Turkey and Dragon Mom: My Infra-Thanksgiving!

By indrid13

When the Professor asked me to write a piece about my memories of watching monster movies on Thanksgiving Day (and the day after), the first thing that sprang to mind was the Godzilla/King Kong marathons that WWOR would unleash upon our turkey addled prepubescent minds every year. And while those marathons provided hours and hours of city stompin’ joy year after year, I kept flashing back to a different memory.

By the late 80’s, the WWOR marathons slowly faded away, but I still craved some hot monster on monster action. I remember flipping through the TV guide, searching desperately for my Kaiju savior to come and deliver me from my tryptophan induced malaise. And then I found it: Inframan! Cable TV was about to bash my skull with two full hours of Chinese Ultraman inspired goodness! I grabbed some leftovers, plopped down, and let the wave of pure genius that is Inframan caress my neurons.

What did I see you may ask? Well…silver suited “scientists” who are as adept at riding dirt bikes as doing science flip around and fight bizarre prehistoric mutants lead by a woman who may be the mother of dragons (if her name is to be believed) and isn’t afraid to accessorize her bad ass evil costume with feminine touches like pink bows. Then as if the above wasn’t enough, the leader of the science team creates Inframan through a dodgy scientific procedure that includes projecting blueprints and laying random bits of stuff on the The Killer’s Danny Lee. Anyway, a ton more action ensues and the good guys save the day (honestly, you should just watch the film..it can’t be described!) I immediately went outside after the film and proceeded to mimic Inframan’s moves and battle imaginary monsters for the rest of the day. And that may have been the best Thanksgiving break ever!

TH1RTE3N DOORS: THE ART OF DANIEL TH1RTE3N

Check out Dan's new website dedicated to his art! He can make your band look awesome! Remember to click the Follow tab and join The Coven to be eligible for future special offers!

Short film review: David Stay's Creepy

By indrid13

I recently had the privilege of checking out the new short film by David Stay (Sphere of the Lycanthrope, Dahmer vs. Gacy, Photon)entitled Creepy, and let me tell you, it lives up to it’s name! The film begins as David’s character investigates a strange voice emanating from a basement area (as what looks to be a skull peers at him from a window). Where or who he is never revealed, which adds to the short’s overall mysterious tone. As David plunges his hand into a darkened space under the beams of the ceiling, his hand is savagely attacked by an unseen assailant. Just what this feral, snarling beast is the viewer is never informed. As the film progresses, David’s character begins a spiraling descent into madness. He is abused, cut, and suffers from psychotic episodes (that are reminiscent of the works of seminal Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto). The basement becomes a living, breathing character itself. Loaded with cobwebs, bizarre cavities, a weird floor of almost organic plastic, and more dust and dirt than seems possible, it seems like David is trapped in the innards of some supernatural beast, rather than a structure of brick and cement. As David’s investigations continue we are presented with tantalizing clues as to what is going on, but the pieces of the puzzle are never put together properly, which only heightens the films suspense and over-all surreal nature. David does eventually come upon an object that leads to a reveal that no matter how astute a viewer you may be, I guarantee you will never have seen coming!

After the film ended I was left wanting more, and ending aside, I could see this easily being fleshed out into a full length feature, perhaps even shot partially documentary style. Who are the figures in the aged portrait that we see, what events transpired in this location that made it so haunted, who is David in relation to the events? All of these questions popped into my head, which means the film did what all good films should do, engage the viewer and make them invested in the story. At only seven minutes long, the film contains a surprising amount of tension and atmosphere (accentuated by the superb editing of Mike Gilhooly), not to mention the under lying mythos of the cursed basement. I strongly urge everyone to check out David Stay’s Creepy at either of the following links: http://www.vimeo.com/11328658 or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpYtSH5xZUQ. Please feel free to utilize the comments section of this review to leave your own analysis of the film as well! As David would say, "Rock On!"

