{{Infobox musical artist | background = | name = Pete Koller | image = Sick of It All - Reload Festival 2018 04.jpg | caption = Koller performing at Reload Festival 2018 | birth_name = Peter Koller | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD}} | birth_place = Queens, New York | genre = Hardcore punk | occupation = | instrument = Guitar | years_active = 1986–present | label = | current_member_of = Sick of it All | website = }}
'''Pete Koller''' is an American musician who is a founding member and guitarist of the hardcore band Sick of it All.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Peter Koller Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mor... |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/peter-koller-mn0000264208 |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=AllMusic |language=en}}</ref> Koller and his brother Lou have been described as some of the most influential figures in New York City hardcore.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=2018-03-19 |title=The Most Influential Figures of NYHC: The Koller Bros (Sick of It All) {{!}} Features |url=https://www.noecho.net/features/the-most-influential-figures-of-nyhc-koller-bros |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=www.noecho.net |language=en}}</ref>
== Early life == Pete Koller was born and raised in a middle-class family in Queens, New York alongside his three brothers, one of them being future Sick of It All bandmate Lou.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Sick of It All: Pioneers of the Hardcore Punk Scene |url=https://www.mixedaltmag.com/news-25/sick-of-it-all:-pioneers-of-the-hardcore-punk-scene |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Mixed Alt Mag |language=en}}</ref> Koller first began playing guitar one Christmas when his parents got him an acoustic guitar and a Roy Clark Big Note song book.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Pete Koller – In Effect Hardcore |url=https://ineffecthardcore.com/pete-koller/ |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=ineffecthardcore.com}}</ref> Growing up Koller listened to a wide variety of music but always leaned towards heavier and faster genres.<ref name=":1" />
During his first year at Francis Lewis High School he got a Gibson SG Special and began to start playing guitar more seriously.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2014-09-28 |title=New York hardcore legends invents ‘Sick’ new meaning for Bronx |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2014/09/28/new-york-hardcore-legends-invents-sick-new-meaning-for-bronx/ |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=New York Daily News |language=en-US}}</ref> He and his brother Lou also started to regularly attend hardcore shows at the CBGB’s. He later stated in an interview "Going there I realized that I could do this too. So with my bar chord I started not learning other bands songs but writing my own songs. Such as “My Life” and “Friends Like You which we still play today in the set."<ref name=":1" />
== Career == {{Main|Sick of It All}} [[File:Sick of it all mg 6970.jpg|thumb|300x300px|Koller performing at Eurockéennes in 2007]] While still in high school, Koller and his brother Lou decided to form a band called Sick of It All in 1986.<ref name="Allmusic">{{cite web |title=Sick Of It All |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/sick-of-it-all-mn0000035587/discography |access-date=September 21, 2013 |publisher=All Music}}</ref> The initial line up consisted Pete on guitar, his brother Lou playing bass and providing vocals, and David Lamb on drums. Koller and his brother originally wanted the band to be named General Chaos, however Lamb proposed calling the band Sick of All, with the intent to abbreviate it to S.O.A. However Lou had pointed out that another band existed with that name and the group decided to expand the name to Sick of It All.<ref name=":12">{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Mike |date=2015-03-29 |title=An Oral History of Sick Of It All, Part I: Early Days, New Beginnings, and Swastikas |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/sick-of-it-all-history-1/ |access-date=2025-12-26 |website=VICE |language=en-US}}</ref> Lou then strictly moved to vocals following bassist Mark McNeely joining the band soon after.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The NYHC Chronicles LIVE! Ep. #40 w/ The Koller Bros. & Howie Abrams. {{!}} Ghostarchive |url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/BUR7m1qhvxA |access-date=2025-12-26 |website=ghostarchive.org}}</ref> Then just after one month of being formed, Sick of It All played their first show on Saturday, May 17, 1986, at the Right Track Inn in Long Island, supporting Youth of Today, Straight Ahead and Crippled Youth.<ref name=":02" /> Shortly thereafter, both Lamb and McNeely left the band and were replaced by Armand Majidi and Rich Cipriano respectively.<ref name=":12" />
Koller also created the bands signature dragon logo which was inspired by a drawing the band seen in a flash sheet by tattoo artist Greg Irons. Koller then redesigned the logo for him and a group of friends to get as tattoos in honor of a friend who was joining the marines. The tattoo just happened to appear on the cover of their debut self-titled 1987 EP in became associated with the band from then on.<ref name=":2" />
