The Kill (5)

In spring 1993, newly relocated guitarist Kip Elder posted an ad in the Orlando rock monthly, Jam Magazine, that stated “Guitarist available, long black hair and a Les Paul slung down to my knees.” Immediately, bassist Sammy Allen of the local rock outfit Kats Kill, declared, “You’re in! I don’t care if you can even play!” Sammy, singer/drummer Jason “Jette” Decker, and a changing roster of lead guitarists, had been slamming the region with their brand of cover tunes and now had more firepower, scorching the rock clubs in Florida and Georgia. But something was still missing. Around this time, Cherry Bomb was another Orlando act doing the same thing. Their guitarist Jason Jameson stood out to the Kats Kill boys as the guy they needed to permanently fill the guitar position on stage left. So, they made their pitch, and before too long, JJ was in the band. Decker was proving himself to be an outstanding lead vocalist and the guys decided it was time to free him from double duty and focus on being a frontman, but who could fill the drummer position? A regional act called ELI had a young powerhouse named Will Hunt who clearly had the goods to be a superstar, and that’s what this group declared was the only level acceptable. Another pitch was made and soon the lineup was solidified. The big question now was what to call this new supergroup? How about drop “Kats” and just call it THE KILL? Why? Because vampires were cool, and it was different from all the other names floating around at that time. The influence of Hollywood/NYC glam bands had a tight grip on the guys. The influence of Grunge was starting to creep in since it was totally unavoidable in the early nineties. What they ended up with was more of a biker gang vibe: more leather and chains than spandex and hairspray. Drop-tuned guitars, songs with multiple sections of heavy riffs, but still lyrics that evoke the heyday of 70s/80s glam. Heavy on innuendo rather than gloom and doom. It was the basis for THE KILL’s original music. The Kill Jason Jette Decker - Vocals Kip Elder - Guitar Jason Jameson - Guitar Sammy Allen - Bass Will Hunt - Drums