Early years Die Kreuzen was originally called "The Stellas". Their 21-song
eponymous debut album was released in 1984, and included new versions of the tracks from
Cows and Beer. The 1986 follow-up,
October File, saw the band move away from hardcore into slower, more conceptual work. Kubinski went on to form a new band, Custom Grand. The majority of Die Kreuzen records were produced by future
Nirvana and
Smashing Pumpkins producer,
Butch Vig. All of their records, with the exception of their first 7" on Version Sound, were released by the Chicago record label,
Touch & Go Records.
Tributes and reunion In 1986, Robert Palmer of
The New York Times described Die Kreuzen as "one of the new bands recasting the legacy of 70's Gothic-metal (
Black Sabbath, etc.) for this modern age". In 2005, a tribute to Die Kreuzen was released,
Lean Into It – A Tribute to Die Kreuzen, featuring covers of Die Kreuzen songs by
Napalm Death,
Mike Watt,
Voivod,
Season to Risk, and
Vic Bondi, among others. The album features liner notes by
Thurston Moore, who states, "Man, there was a point there when Die Kreuzen were the best band in the USA". In their acceptance speech, they named a handful of current artists that they thought deserved consideration:
IfIHadAHiFi, Northless, the Zebras, and
Zola Jesus. Die Kreuzen resumed playing shows, performing a sold-out concert on May 26, 2012, at Turner Hall in Milwaukee. Thereafter they played the 2013 Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Holland and the Afterburner show the following day. After their return to the states, Die Kreuzen played a secret show at a small Milwaukee club as a warm up to their May 25 concert at The Double Door in Chicago and their much anticipated return to Turner Hall on May 26, 2012. Die Kreuzen played at Phatheadz II in Green Bay, Wisconsin, on July 20, 2013, with Rev. Nørb & The Onions opening. Additional shows were scheduled in Madison, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, later that summer with Negative Approach, Mudhoney, and The Melvins. The band also performed at McAuliffe's Pub in Racine, Wisconsin, on July 17, 2013. A book by music journalist Sahan Jayasuriya entitled ''Don't Say Please: The Oral History of Die Kreuzen
was released in August 2025 by Feral House. The book includes interview transcripts with band members and commentary from artists such as Thurston Moore, Steve Albini, Neko Case, Butch Vig, and Lou Barlow. It has received positive attention, with appearances by the author and band members at independent bookstores and record shops, and on podcasts including Veil of Sound
(August 2, 2025) and Booked on Rock'' (Episode 314, August 25, 2025). == Musical style ==