The group then released their debut self-titled Ep in 1987.<ref name="sick">{{Citation |title=Sick of It All - Sick of It All {{!}} Album {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000235206 |access-date=2025-12-26 |language=en}}</ref> Koller and Sick of It All released their first full-length effort in 1989, ''Blood, Sweat, and No Tears'', which is viewed as a landmark record for the hardcore genre.<ref name="TFULiners">{{Cite AV media notes |title=Our Impact Will Be Felt: A Tribute to Sick of It All |last= |year=2007 |type=booklet |publisher=Abacus Recordings/Century Media Records |id=ABA0044}}</ref> Koller and the band then embarked on their first national tour in support of the album, as both a headliner and supporting act for Bad Brains.<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |last=Stockspublished |first=Matt |date=2015-02-16 |title=Famous Firsts: Sick Of It All |url=https://www.loudersound.com/features/famous-firsts-sick-of-it-all |access-date=2025-12-26 |website=Louder |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite book |last=Sharpe-Young |first=Garry |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uIIf03bGyAAC&q=Blood,+Sweat+and+No+Tears+sick+of+it+all+relativity&pg=PA264 |title=New Wave of American Heavy Metal |date=2005 |publisher=Zonda Books Limited |isbn=978-0-9582684-0-0 |language=en}}</ref> They then rose to prominence with their 3rd studio album ''Scratch the Surface'' (1994), which went on to sell 250,000 copies worldwide by 1997.<ref name="sick" /> Both Koller and his brother credited the album with expanding the bands fanbase in Europe.<ref name="Terrorizer2011">{{Cite magazine |last=Mörat |first= |date=September 2011 |title=Dark Recollections: Sick of It All 'Scratch the Surface' |magazine=Terrorizer |publisher=Dark Arts Ltd |pages=72–74 |issue=214 |issn=1350-6978}}</ref> From here the group have gone on to release an additional 9 albums with the most recent being ''Wake the Sleeping Dragon'' in 2018.<ref>{{Citation |title=Wake the Sleeping Dragon! - Sick of It All {{!}} A... {{!}} AllMusic |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/wake-the-sleeping-dragon!-mw0003209910 |access-date=2025-12-31 |language=en}}</ref>
In 2018 Koller and his brother announced they were working on an autobiography.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blabbermouth |date=2018-12-17 |title=SICK OF IT ALL's LOU KOLLER And PETE KOLLER Working On Autobiography |url=https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/sick-of-it-alls-lou-koller-and-pete-koller-working-on-autobiography/ |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET |language=en}}</ref> three years later in 2021 the book titled ''The Blood and Sweat: The Story of Sick of It All's Koller Brothers'' was officially published.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=2020-01-31 |title='The Blood and the Sweat: The Story of Sick of It All's Koller Brothers' (BOOK COVER REVEAL, EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT) {{!}} Features |url=https://www.noecho.net/features/sick-of-it-all-koller-brothers-book |access-date=2025-12-26 |website=www.noecho.net |language=en}}</ref> The book goes over the two brother's entire lives from childhood to their time in the band, also featuring commentary from other band members past and present''.''<ref name=":3" /> Decibel claimed the book is "One the best books ever written about hardcore".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Macomber |first=Shawn |date=2020-07-22 |title=Exclusive Excerpt: "The Blood and The Sweat: The Story of Sick of it All's Koller Brothers" |url=https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2020/07/22/exclusive-excerpt-the-blood-and-the-sweat-the-story-of-sick-of-it-alls-koller-brothers/ |access-date=2025-12-26 |website=Decibel Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>
Koller missed Sick of it All 2022 European tour to undergo surgery for a hernia, Craig Silverman filled in for him on guitar.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blabbermouth |date=2022-07-26 |title=SICK OF IT ALL's PETE KOLLER To Sit Out European Tour; Temporary Replacement Announced |url=https://blabbermouth.net/news/sick-of-it-alls-pete-koller-to-sit-out-european-tour-temporary-replacement-announced |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=BLABBERMOUTH.NET |language=en}}</ref>
== Musicianship and gear == Koller has stated that some of his influences to play guitar include the Plasmatics and Black Sabbath.<ref name="NYHC Chronicles">Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/BUR7m1qhvxA Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200801220755/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUR7m1qhvxA Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUR7m1qhvxA |title=The NYHC Chronicles LIVE! Ep. #40 w/ The Koller Bros. & Howie Abrams |date=July 8, 2020 |medium=Video |time=40m |access-date=July 8, 2020 |people=Drew Stone, Lou Koller, Pete Koller}}{{cbignore}}</ref> During Sick of it All’s live performances Koller is known for his is known for high-kicking and his guitar-spinning Tasmanian devil impression.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hillpublished |first=Stephen |date=2015-02-27 |title=Sick Of It All, Live in London |url=https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/sick-of-it-all-live-in-london |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Louder |language=en}}</ref> He revealed in a 2024 interview that he stretches and warms up for about an hour before every live performance.<ref name=":1" />
