Of Cabbages and Kings featured Kizys, founder/guitarist/keyboardist/vocalist/producer Carolyn Master, Roy Mayorga (Nausea, Soulfly, Stone Sour), Vinnie Signorelli (Unsane), Ted Parsons (Prong, Swans, Godflesh, Jesu, Teledubgnosis) and Diane Wlezein.

Kizys was a member of Problem Dogs, his first band formed with Rick Radtke, John Connors, and Demetra Plakas (who later played drums with L7).

During this time, August 1982, he briefly joined forces with guitarist Edward "Phast Eddie" Lines, Connors and Plakas as Phlegm Magnets, which played several shows at the Space Place in Chicago.

Other members included Norman Westberg (ex Swans), Ted Parsons (Prong), Vinnie Signorelli (Swans, Unsane), Eric Hubel (Glenn Branca), and J. G. Thirlwell (Foetus) Kizys with Jonathan Bepler and David Thorpe composed "Firmament" for Nerve magazine's "Sweet & Vicious" audio book.

Gus Van Sant used "Firmament" for the pivotal scene in his film, "Finding Forrester", starring Sean Connery.