They Call Us Death: A Conversation with Calabrese

by indrid13

Long time readers of the site will remember we spoke to Horror Punk legends Calabrese last summer (check that interview out right here. Well, the boys are back with an all new collection of ghoulish anthems entitled “They Call Us Death”! I recently had the pleasure to ask Bobby and Jimmy some questions about the new release and all sorts of other dark delights heading our way!!!

Let's talk about your new album, Calabrese III - They Call Us Death. What was the recording process like for the album?

Bobby: It was pretty nuts! Naw, not really, but I needed to start off with a bang, ya know? Ha!　　But anyway, it was a really cool process. I think it was a lot less laid back than usual, and it seemed to have a total sense of urgency when recording it. At that point, we were playing so many shows, practicing all of our old shit, we just never focused/concentrated on the new album, so I think we woke up one day and realized time flew right fucking by! We hustled and kicked our own asses to finish the new album, and I think it came out really great!

Do you have a favorite track from the album?

Bobby : I really like, "Violet Hellfire," 'cause it makes me, as a guitar player, sound like a finger-flyin', guitar slingin', million fucking bucks. Aside from that, I'd say, "They Call Us Death," It's our title track, it's about death and it's got a grip of ass-kicking, face-punching riffage!

The cover art, by the Goon's Eric Powell is amazing. How did you hook up with Eric, and how involved were you with the overall design?

Jimmy: We met Eric at DragonCon in Georgia a few years ago, and then last year he asked us to play at his Goon 10th Anniversary show. When working with Eric, we just told him we wanted the cover to look like a 1970’s horror magazine, like Eerie or Creepy. He asked for some reference pictures of us, and the next thing you know he painted that amazing album cover!

Could you tell us a little bit about the exclusive cards your fans can get by pre-ordering the new album? How did each of you come up with your alter-egos featured on the cards?

Bobby: Yeah, we wanted to give something special to those who pre-ordered, 'cause last time we gave out signed shrunken heads, which was way cool, but not 100% Calabrese related, ya know? The postcard idea, of us in various monster forms, came up after we realized we couldn't agree on one single thing! So we each went our own way, Jimmy as ass-kicking Ash, Davey as a demon-wolf and me as a messed up looking vampire. None of that pretty boy shit! We call it, "Three Portraits of Death" for a reason.

Last time we spoke a bit about your upcoming comic book. How's it coming along?

Jimmy: D.W. Frydendall is currently working on coloring the first issue. But right now, we are focusing on the new CD. But once things settle down, we’ll focus on a clear release date for issue #1!

I'm also a fan of your new blog. Please tell our readers all about it!

Bobby: Ahh, yes! As some may know, Jimmy runs the Calabrese blog (http://calabrese666.blogspot.com) but I do my own thing from time to time. I wanted to keep it strictly rock and roll related, but it's kinda morphed into whatever I want, which is both fun and nonsensical. I can ramble on about Star Wars, beer, album reviews, Halloween decorations, whatever's game for me. I figure calling it "Face Melting Rock and Roll Mania" blog will pretty much encompass all of my likes, dislikes and general insanity! I do keep it pretty "behind the scenes," though. I usually post photos Calabrese never used, maybe some more interviews of ourselves later on in future weeks...everything Jimmy ain't doin'...I'm doin'! Check out the madness here:http://bobbyvampcalabrese.blogspot.com

Has Calabrese ever thought about creating exclusive vinyl figures (perhaps as a limited edition) like the Mediacom Danzig line?

Bobby: Of course we thought about it! And it would be AMAZING! We have no idea how to do it, or would most likely not have the funds to support such a massive undertaking, but I think that would be one of our ultimate goals. I really, really wanna have a handful of my own action figures displayed in Castle Greyskull and the Ewok Village. But hey, I never thought we'd have a comic of ourselves, and that's gonna happen...so we'll see, ladies and gentleman...we'll see!

