"I haven't come across that many artists recently that just blew me away not only musically but by presentation of their work, and image as well.

I think this is a rare gem of a band, and hopefully Kai will be around for a long time to come!" - Space Junkies Magazine

"kicks you in the guts... one to drive fast and blindfolded to...

...busts outta the gate with some vigor." - New Haven Advocate

"fondly evokes the sleazy rebelliousness of 60's drive-in biker movies... somehow manages to graft a hard edge onto bouncy, midtempo rock." - PLAY Magazine

“Very tight, L.A. style, straightforward Rock N' Roll. Unlike most L.A. style type rock, has intelligent and clever lyrics cut to fit snugly into anticipatory verses and catchy choruses.” - www.Fyourband.com

“When I listen to this mother fucker's songwriting I execute movements that would make Michael Jackson white with envy. That's the best thing about Kai's songs, they "move" you. These days, you don't hear about hard rocking musicians that also play with bombastic amounts of feeling. It only exists in the underground world, where it's dark, littered with emotion and sharp riffs just fall from the ceiling like death nails.” – the Crimson Man

“Kai Blackwood is a musician that clearly has no boundaries. His album has a song for every occasion, he has plenty of room for creative expansion and a loyal fan base who’s anxiously awaiting his next move. As you render your nightly communion, say a prayer for the mainstream music industry for they know not what they are missing out on!” – Space Junkies Magazine

“And now we come to the future: Kai Blackwood & the Tokyo Death Squad. The disc is '...damned if you don't'. I cannot say enough good things about this disc or the people behind it. Solid beginning to end, it's one I spin a LOT.

I've actually been stuck on it for quite some time now, but I've been slackin' with zee updates, so this is the first you're hearing about it - on my site anyway. Some of you know that I've been pimpin' the hell out of it for a few weeks. Anyway, you need it. Check out the site and pick it up. You will definitely be hearing Kai's name in the future. Trust.” – Rock-Diva.com



Born in New York, and now a resident of New Haven, Connecticut, Kai Blackwood is a songwriting machine and a vibrant performer, bringing an amalgam of gothic and unapologetic hard rock, rockabilly, razor-sharp metal & punk rock to the table…

…think of it as a sledgehammer of doom - that you can dance to.

Doing time in the smoke-filled clubs all over America, Kai was the vocalist/guitarist for the American East Coast metal powerhouse Violent Industry – a band that had earned the die-hard respect of the American music underground through relentless touring. Violent Industry had gained legions of rabid followers during their tenure, and their reign was undisputed throughout the underground. Ultimately, Kai disbanded his beloved V.I. and holed up in a dark and creative place where it all started to come together…trust me – it’s not as creepy as it sounds.

In the fall of 2001, Kai flew to Toronto and proceeded to lay down eleven tracks for what became his debut solo album “..damned if you don’t”. He was fortunate to have enlisted the talents of Dale Harrison (drums) and Tim White (bass) of Universal’s Canadian rock icons, the Headstones.

Upon his return from Canada, Kai received a call from US underground heavyweights, Gargantua Soul, to replace the freshly departed Jason Bozzi (now of DryKillLogic) on guitar. While it was Kai’s first experience as a side player in a band, he decided to postpone the release of his solo album to take the G Soul gig, knowing full well that being part of Gargantua Soul would be an awesome experience, opening up the doors and putting him face to sweaty face with potential new fans of his own music. And after two years of hard-hitting touring with G Soul, Kai knew it was time to get back to just that - his own music.

Recruiting the underground talents of Duke Gunn on bass & Gary Tortora on drums, and christening them “the Tokyo Death Squad”, Kai hit the studio to record “Hello Tomorrow”, which was added to the “….damned if you don’t” album. The new trio of doom then proceeded to pummel the club circuit throughout the eastern US, where the band is currently shaking the rock zombies to life with that hellified rock& fucking roll and promoting “…damned if you don’t” which has found an audience that numbers in the thousands thanks to constant touring and the all-mighty internet. In that time, Kai Blackwood & the Tokyo Death Squad have been featured in REVOLVER magazine, opened for the Misfits, RA, and Beautiful Creatures, as well as getting glowing press for both their electrifying live performances and the songwriting prowess and deep performance on the CD “…damned if you don’t”.


Copyright 2005 Kai Blackwood. Head Gremlin Records P.O. Box 120684 East Haven, CT 06512 Phone: 203.824.1860