An iron will is the will to succeed

AKA Brainkiller is a street metal punk band from Bologna, Italy, formed in 2024 by twin brothers Filippo (bass, vocals) and Lorenzo Taddei (guitar, vocals). The band blends classic punk rock, black metal, and hardcore punk, often employing musical solutions that are unusual to those genres, such as Memphis Rap-inspired samples, acoustic and melodic parts, and programmed drums.

Although AKA Brainkiller was formed in 2024 in Bologna, Italy, this story actually begins much earlier, in the early 2010s, and in a different place: Empoli, Tuscany.

The founders have lived many different lives and configurations of themselves, and have constantly changed music styles and preferences, so we’ve decided to separate their musical history in six different chapters.

THE KRAYS (2010-11)

Twin brothers Filippo and Lorenzo Taddei (born in Bologna, Italy, 1992) moved to Empoli, a medium-sized town near Florence, to attend high school in 2007 and in 2010 they would form their first ever band, The Krays, inspired by the real-life British gangster twins from the 1960s.

The Krays were inspired by British bands such Babyshambles, The Stone Roses, Sex Pistols, and Joy Division, blending classic punk with the indie-rock style that was popular at the time (see Arctic Monkeys, The Kooks, although the brothers have never liked that particular style).

Filippo chose bass and backing vocals, while Lorenzo was placed on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, and with Roberto Origlia (later in Platypuses, Asshole Abused) on lead guitar, and Giacomo Fattori (Platypuses) on drums, the four-piece played their debut gig at a homecoming-style high school party in Empoli on October 2010.

Several local shows followed, including Nox Pub, Mood Club in Montelupo Fiorentino along with Asshole Abused and Old Fashioned, and The Alchemist pub, with their biggest show being the huge night club Keller Platz in Prato (now Keller Garage) for Emergenza Festival contest in February 2011. The band gained a cult following in their hometown of Empoli.

During their brief existence The Krays were fiercely independent, would reject social media (they never had a Facebook page) and push hard to make themselves known despite a decided lack of technique and playing ability. For example, they were able to befriend former Babyshambles’ drummer Adam Ficek and gave him their only cd single, “Everytime”. In another occasion they met former Seahorses singer and Stone Roses’ John Squire collaborator, Chris Helme.

The Krays would play their last concert together on June 2011 at another high school party in Empoli.

THE SATAN’S KIDS (2013)

A hiatus followed, after which Filippo moved to London, UK.

Here, Filippo answered an ad by Italian rock musician Robert Caruso (founder of the influential 80s punk group Robert Caruso & The Electric Kids) and became his bass player.

Filippo remained with him for several months but never played live or recorded anything, before leaving to form a new band with Lorenzo, who by now had joined him in England, and Spanish drummer Bonifaci Bon Jan “Quim”.

This band was named The Satans Kids and was decidedly less melodic than The Krays, drawing inspiration from 70s and 80s punk. They covered songs by Johnny Thunders & The Heartbreakers and T.Rex along with original material.

Unfortunately, The Satan’s Kids would prove to be the brothers’ shortest lived band, effectively lasting only a couple of weeks. Only a cover of Steamroller by The Adicts was recorded on a tablet that was later stolen.

DEATH TRAP (2015-16)

By 2014 Lorenzo was in London and Filippo in Italy, but neither of them was playing in any band or releasing music, but in 2015, when the two relocated to their hometown of Bologna, they decided to form another punk band, Death Trap, and for the first time recorded material, a cassette titled “Summertown EP” which was never released, but is still in existence. The cassette in question features five songs in an emotional and raw punk style in the vein of Rites of Spring.

With the addition of drummer Max Dickmans, Death Trap started looking for shows in Bologna and would make their debut at a street festival in the city centre in May 2016.

This would prove to be their first and last gig, after which the band disbanded acrimoniously.

PROLONGED HIATUS AND CARNAGE COUNT (2016-2021)

A long break followed. In 2020, Filippo met drummer Andrea Marzola in Imola, near Bologna, and the two decided to form a band, called Carnage Count.

Filippo’s brother Lorenzo was called in on guitar but for the first time the duo tried out different singers. The one that stuck around the longest was Mirko XXXX

By this time both brothers had moved away from the British sound and were trying to develop a more aggressive sound, but the band struggled to find a satisfactory singer and would disband in the fall of 2021 after recording a handful of horrible-sounding singles such as “Ambient Noise Fades” which to this day is still available on Youtube.

SUICIDAL ATTITUDE (2021-22)

When Lorenzo moved to London once again at the end of 2021, the brothers decided to keep making music remotely: they changed the band’s name to Suicidal Attitude and released two songs on YouTube and Soundcloud, namely “Angel Eyes” and “Has Nothing Left Inside” which featured an unprecedented “poppy” punk style despite Filippo stating on several occasions that he hates pop-punk.

Although the brothers now disdain Suicidal Attitude’s style, this configuration effectively paved the way for the next project, which would be called AKA Brainkiller.

AKA BRAINKILLER (2024-onwards)

Finally, Filippo and Lorenzo Taddei decided to form a completely new band, AKA Brainkiller, in January 2024. The band, which for the first time featured no official drummer, immediately released the single “Untitled” and the EP “Underworld” respectively in March and April 2024. Underworld in particular was mixed and mastered by Andrea Simoncini (also known as Standalone Productions), producer and songwriter with credits including Sanremo Music Festival 2024 (the most important music festival in Italy).

