Bulldozer

Bulldozer is an Italian black, speed, thrash and metal group from Milano, active from 1980. The band becomes known for a harsh early style that sits at the point where speed metal, thrash metal and proto-black metal meet.

Background and style

Bulldozer forms in 1980 and builds a reputation around a rough Satanic pre-thrash sound. Their music is often compared to Venom, and the band is frequently described as Italy’s answer to that group. Alberto Contini’s bass and vocals are noted for a strong resemblance to Cronos, which reinforces the comparison. The band’s early material is closely associated with old-school black metal, speed metal and thrash metal.

Albums and career

Their debut album, Day Of Wrath, appears in 1985 and is produced by Algy Ward of Tank. The band goes on to release three more albums, moving beyond the direct Venom comparison even though the clone label remains attached to them. Despite that, they stay at cult level rather than reaching a wider mainstream audience.

Bulldozer splits up in 1992, then starts again in 2008. At the point covered by the available information, the group is active again and working on a new album.

Line-up

The verified line-up information lists Alberto Contini and Andy Panigada as members. Contini is specifically identified with bass and vocals in the early period.

Legacy

Bulldozer holds a place in Italian extreme metal history as one of the country’s early speed/thrash/proto-black metal bands, with a sound strongly tied to the earliest wave of black metal and to the Venom-inspired underground of the 1980s.