassist/grunt-and-growler Michael Gerald rounded up his supporting cast one last time and performed a series of "Last Ever" shows around the nation. The Last Waltz is a live recording from Milwaukee, 13 tracks featuring a fairly even mix of material from all stages of the band's history, plus extended covers of "Sweet Home Alabama" and "When The Levee Breaks." There's no truly original material here, but cripes, it's a live recording after all. The real problem is that The Last Waltz doesn't really sound very much like Killdozer. It's a little faster, a little tighter, and features a hell of a lot more guitar than longtime 'Dozer listeners will be used to. That might keep away all but the most slavishly loyal fans, but then, Killdozer doesn't seem to have anything but slavishly loyal fans. Besides, the recording quality is just fine, and there almost certainly aren't going to be any other recordings. Even if it isn't the grand last fuck-you-goodbye a person could have hoped for, it's still a damn good record. And Killdozer was a damn fine thing. (Man's Ruin, 610 22nd St., #302, San Francisco, CA 94107)