While we are on the subject of different venues of representing the band, have you ever considered an animated music video?

Bobby: Yeah, actually, this exact idea came up! For a hot minute, we were close to having an animated video, sliced with real video of ourselves. Kinda like that Ah-Ha music video mixed with the one of Paula Abdul dancing with that wolf-dog-thing. Needless to say, it would be amazing! But if that ain't the case, we'll probably be working with our good friend again, Brian Pulido, who did the first video for, "Voices of the Dead." Hey, we want the best, so we stick with the best!

I know we've talked about this a bit outside of the interview but, have you seen any good horror movies lately?

Bobby: Me and Jimmy both recently saw, "The House of the Devil.” It was way cool, but the ending kinda sucked. To be honest though, I almost DO kinda dig the ending, though, out if it's sheer absurdity (it almost felt like an old-school, Italian horror type ending) but I won't say too much and give the whole damn thing away. But it's worth a viewing. Oh yes.

Anything else you'd like to tell the good folks reading this?

Bobby: If you haven't pre-ordered the new album, "They Call Us Death"...do it! You'll snag yourself the signed, "Three Portraits of Death," and bragging rights of owning the album before a lot of other people. Thanks for the support, guys!

Thanks again guys for another kick ass interview! Everyone should head here: http://www.calabreserock.com and pre-order “They Call Us Death” today!!

Getting to the nitty gritty: A conversation with Gary Kriss

by indrid13

I first became aware of the incredible music of Gary Kriss from his contributions to the soundtrack of award winning independent horror film Sphere of the Lycanthrope. I was immediately hooked by Gary’s back to basics, hard rockin’ sound. I recently had the pleasure to talk with Gary about his band Reckless, his music for Sphere, and more!

Tell us a little bit about the recording of your classic album, No Frills. 

GK: RECKLESS was signed to Valentino / ATCO - Atlantic by Senior VP Phil "The Ayatollah of Rock n Rolla" Carson. Phil Carson also signed AC / DC, Bad Company, Twisted Sister, Yes, Foreigner, to name a few. Phil was on his way to Robert Plant’s house when he heard the RECKLESS demo; you know, the lead singer from LED ZEPPELIN. Phil dug the demo, and so did Robert. After getting a phone call from Phil in England, where he was based, I got a call from a JJ French, one of the TWISTEDS, about to take the stage on their "Stay Hungry" tour opening for Iron Maiden. JJ told me that Phil loved the demo and wanted JJ French and Mark Mendoza (TS) to produce our next demo and sign RECKLESS to his record label. Phil also made plans to see RECKLESS, in the states, because he was going to be on the road for a while, managing Jimmy Page’s band "THE FIRM".

The "NO FRILLS" album was recorded at Boogie Hotel, in Port Jefferson NY. The studio was once owned by FOGHAT and the mixing board was John Lennon’s from "Imagine". .......Talk about name-dropping; but this is really cool stuff!....... We lived there, in the studio, while we recorded the album, which was very cool. There was no set schedule - just inspiration - scantily clad inspiration -and there was plenty of that..... The album was mixed in L.A., where we shot our first video for our first single "Nitty Gritty", and mastered at Sterling Sound in NYC.

How did you and Reckless come to be involved with Sphere of the Lycanthrope?

GK: David Stay, Keith Grening and myself were long time friends - all with a variety of creative drives. David , acting and screen writing, Keith, writing and directing, and myself, writing music and performing live, as well as writing screen plays. The RECKLESS album, "NO FRILLS" was released on Valentino / ATCO-Atlantic Records shortly before the movie went into production. "NO FRILLS" was produced by two of the Twisted Sisters, Mark "The Animal" Mendoza, and JJ French.

Over the past 18 years, our careers and lives have bifurcated, some of us took the path less taken; but we all remained partners in crime. When David and Keith started the 'beginning -of- the-end' of post production for Sphere, it was pretty much a no-brainer that I should write the songs for the soundtrack. I was intimately involved with Sphere; I lived and breathed it.

