Nearly 40 years since they broke onto the scene as “the Italian Venom”, Bulldozer are still riding hard. Their 80s catalog influenced legions of black metal, speed metal, and metalpunk bands the world over. It’s only appropriate that these albums are being reissued and celebrated by F.O.A.D. Records for a brand new boxset, Ride Hard Die Fast. We had the chance to sit down with Bulldozer bassist, frontman, and all around wicked genius AC Wild to discuss this collection, as well as Bulldozer’s brand new single, “Heretic!”
This month sees the release of a career retrospective boxset, Ride Hard Die Fast, on F.O.A.D. Records. When did the idea for such a boxset first come about?
AC Wild: I have no idea. Probably our manager Max with F.O.A.D. Records. In my mind, I only have the songs, the lyrics, and the music. I’m not into records and merch. I didn’t even see this release yet, but I will receive a copy within a couple of weeks. It looks interesting, anyway.
Let’s go back to the very beginning of Bulldozer. The band existed for a few years in various incarnations before you joined in 1983. How did you first meet Andy Panigada?
ACW: When I met Andy before November ’83, the band Bulldozer was a “dead project”. Andy played in different bands in that period. A common friend introduced him to me as a great guitarist who was liking also Motörhead and Venom. Nobody liked those two bands in Milano at that time except me and him. We started collaborating as musicians, but I didn’t know he was a member of Bulldozer a couple of years before. Previously in a music store, I heard very bad comments about a “loser” band called Bulldozer. When Dario (Carria) contacted Andy to propose a project with Bulldozer, Andy invited me. I just went to the meeting with no great expectations, but when I heard the ideas of Andy (the music of “Fallen Angel” and “Another Beer”), I got very positive. Andy proposed me, as singer, to the band and I decided to join.
The box set’s first album consists of the “Fallen Angel” single and 1984 demo. How soon after your joining did work get started on these songs?
ACW: In November ’83 I met the band, and Dario proposed a couple of ideas, but Andy told them he would propose a couple of new ideas (keeping some parts of Dario’s) in a few days. We met again and Andy proposed the two ideas and me as a singer. They accepted without conditions. They heard my voice for the first time in the recording studio and they were shocked. The demo 84 was recorded later with Don Andras, in autumn ’84. Previously, during ’84 spring, Dario and Erminio (Galli) were forced by their parents to leave the band after they saw our picture in the back cover of “Fallen Angel”.
Only 3 copies of the 1984 demo were circulated, with one being sent to King Diamond. Was anyone in the band friends with King Diamond at that time? What were his thoughts on it?
ACW: After we signed with Roadrunner, Andy asked to the label manager if it was possible to have King Diamond as the producer, so they sent him (Mercyful Fate were signed to Roadrunner too at that time) a copy of the demo and gave me King’s phone number. When I called him, he told me he was not interested because Bulldozer was “too punk”.
Another copy of the demo was sent to Roadrunner, who would eventually sign you and release The Day of Wrath. Were there ever any other labels in consideration (i.e. Metal Blade, Megaforce), or was the band dead set on signing with Roadrunner?
ACW: The first copy was sent to Roadrunner. They heard and liked “Fallen Angel” 7”, and they asked us for a demo with the new ideas. We really liked the roster of Roadrunner (they licensed also Slayer for Europe). Therefore, Roadrunner was our first choice. We were signed on November 4, 1984, exactly one year after our first meeting.
The Day of Wrath would come out in 1985 and contain such classics like “Insurrection of the Living Damned”, “Cut-Throat”, and of course, “Whiskey Time”. Which songs on this album stand out to you?
ACW: I love the whole album, starting from “The Exorcism”, which is a reconstruction of a personal experience (nothing to do with the movie). This album is the closest to my soul.
The Final Separation would quickly follow in 1986. One thing I’ve noticed about this album is that Don Andras’ drums are rather high in the mix. Was this planned?
ACW: After some decades, I don’t like the production of this album. We produced it and the sound came out weak and basically poor. Of course I like the songs, but not the sound. It seemed we wanted to make everything audible, but the result is not so great. The sound is not wild and aggressive enough, in my opinion.
Speaking of Andras, he left the band in 1987. Why?
ACW: He decided to create a family. He wanted to change his life.
By the time you got to IX and Neurodeliri, Bulldozer seemed to be moving away from its black metal roots towards a straightforward thrash sound. Would you credit this to creative evolution?
ACW: The new drummer was a big fan of thrash and thrash was very trendy in our area. Andy and Rob (Cabrini) wanted to follow that direction. I tried to keep my wild spirit in that contest, but what we made is just a compromise. Actually, I do not dislike those two albums, but it was something totally different from Day of Wrath. With Neurodeliri, we created some new ideas which influenced the Scandinavian movement. Therefore, it’s certainly a kind of evolution, but something had been lost. In any case, I think that those albums contain great ideas, even though they are the results of internal compromises.
The box set also contains the Alive…in Poland album, recorded in 1989. What are your memories of that show?
ACW: It was certainly a great experience. Poland was still under control of Soviet Union (just for a few weeks) so we could see, travelling with a van, how that world was before the fall of the Berlin Wall. It was the first time we could play in front of a huge crowd. Poland was the only country in Europe which deeply respected our band.
The last album in the set is a tribute album entitled The Great Deceiver, featuring renditions from bands like Toxic Holocaust, Sabbat, and Abigail. Are you amazed by the band’s impact all these years later?
ACW: Since I did not receive yet a sample of it, I still don’t know the complete list of bands involved. Of course, I happened to join the stage with Abigail, and played with Sabbat in Nagoya in 2010, with Cripple Bastards in Italy. When I receive my sample I will certainly listen to this LP with interest.
Finally, Bulldozer just released their first new song in 11 years, “Heretic!”. Can we expect more new music in the future?
ACW: Yes, we took 11 years to come to a compromise and release one song with the first official video released by the band. I love the video and its contents. It’s related to the real facts that happened several centuries ago. It’s not fantasy horror, it’s fuckin’ real history. The song is a “compromise” like many of Bulldozer productions. Regarding the future, I calculated that we might take almost 60 years to complete an album. At that point it will be interesting to support the album with a specific tour: I will be 120 years old!
Ride Hard – Die Fast is available now on F.O.A.D. Records. You can buy your own copy here.