Deadguy formed in 1994. The band took their name from a line in the
John Candy movie,
Only the Lonely. The group issued two
7-inch extended plays that year alone:
Work Ethic and
White Meat. Although not as widely known as some of their peers, Deadguy has proven to be very influential on modern hardcore and metal as evidenced by their first studio album,
Fixation On A Co-Worker being inducted into the
Decibel magazine Hall of Fame in July 2006. The remaining members (Tim Naumann, Chris Corvino and Dave Rosenberg) then recruited Tom Yak and Jim Baglino (on second guitar and bass respectively). After the lineup changes, Deadguy wrote and recorded ''
Screamin' with the Deadguy Quintet.'' A US tour with
Bloodlet ensued in support of the EP. The tour was gruelling but successful and Tom Yak left the band shortly thereafter, and the rest of Deadguy recruited Doc Hopper member Chris Pierce to replace him. They played their last show in New Brunswick, NJ in 1997. Pierce later ran a recording studio in New Brunswick called Technical Ecstasy which recorded many locally renowned acts such as The Ergs and used his old Deadguy connections to get "Pops" to do guest vocals on their song "Maybe I'm The New Messiah" while recording their benchmark album "Dorkrockcorkrod".
2021 reunion On May 25, 2021, Deadguy announced they would reunite the "Fixation on a Co-worker" lineup and play the 2021
Decibel Metal and Beer Fest. It was their first show in 25 years. This live performance was subsequently released as ''Buyer's Remorse: Live from the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest'' in June 2022 by Decibel Records, as the label's first release.
Near-Death Travel Services (2025–present) On April 29, 2025, the band announced their official signing to
Relapse Records. They also announced their second studio album,
Near-Death Travel Services, which was released on June 27 of the same year. Deadguy will support
Napalm Death on select dates of their 2026 North American tour. The band is also schedueld to perform at
Milwaukee Metal Fest in June 2026. == Musical style and influences ==