What was the time frame like for your work on the film? 

GK: I was working on the film while RECKLESS was touring and while I was writing new material. These new songs that I wrote, are on the soundtrack. "Sin City", "Ball Of Confusion, "Angelica", "She Looks Like Hell". "Voices In The Night" were written for the "NO FRILLS" album by myself and RECKLESS singer, Chris Cintron. The version of "VOICES" in SOTL was re-recorded while David Stay was finalizing the post production of Sphere.
That was a real coincidence.

The planets were beginning to align. I had just gotten RECKLESS back together. We had just returned from playing ROCKLAHOMA, a 5 day 80's music festival, for over 200,000 people in Oklahoma! Wicked cool! Everyone from Ratt, Poison, Skid Row to Lita Ford, Dokken, LA Guns and Queensryche. RECKLESS played on the final day, after Ace Frehley of KISS, and before TESLA. The weather was about 110 degrees and the rock chicks were all there, showin’ a lot of skin and doin’ what they do best..... but that’s another story!

I wanted to record a more current version of "Voices In The Night". I had some great new ideas for the song, and RECKLESS, at this point, is sounding better than ever. I hooked up with engineer / producer Chris Petro at URS Studios in New York, and RECKLESS was back in the studio. On my way to the studio one night, I got a call on my cell from David Stay, updating me on the 18 years of progress and talking about using my songs for the soundtrack. That was when I told him what I was doing with RECKLESS, in the studio at that very moment ! So we recorded "VOICES" with SOTL in mind, and I then wrote the music for all of the werewolf fighting scenes.

I have to admit, the songs in the film were KILLER! Will they be available to the public? 

GK: Thanks for the props on the soundtrack! It was an amazing time! The Big Hair 80's.....For all of us with excessive personalities, it was just like being a kid in a candy shop, and nobody watching how much you took......I just had a flashback...L.A, 1990, Sunset Blvd, Seventh Veil... yea baby...you gotta love it...and that my friend, was, and still is, my inspiration....Back to the question... I am currently working on a distribution deal for the songs I wrote for Sphere. I'm also working on releasing another CD called " Pull Your Pants Down and Party", featuring the songs from SOTL plus 5 or 6 more tracks. If you dig the songs in the movie, then you'll want to own the RECKLESS CD, 'NO FRILLS", which is available at RETROSPECTRECORDS.COMhttp://www.retrospectrecords.com/products/reckless.html for 11.99 plus S&H, or you can get an autographed copy from me at gdfkvelvetbuzzsaw@yahoo.com for the same price.

Has there been any talk of your involvement in the proposed sequel to Sphere of the Lycanthrope?

GK: Aaahhh yes. The sequel...David Stay is brilliant at getting the job done. I am anticipating a phone call from David with the green light. David Stay has a vision, and that vision includes Gary Kriss... and RECKLESS......I'm honored and proud to be a part of any project of David Stay’s.

Going back a bit. Who would you say is your greatest musical influence? 

GK: Good question....I always believed that a rock concert was an event, a show, a carnival and a reason for the fans to get away from their daily 9 to 5 routine and become a part of something larger than life, to become a PART of the show. For one hour, have a kick-ass time and forget where your reality is; and join ours. I think Gene Simmons and KISS were a very strong influence on me. I remember as a kid, sneaking out of my room and hitching a ride to a KISS concert, watching Gene spit blood and breath fire; Ace, shooting flares out his smoking Les Paul, the androgynous Paul Stanley being Paul Stanley (whatever that is), and the Peter Criss’ drum kit swallowed by smoke and fire, reaching the sky, exploding the entire way up; and feeling like a part of something REALLY BIG! That is what RECKLESS brings to it's fans also. A private party that everyone is invited to. Get on board the freight train, cause it's leavin’ the station! We’ll rock your socks off and you'll sweat your ass off, all while having the time of your life!

