In the industrial shadows of early-’80s Milwaukee, a band emerged from the wreckage of Midwest punk and Rust Belt disaffection with a sound that was as brutal as it was visionary. Die Kreuzen didn’t just blur genre lines—they detonated them, fusing blistering hardcore with metallic urgency and whispers of 4AD melodic noise to forge a blueprint that countless others would follow.
Were they punk? Metal? Something else entirely? Die Kreuzen’s self-titled LP became a defining document of American hardcore. But rather than stand still, the band evolved—each album more experimental, more unpredictable, more uncompromising than the last. They toured relentlessly, made little money, and called it quits before most mainstream critics could even categorize them. And yet, their legacy only grew.
For the first time, Don’t Say Please: The Oral History of die Kreuzen tells the band’s story from the inside—through the voices of members Keith Brammer, Brian Egeness, Dan Kubinski, and Erik Tunison, as well as the musicians, producers, and friends who were shaped by their sound. Featuring rare photos, artwork, and firsthand accounts, the book includes reflections from influential artists like Thurston Moore, Steve Albini, Neko Case, Butch Vig, and Lou Barlow, who lay bare the band’s lasting impact on underground and alternative music.
Sahan Jayasuriya is a Milwaukee-based music writer and musician whose obsessive love of underground music was forged in the fires of ‘90s alt radio, Dischord releases, and dusty bins at independent record stores. A veteran contributor to Shepherd Express and Milwaukee Magazine, Jayasuriya has spent over a decade researching Die Kreuzen’s history—interviewing the band, scouring archives, and unearthing lost ephemera.
Thoughts Words Action 