Throughout Sick of it All’s early years Koller would use whatever he could get his hands on stating "What I used back in the day was whatever I could get my hands on and what was cheap and what made the guitar sound more metal." This included a Carvin Head, TC Distortion Box on boost and a Metal Zone from Boss.<ref name=":1" /> He now uses ESP Vipers with Fishman Pickups. For his amp he uses an S6505 or 5150 from Peavey and a 550 TC Electronics Amp Worx which he uses with a Boss Noise Gate. His strings are an Ernie Ball Twelve Gauge.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Pete Koller, Sick of It All Guitarist Gear |url=https://equipboard.com/pros/pete-koller |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=equipboard.com |language=en}}</ref>
== Personal life == Koller is married to his wife Mei-Ling Koller who serves as the guitar tech for Sick Of It All.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Interview Sick Of It All: Pete Koller {{!}} GigView |url=https://www.gigview.be/interviews/interview-sick-it-all-pete-koller |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=www.gigview.be}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Punknews.org |date=2022-08-10 |title=Mei-Ling Koller, SOIA guitar tech, says No Fun at All singer assaulted her, band responds and denies |url=https://www.punknews.org/article/78021/mei-ling-koller-soia-guitar-tech-says-no-fun-at-all-singer-assaulted-her-band-responds-and-denies |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=www.punknews.org |language=en}}</ref> They have one daughter together named Lucy, he and his family resides in Daytona Beach Florida.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-23 |title=Interview: Sick of It All’s Lou & Pete Koller Check In from the Quarantine + An Update on Their Book |url=https://www.noecho.net/interviews/sick-of-it-all-lou-and-pete-koller-2020-interview |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=www.noecho.net |language=en}}</ref> Koller has multiple tattoos one of them being the signature Sick of it All dragon.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Inkers - Tattoo Magazine - Discussion with Pete Koller |url=https://inkers.app/en-US/mag/category/portraits/content/73 |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Inkers |language=en-US}}</ref>
When the Punk Rock Museum opened in 2023 Koller worked as an official tour guide.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Punk Rock Museum Announces Guided Tours With Punk Rock Legends and New Opening Date on March 10th, 2023. |url=https://www.thepunkrockmuseum.com/news/the-punk-rock-museum-announces-guided-tours-with-punk-rock-legends-and-new-opening-date-on-march-10th-2023 |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=THE PUNK ROCK MUSEUM |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Martial arts === Koller first became introduced to MMA after watching his first UFC event in 1993. He then began to train in Brazilian jiu-jitsu regularly and during the mid 1990s he would even train with the Gracie family in California.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Chichester |first=Sammi |title=Sick of It All Guitarist Pete Koller on Practicing MMA |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/music/sick-it-all-guitarist-pete-koller-practicing-mma/ |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=Revolver |language=en-US}}</ref> He has credited the sport for helping him perform his on stage antics during live shows.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-05-24 |title=Blood, Sweat, and No Tears: SOIA's Pete Koller Uses MMA Training to Stay Road Ready |url=https://www.fightmagazine.com/2010/05/sick-of-it-all-hardcore-mma/ |access-date=2025-12-31 |website=FIGHT! Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> Over the years Koller has also added Muay Thai and boxing to his training.<ref name=":4" />
== Discography == thumb|Koller in 2018
=== Sick of it all === {{Main|Sick of It All discography}}
=== Studio albums ===
* ''Blood, Sweat and No Tears'' (1989) * ''Just Look Around'' (1992) * ''Scratch the Surface'' (1994) * ''Built to Last'' (1997) * ''Call to Arms'' (1999) * ''Yours Truly'' (2000) * ''Life on the Ropes'' (2003) * ''Death to Tyrants'' (2006) * ''Based on a True Story'' (2010) * ''XXV Nonstop'' (2011) * ''The Last Act of Defiance'' (2014) * ''Wake the Sleeping Dragon!'' (2018)
=== Guest appearances ===
* Gorilla Biscuits – ''Start Today'' (backing vocals) * Black Train Jack – "What's the Deal" and "The Reason" * H2O — "My Love is Real” (guitar) * Super Junky Monkey — "If"
== References == {{Reflist}} {{authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Koller, Pete}} Category:Musicians from Queens, New York Category:Living people Category:American punk rock guitarists Category:American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu Category:Year of birth unknown Category:Year of birth missing (living people)