Drunks With Guns

Drunks With Guns are a St. Louis, Missouri–based punk band formed in 1984, widely regarded as one of the earliest and most extreme examples of what would later be called sludge punk or noise rock. Their slow, hostile, and deliberately unrefined sound stood in contrast to the speed-driven hardcore of the time, aligning them more with bands like Flipper and anticipating the heaviness of Melvins and No Trend.
The original lineup featured Mike Doskocil (vocals), Stan Seitrich (guitar), Tom Wilkerson (bass), and Fred Broadhacker (drums). Following early lineup changes, the band released their first self-titled 7" in 1985,, followed by Thirst for Knowledge in 1986, Drunks With Guns (Germany 1990) (opens in a new tab). These records established their reputation for confrontational, nihilistic noise and helped define the emerging Midwest underground.
In 1987, Seitrich compiled the early recordings along with the track “Wonderful Subdivision” into what became known as the “black album” Drunks With Guns (US 1987) (opens in a new tab) without the involvement or consent of the rest of the band, creating long-standing internal disputes and adding to the group’s already chaotic history. Around this period, lineup instability continued, with Doskocil stepping in on drums for the next EP, Alter Human Industrial Fetishisms (US 1987) (opens in a new tab), before reassembling the band with new members. Doskocil teamed with St. Louis natives Tom Noerper and Amy Shew in Tempe, AZ to record the Drug Problem EP, which features the Seitrich/Noerper-penned track, "A Beer," originally introduced in a Dogtown, St. Louis basement. This session also produced the basic tracks for the Weirdos cover, "Life of Crime," and the fake live cover of the Stooges' "Raw Power."
Through the late 1980s and early 1990s, various incarnations of Drunks With Guns released a series of additional 7"s, further pushing their raw, lurching sound into increasingly abrasive territory. A separate 1990 release under the band name—featuring Seitrich and Mike DeLeon with a different vocalist—adds to an already complicated and often contested discography Drunks With Guns (US 1993) (opens in a new tab).
Marked by frequent personnel changes, conflicting claims over recordings, and a general disregard for convention, Drunks With Guns developed a reputation as one of the most dysfunctional yet influential bands of their era. Their early recordings remain highly sought after, and their legacy continues to resonate within underground heavy music.