Musically, of course there was Black Sabbath, AC / DC, Aerosmith, and Johnny Thunders and The New York Dolls. A down and dirty, gutter glitter feel for some raunch n roll. Ain’t nothin’ better than Street Metal!

For all of our musician readers...Tell us about your gear!

GK: Hey man, it's rock n roll - as long it was loud, it was good...and mine goes to 11! I was endorsed by Marshall Amplifiers. They were free, so they were great. I also like AMPEG power with SVT bottoms. And every now and again - I "KRANK" it up!. Don’t forget to add a few subs too. As far as basses, I've played and owned pretty much all there is, but my fave is my BC Rich Mockingbird original neck thru with GHS bass boomer medium gauge strings. The strings are an endorsement too and sound unbelievable on the Mock. Yea - some of you are goin’ it’s a piece of S#%', but dude, it sounds thunderous. I play left handed, so this bass was custom made for me. Listen to the bass track in "Voices In The Night" on the soundtrack, and then tell me what you think.

What was the craziest show you ever played? 

GK: Dude - ALL the shows are wild - but the real madness and mayhem happen after the shows!

Any final message for the fans? 

GK: The Fans are the reason I do what I do! I want to say THANK YOU to all our fans throughout the world -from the US to England; France, Belgium, and Germany, to Japan, Australia and Canada!

Believe in yourself and don’t let the bastards get you down.
Reach the unreachable - touch the untouchable - and think the unthinkable!
You, and only YOU, can make your dreams come true - You really can!
Don’t dream it - BE IT!

AWESOME! I want to thank Gary for being so gracious with his time and granting us an interview! I strongly urge everyone to check out http://www.retrospectrecords.com/products/reckless.html and order a copy of “NO FRILLS” today, you won’t regret it!

Sphere of the Lycanthrope

Dan over at the Sphere of the Lycanthrope FanSite, has asked me to ask any of you guys with a blog if you'll add him to your links and he'll do likewise.

Thanks.

Hollywood Roses Live Friday October 30th

Attention all of our readers in the Hollywood area! Our good friends Hollywood Roses are putting on a killer show Friday, October 30th at the Whisky! I strongly urge everyone in the area to attend!

Thanks,
indrid13

Sphere of the Lycanthrope FanSite

Hey everyone, check out Dan's new blog site here. It's a fan site for Sphere of the Lycanthrope.

We Are 138: A Conversation with Franche` Coma and Mr. Jim

By indrid13

Being able to speak with people who have had a profound influence on one’s life is the best part of writing for this website. Recently I had the chance to do just that! Living legends Franche` Coma and Mr. Jim, both integral parts of the Static Age era Misfits were kind enough to talk to me about their past with the Misfits and what they are up to today!

What are your musical backgrounds? Do either of you have any formal training?

Coma: Yes. I started playing at the age of about 12. I was taught to play the guitar by several instructors. Then after that I had formal training in Jazz. A lot of this consisted of a ton of theory, which I found interesting. I myself several years ago was an instructor at The Paul Green School of Rock for a short spell… However, my preference when playing has always been hard driving music. Although I like the classic rock I do not like playing it…

Jim: I have no formal training in drumming; I do most things by feel. My background is early rock & roll, blues, 60's,any American music.


How did you both come to be associated with the Misfits?

Coma: Jerry and I are best friends. He started playing bass with Glen in the Misfits while they were a 3 piece band with Glen on Keyboards and there was no guitar player. Then I came along and the keyboard was faded out.

Jim: I went to high school with Glenn. We were in a few cover bands together. When they needed a drummer for the sessions he called me.

How involved were you with the writing of the songs on Static Age?

Coma: What I am saying holds true for all Misfit songs. Glenn Danzig was the writer. Yes, I or we all added a riff or the lead or a drum part, but he wrote all the songs.

