Blitzkid

Blitzkid is an American horror punk group from the United States, formed in 1997 and active from 1997 to the present. The band’s core is singer/guitarist TB Monstrosity and singer/bassist Argyle Goolsby, with Andrew “Stripes” Winter and Paul Lifeless also listed as members. Its sound sits within horror punk, psychobilly, punk and punk rock.

Formation and line-up

Blitzkid begins in Bluefield, West Virginia, where Monstrosity and Goolsby start playing together in early 1997. The project begins as a response to boredom and as music for skating, but its lyrics later develop into a more reflective style, using dark imagery to explore ideas about understanding the world and a person’s place in it. Goolsby says his late mother gives him the dedication that helps him succeed in music, while Monstrosity says he wants Blitzkid to become a major band.

Releases and recordings

The band releases five studio albums and appears on numerous compilations. One of its recordings is the title track for Gris Grimly’s 2006 film Cannibal Flesh Riot. The band also receives artwork from Grimly for use on a Blitzkid T-shirt design. On the album Apparitional, Doyle guests on “Mr. Sardonicus”.

Live activity and tours

Blitzkid tours nationally and internationally and builds a reputation for frequent live work. In 2006, the band plays 260 live dates. Its festival appearances include Summer Breeze Open Air in Germany in 2007 and again in 2011, M’era Luna Festival in Germany in 2008, Amphi Festival in Cologne in 2010, and Whitby Goth Weekend in the UK in 2012, where it bills second to Alien Sex Fiend. The band also supports The Damned in Prague in 2007, tours North America with Face to Face, Strung Out and the Darlings in 2011, and plays Russia for the first time during its final European tour in 2012, headlining a show in Moscow. That 2012 tour also includes dates in Germany, the UK, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Collaborators and related projects

Blitzkid has close ties to the Misfits and to other horror punk musicians. Goolsby plays bass and sings with Gorgeous Frankenstein in 2007, a project led by former Misfits guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, while remaining in Blitzkid. Doyle later appears as a guest on “Mr. Sardonicus”. Dr. Chud plays drums for Blitzkid at several shows, including M’era Luna, and appears on the rare Hell Nights Tour 7-inch picture disc and on Anatomy of Reanimation. In 2002, Goolsby also plays bass for The Undead, the horror punk band featuring Bobby Steele. Monstrosity later stays involved with his side-band Vagora, and Goolsby goes on to work in Argyle Goolsby and the Roving Midnight.

Breakup and reunion

Monstrosity announces in 2011 that he intends to leave because of changing family commitments, while continuing with Vagora. Blitzkid ends by the close of 2012, after which Goolsby begins a solo career. The band later reunites for two nights at Jason Trioxin tribute shows in Teaneck, New Jersey, in 2019, and announces a reunion tour called Escape the Grave in 2020, later postponed to 2022.

Style and reception

Blitzkid’s melodic approach to horror punk is noted for strong vocals. Reviews describe the singing of Monstrosity and Goolsby as immediately appealing, while some criticism focuses on the non-vocal instrumentation. One appraisal places the band’s sound alongside Bouncing Souls, NOFX and AFI. Other commentary describes the group as a visible name in horror punk with a devoted following.

Documentary

A documentary on the band’s history, Blitzkid: Return to the Living, is announced in 2017 with Jeff Frumess of Video Business Media directing, but it is later shelved.