Frightmare – No Desire To Sign To A Bigger Label

Saturday, June 24, 2006

The following are excerpts from an interview that the Wormwood Chronicles recently conducted with FRIGHTMARE mainman Maniac Neil:

WC: You tip your hat to a lot of classic bands on the new album. For example, “They Were Warned” starts with a pure MISFITS riff and I can hear ANTHRAX, CARCASS and more throughout the record. Who would you say the main inspirations for the songs on “Bringing Back the Bloodshed” were?

MN: Yeah I only really listen to old school Death Metal, Grindcore, Punk and Thrash bands. The biggest influences for me are bands like THE MISFITS, SLAYER, HOLY TERROR, TERRORIZER, REPULSION, AUTOPSY, IMPETIGO, PUNGENT STENCH, ANTHRAX, METALLICA, D.R.I., SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, DEATH, MASSACRE. Just the old killer bands. I really don’t care about what’s going on currently in the scene musically. I can’t stand Nu polished Grind or Brutal Death Metal at all.

WC: We seem to be enterting a new boom of thrash metal. Do you think today’s bands stack up to the greats of the 80’s? I’m encouraged with some of the stuff I’m hearing lately.

MN: Yeah, it seems to be a new trend doesn’t it? With bands like MUNICIPAL WASTE and TOXIC HOLOCAUST popping up. I think with any trend that is trying to revive a certain genre the bands never really stack up to the originals. I mean, there have been some killer newer thrash bands to come out in the last 10 years like HYPNOSIA, TERROR SQUAD, and F.K.U.. But overall I’m not to into it. Too many 16 year old kids that were born in 1990 trying to relive something they were never a part of to begin with by wearing denim vests and patches trying to be retro. What’s the point? Just be yourself and try to come up with something fresh and new. If I wanna hear KREATOR, I’ll listen to KREATOR, you know?

WC: If FRIGHTMARE had a chance to “step up” to a label like Metal Blade or Nuclear Blast, would you take it?

MN: No. Without Razorback Records, FRIGHTMARE wouldn’t exist. I do this band for fun. It’s what I enjoy in life. When you “step up”, it becomes something else, like a job. I think if that happened i’d stop enjoying it as much. Plus I couldn’t imagine working with anyone else other than Billy and Jill. Razorback and FRIGHTMARE are a perfect fit.

You can read the full interview here.