DieMonsterDie
https://www.facebook.com/graveyardshocknroll
"Musically [Horrorpunk] is all over the place, from metal to 50's doo-wop, pop-punk to hardcore punk, it's just important that element of horror is there"
Graveyard Greaser Gang: "Horrorpunk is not a
genre, it's a scene"! What does this mean to you?
Zero Delorean: I think it's a scene that
borrows from many genres. For me, horrorpunk is most defined by the lyrical
content rather than the musical content. Musically it's all over the place,
from metal to 50's doo-wop, pop-punk to hardcore punk, it's just important that
element of horror is there.
GGG: How would you describe
horrorpunk to people who are not familiar with the music/scene?
ZD: Generally I'm asked about the
music and I tell people that horrorpunk music is loud, fast rock n' roll or
punk rock, short and catchy songs about the themes you might find in horror
films. I don't usually don't delve into explaining the horrorpunk people or
psychology.
GGG: What was your first contact
with horrorpunk?
ZD: My first experience with
horror-themed music was hearing Alice Cooper when I was a small child. My first
experience with horrorpunk specifically was reading an article about The
Misfits in an issue of Thrasher magazine. That was back in 1985 or '86. This is
the kind of music that truly fired my imagination and always left me wanting to
hear more.
GGG: Why did you start in a
horrorpunk band (not a regular punk band for example)?
ZD: I actually got my start
playing punk rock, it's just that the more I wrote lyrically, the darker the
lyrics became. I already possessed a great love for the onstage spectacle and
persona of bands like Alice Cooper and KISS so I was more than willing to adopt
a horrorpunk persona when we started Diemonsterdie. It was a natural evolution.
GGG: What does horror in general
mean to you?
ZD: I've always had a love of
horror, starting when I was a small child. I was fascinated by the classic
Universal Studios monster films and that remains my favorite style of horror
movie. Horror crossed over into comic books with Tomb of Dracula, Werewolf By
Night, The Living Mummy, Morbius, Frankenstein's monster and I'd read them over
and over again. Bands like KISS and Alice Cooper seemed like real life
superheroes and certain other songs of the 70s also carried the darkness that
so appealed to my young self. Songs like "Spiders and Snakes" by Jim
Stafford and Warren Zevon's wonderfully tongue-in-cheek "Werewolves of
London" spring to mind. Even though they aren't literally horror stories
they still have that suggestiveness of something darker beneath the surface. I
think horror is a way for people to explore of one of the oldest and most
primal of emotions, where one feels acutely alive even as they try to escape a
violent death at the hands of those who prey upon them.
GGG: There are millions of horror
fans in the world (movies etc). in your opinion, why do people barely know
about horrorpunk?
ZD: Maybe it's due to timing. The
first fairly well-known horrorpunk band was the Misfits and even they never
really got rolling during the Danzig years. The Misfits were broken up by 1984
so they, and by extension horrorpunk, missed the MTV heyday and the big
promotional dollars of the major labels entirely. For years after that any new
horrorpunk band was inevitably compared to The Misfits because that was the
only horrorpunk band with any notoriety. Then the Misfits reformed in 1995 and
the comparisons began anew for any new horrorpunk bands. Horrorpunk bands have
steadily gotten better during the 21st century. The reason horrorpunk was not a
well-known genre at the turn of the century is that most of the bands were
mediocre with few standouts. Speaking for the situation today, the timing may
have once again been off for horrorpunk as the genre has arguably peaked and is
no longer gaining ground. Blame it on the digital revolution I suppose, where
this niche genre is generally lost in a sea of easily accessible pigeonholes,
sub-genres and innumerable choices.
GGG: Most horrorpunk bands say that
it's difficult to get booked for a show. In your opinion, why is it like that?
