Biography

DOGPILE Bio

“bone crushing” The Chart
“a wild journey into techno purgatory” Streetsound
”a head on collision with the speakers” Music From The Empty Quarter
Dogpile was borne from the ashes of two Toronto industrial bands; Kitten With A Whip and Die Screaming. Initially created as an outlet for KWAW bassist William Paul Adams, Mungo Dobbie of Die Screaming came on board to help shape Dogpile into a live band.
Adams has a rich musical history beginning in the 80’s as bass player for industrial/art band Kitten With A Whip. Known for using bits of animal carcasses and blood and occasionally setting fires in clubs during their performances, KWAW was a mainstay on the Toronto and Montreal music scene from 1984 to 1989. Performing with bands like The Swans, L7 and GG Allin, their career took a positive turn after a performance at an abandoned factory titled “Slight Fault” that was attended by Kevin Cey and Dwayne Goettel of Skinny Puppy. The show, which featured guitars swinging over the heads of the audience, fire and trashed instruments suitably impressed Cey and Goettel enough to be asked to join the upcoming Skinny Puppy tour for Vivisect VI. When their label Nettwerk Records found out, this was nixed as a then unknown Nine Inch Nails had already been booked. Upon the tours’ return to Canada, Nine Inch Nails was asked to depart in favour of KWAW for the last three shows. In 1989, Adams disbanded KWAW, their last performance opening for Ministry on the Land Of Rape and Honey tour show in Toronto.
In 1990, Adams began recording demos under the name Dogpile after seeing the word emblazoned across a photo from a male porno flick at a sex shop in Chicago. A hybrid of heavy techno drums and distorted, plodding bass, Adams had achieved the fundamental sound desired but still needed guitars.
Enlisting the help of Die Screaming guitarist Mungo Dobbie, Dogpile was subsequently signed by Belgium based Kk Records. Die Screaming bass player Gord Disley later joined making the band a three piece. The first album “Revved Up, Wiped Out, Battered, Shattered Creamed and Reamed” was released in 1991 on Kk Records subsidiary Electrip in Europe and on Cargo Records in North America. A video for the track "Slow Evil" from Revved Up was immediately banned by North American broadcasters. Released to coincide with the Rodney King assault trial, the video contained images of the band being violently assaulted by a cop. A very well received appearance at the Amsterdam alternative music festival Tegentunen in 1992 at which a lengthy interview with NME was conducted led to the release of “Black ****”. This album received accolades from press throughout Europe including a KKKK rating from Kerrang! Magazine. A successful European tour hitting 10 countries followed. Upon their return to Canada, Dobbie departed the band and former Kitten With A Whip bandmate Mike Gibbs joined on guitar.
In 1993 Dogpile was featured on the cover of Toronto **** magazine “Xtra”. The band then appeared at the New Music Seminar in New York with Canadian labelmates Numb. Subsequently Dogpile released the E.P, “Live Butt Plugged” produced and engineered by Adams. The EP garnered positive reviews throughout Europe. A tour in support of the new EP included Gibbs and a new second guitar player, Trevor Black. This line up allowed Adams to focus solely on vocals.
In the summer of 1994, slimmed back down to a 3 piece, Dogpile appeared at the inaugural North by Northeast Music Festival in Toronto. Recorded tracks for a follow up to “Live Butt Plugged” were lost and the bands last appearance was at the 1995 Toronto **** Pride festival.
In the late 1990’s, Adams fell ill and although Dogpile never formally broke up, nothing new was expected. With the passing of their close friend and European tour manager in 2010 of pancreatic cancer, the band felt compelled to breathe new life into Dogpile in a tribute to their late friend putting together the single track “Broke Upon The First Stress”.