Sonically, the EP establish many of the “street metal punk” characteristics such as programmed drums, reverberated “black metal style” vocals, fast tempos inspired by d-beat and thrash metal, and so on, but also blends trap and hip-hop music elements (see “Trunk”).

AKA Brainkiller would bring their sound live to cities and towns in Central and Northern Italy, especially Bologna, Modena, and Pistoia, and would release singles throughout 2024, with their biggest hit being a melodic indie rock number, “foryou.mp3” produced by Outrun Beats.

In February 2025, after collaborating with Italian rap legend Shezan Il Radio (former Fabri Fibra’s - Italy’s best selling rapper - crew mate) and playing a 300-strong crowd during an event in Bologna, the band temporarily relocated to Los Angeles, California.

Here, AKA Brainkiller would initially associate themselves with Creative Sound Recordingz and Jam Rocc Recording Studio, deepening their connection with rap music. It was Jam Rocc's owner, Pancho Zulu, who found drummer Ray Black for AKA Brainkiller’s first ever LA show at 33rd Hill Music Hall on April, 25th 2025.

Several shows (and drummers) followed. The remainder of 2025 saw the band play historic LA venues such as Monty Bar in Downtown LA and recording and developing their sound, which by now had evolved into an original mixture of black metal, rock ’n roll and 1977 punk, but which didn’t shun other genres like, again, trap and hip-hop, and indie rock. Filippo quotes “The Art of Dreaming” by Golden Dawn as a huge influence on AKA Brainkiller.

In October 2025 Filippo was recruited as bass player for legendary Hollywood rock band The Stellar Bandits - formed by German Artaz (guitar), Kamean Peterson (vocals), David Barrios (drums) in 2021 - and the four-piece started playing everywhere in Hollywood, often sharing the bill with AKA Brainkiller.

The beginning of 2026 saw the band crafting a show that blended punk, black metal and Memphis rap to create a unique live experience without the use of a drummer. AKA Brainkiller would play with every possible configuration, including a DJ.

In February the band joined D$B Records, a new record label founded by Beaauxx, and started participating in the label’s monthly and weekly shows, initially at Nivessa Records in Hollywood and later all over Los Angeles. With D$B the band also held a weekly beach party, called “Shoreline Sessions”, in Dockweiler State Beach.

Outside of D$B, AKA Brainkiller independently booked their own shows and ventured to such places as the historic Doll Hut in Anaheim and unique local realities like Frets Music in Riverside.

The American experience culminated with a show at the Whisky a Go-Go in September 2026 with drummer Aaron Stechauner, after which the band relocated to Italy to bring their sound all over Europe and complete the worldwide takeover.

Many singles were released during this time, the most relevant being “All Of A Sudden, Silence” which established the canons of street metal punk as the band intended.

A video for their single “I Lost My Bitch To The Rap Game” was released in January 2026, and the song was included in their first ever album, 10-track “Hoodrats & Heartbreaks” which was released in August 2026. This record is primarily a collection of indie rock songs written mainly by Lorenzo Taddei in the two years prior.

As of the end of 2026, AKA Brainkiller is working on their next release, a 6 track ep which will further establish the street metal punk sound in the musical underworld.

INFLUENCES AND MUSICAL STYLE

The band gained followers and dedicated fans thanks to their refusal to categorise themselves and their artistic integrity. Many fans pointed out that they found it refreshing to listen to a band that could go from straight punk and metal to a more melodic territory in such a deliberate way. Filippo has mentioned that among inspiration behind AKA Brainkiller is Greek black 'n roll (Zemial, Rotting Christ), French black metal (Seviss, Torgeist, Belathauzer, etc.), and Austrian experimental black metal bands such as Golden Dawn, Abigor and Summoning; DSBM is a huge influence on the band, with Forgotten Tomb, Shining, and Lifelover frequently cited; Australian heavy metal (Gospel of the Horns, Blood Duster) and punk (The Saints, Radio Birdman, Psychosurgeons); of course, the whole Scandinavian black metal scene - especially Norway and the melodic style of Finland; a few American influences crept in, namely Misfits, New York Dolls, Germs, and some death and thrash metal; British punk is basically the reason why the founders started playing, with their favorite bands being The Sex Pistols, The Cortinas, The Adicts, Discharge, et al.

Lorenzo cites Johnny Thunders, T.Rex, Small Faces, The Rolling Stones, Joy Division, Midwestern Emo (Mineral) among his greater guitar and songwriting influences, but

The brothers' favorite album is "Ogden's Nut Gone Flake" by Small Faces. They consider the 1965-1981 time frame as the best in popular music (from The Beatles' Rubber Soul to Joy Division's Closer).

The street metal punk sound consists in simply playing the rawest form of punk and metal there is, without worrying or caring for equipment or even drums. Drums, once a staple of rock, can now be removed and substituted by a drum machine or even midi drums. The word street means the addition of samples in a way similar to hip-hop is welcomed.

The bass guitar usually doesn't need the G string nor a pedal; while the guitar is plugged into whatever distortion is available. Equipment is irrelevant in street metal punk.