ZD: In my city it's not been hard
to get booked as a horror act just as long as you are willing to play with
bands who aren't horror oriented. There just aren't many horror bands in Salt
Lake City. I can't really speak for other cities and countries but I would
guess the relative obscurity and reputation of perceived mediocrity of the
genre play a large part. A small genre is also going to have a harder time
booking shows in cities dominated by a larger genre. The less room for musical
diversity, the harder it will be to book bands from less popular genres.
GGG: How did the horrorpunk scene
develop/change since you are part of it?
ZD: There's the obvious aspects
such as when we started, Myspace was the social network of choice, there was no
Twitter or Spotify or digital music sales of any consequence. Even YouTube
hadn't really raised it's head yet. It was a very different way of doing things,
both in buying and selling music and in how bands went about promoting
themselves. More specifically in regard to horrorpunk, beginning at the turn of
the century there was an ever-increasing number of horror bands, many of
dubious quality. Moving toward the middle of the decade, the 2nd new wave of
horrorpunk started with a better crop of bands and ever-increasing popularity
in Europe and South America. It reached a peak and seems to be losing ground in
Europe while South America remains steady. In 2014 there seems to be fewer
bands but the average quality has improved. It's still a very obscure genre of
music overall, however.
GGG: What's your favorite memory
when it comes to horrorpunk?
ZD: Back when Diemonsterdie was starting
up we belonged to an organization called the F9 Faction. F9 consisted of 9
bands that grouped together for several large local shows that featured all 9
bands in a single night and lasted for several hours. Anyway, a few of those
shows were enormously fun parties. We played a Dark Arts Festival some years
ago and spent the evening drinking with very cool goth people. It was a blast
playing with The Dave Brockie Experience and then his more famous band GWAR a
couple of years later. We were honored to play with Type O Negative and Celtic
Frost, Lizzy Borden, Mortiis and the Genitorturers. One of my favorite memories
was singing lead on Dig Up Her Bones with the Misfits and getting to see Balzac
that same evening. Good times.
GGG: What are your three favorite
horrorpunk bands?
ZD: In no particular order: #1
Balzac- I love music from Japan and these guys can do no wrong. #2 The Misfits,
all eras, Danzig, Graves and Jerry Only. #3 Left For Dead, a short-lived but
fantastic Salt Lake City-based horrorpunk unit. Have you ever tried to boil
this choice down to a top three? Fuckin' hard to do.
GGG: What are your three favorite
non-horrorpunk bands?
ZD: Also in no particular order:
#1 Mercyful Fate because King Diamond is a legend and Mercyful Fate has been a
staple of my listening for nearly 30 years. #2 KISS because those early years
were untouchable. #3 Alice Cooper, the original master whose stageshow we've
all borrowed from and who has gifted us with many truly classic albums over
these many years. Again, it's been nearly impossible for me to limit either of
these last 2 questions to only 3 bands but I've given it my best shot!
GGG: If you'd have to describe your
current band with five words, which words would that be?
ZD: Blood Drenched Shock and Roll!
GGG: What are your next plans with
your band?
ZD: #1 First we are working to
finally, finally, finally release our latest album titled October 21st, 1976 on
vinyl. Sorry for the delays people. #2 We are writing new songs and hope to
record a new album in 2015 with our new bassist Mr. Grimlock Morgue. We are
thrilled to have been this fortunate because Morgue is a sterling example of
talent, professionalism and personality. #3 We'd like to update our grand
stageshow and ensure it's truly a spectacle to remember. #4 More shows with
horror bands! We'd like to see horrorpunk take off here in Salt Lake City and
for the touring horrorpunks to feel confident that Salt Lake City will always
be a great night. #5 Never quit, never surrender! To the death...............and
beyond! #6 Perhaps some new merch in the near future, shirts or stickers or
long karate headbands, whatever the people demand. French ticklers, food
processors...... do you think people would buy a Diemonsterdie food processor?
#7 Pierce the veil between dimensions, thus opening a gateway to Hell.
GGG: Thanks for your time. anything
you wanna add?
ZD: Don't do drugs, stay in
school, spread your wings and fly to the angels. Infernal Hailz!
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