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Stabbing Westward is an American industrial rock band formed in Macomb, Illinois, in 1985 by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Christopher Hall and keyboardist Walter Flakus while they attended Western Illinois University. After developing their sound through several early lineups and becoming associated with Chicago’s industrial-rock scene, the group signed with Columbia Records and released its debut album, Ungod, in 1994, followed by tours supporting Depeche Mode and Killing Joke. Stabbing Westward achieved its commercial breakthrough with Wither Blister Burn & Peel, released on January 23, 1996. The album earned gold certification in the United States and produced the radio hits “What Do I Have to Do?” and “Shame.” Their third album, Darkest Days, arrived on April 7, 1998 and also went gold, while “Save Yourself” reached number four on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart. After leaving Columbia, the band signed with Koch Records and issued the more melodic self-titled Stabbing Westward on May 22, 2001. Despite disbanding on February 9, 2002, Hall and Flakus reunited the group in 2016 for anniversary performances and subsequent tours. Stabbing Westward returned to recording with the EP Dead and Gone in January 2020, its first collection of new material since 2001, and signed with COP International later that year before releasing the covers EP Hallowed Hymns. The singles “I Am Nothing” and “Ghost” preceded Chasing Ghosts, released in March 2022 as the band’s first studio album in 21 years. Further performances included an appearance at the inaugural Sick New World festival in 2023. By 2024, the live lineup consisted of Hall, Flakus, drummer Bobby Amaro, and guitarist Cyamak Ashtiani. In 2026, Stabbing Westward marked the thirtieth anniversary of its breakthrough album by recording Wither ReWired, a complete reinterpretation of Wither Blister Burn & Peel. Preceded by a newly recorded version of “Crushing Me,” the album was released on September 10, 2026.
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