Jim: I'm not really a songwriter, but was able to play drums on the songs, pretty much by feel.


Can you tell us a little bit about the recording process for Static Age?

Coma: Simple; we had been given studio time from Mercury Records because they came out with a label called “Blank Records” and we already owned that name. So we worked out a deal for the Studio time and all the tapes in which we recorded Static Age. Then they had the rights to the name “Blank Records”. However, Mercury did not want to release the Static Age album for us even though they said they would give us a shot. It never came out in its full correct recorded version until now …

Jim: For the recording process, we rehearsed the songs for a few weeks, knew what we wanted to do, went in & did it. As far as anything too technical, you would have to speak to the other Misfits.

Did either of you ever think during the recording of the album that Static Age would become a legendary album?

Coma: Nope, not in my wildest dreams. A lot of that though was because we were so young and just having fun. Not realizing that we were laying a foundation for future generations.

Jim: We knew it was good, but who knew it would be so influential!

What is your favorite song from the album and why?

Coma: I enjoy the entire album because everything was just so well recorded. I like it all…

Jim: I really do like everything on the album, the most fun to play were Teenagers from Mars, Attitude, Come Back, and 138.


Franche`, please tell our readers about the music you've created with bands such as Active Ingredients since leaving the Misfits.

Coma: Active Ingredients? Those songs were written by Mike Morance.  I just thought that when I left The Misfits things were going to happen with Active Ingredients. In fact Mike Morance and I used to switch back and forth from guitar to bass. So I actually played both bass and guitar while in this band. However, I did not realize that what I left was the real deal… The Misfits…. I should have stayed put with The Misfits…

Jim, please tell our readers about the music you've created with bands such as Continental Crawler since leaving the Misfits.

Jim: Since leaving the Misfits, I was in Continental Crawler, which was more of a new wave band than a punk band. I was able to do more different things on the drums. After that I started a band with Richard from the Victims (another legendary punk band) called Aces And Eights. Good rock & roll, with some punk & country edges.


Franche`, in 2006 you played with the current incarnation of the Misfits. Can you describe that experience for our readers?

Coma: It was great. Cool. Like I said Jerry and I are best friends, we talk every month always. So he asked me to come down and play a few songs. I did just that…it was fun…

Jim, can you tell our readers about your incredible new store, Mr. Jim's House of Video (www.mrjimshouseofvideo.com)?

Jim: Glad you asked about my new store. It’s an old-fashioned video/music store. We specialize in horror & adult videos. We also have vinyl & CD's. The music section is growing every day. The porn pays the bills.

Can you talk at all about the project you two are currently collaborating on?

Coma: Currently for the first time in a very long time as you know; Mr. Jim and are at the very beginning of starting to put something together. I would say that in 2010 you would be hearing some material. Obviously with Jim on drums and I on the guitar. That is all I will say for now. Check out the web sites that are just being built. www.franchecoma.com along with www.mrjim.net and www.franchecoma.net.  Remember all are being built…

Jim: The Franche` Coma/Mr Jim Project is in the early stages, we’re going to collaborate with some old musician friends and come up with something great. Look for it in 2010!

Any final words for our readers?

Coma: Thank you for being our fans…. And do not forget “The resurrection of Franche` Coma and Mr. Jim” is on the way in 2010….

Jim: I would just like to thank everyone for their interest, after all these years. Hope to see you all soon.


Thank you both so much! If there is anyone reading this that does not already own a copy of Static Age, I strongly urge you to go out and pick up a copy IMMEDIATELY!

Tomb!

Hey everyone,

Your old pal indrid13 would like to point you in the direction of an incredible work of graphic storytelling created by my friend, Eric Feurstein, entitled Tomb! Head here http://kafkaskoffee.com/TombComic/index.php to check it out! New pages go up every Tuesday and Thursday! You'll definetly be glad you checked it out!