| Photo by Josh Street Design |
GRIM 1 is my first musical offering. I've brought the fury as a comedy performer, burlesque stripper and heavy metal video personality since 2011. Most of these songs on the GRIM 1 Album are four or five years old, if not more, so it's been a long time cumming. We have momentum now that the album is completed and we're playing concerts more regularly. A door has been opened - the Necrodimension. We're here to stay.
[K] What does the Necrosexual record library look like? Any specific gems?
My most prized vinyl records are Venom "Welcome To Hell" picture album, Bathory "Blood Fire Death" picture album and Absu "Absu" limited edition double gatefold on grey vinyl. The biggest steal I ever got was Mercyful Fate "Melissa" LP for $3. One can find some truly grim treasures at the Main Street Jukebox in Stroudsburg.
[K] Do the other featured members on GRIM 1 often share records, as to keep on the level with influences and inspiration?
I'm a big eighties thrash metal head. That precision has an influence on my guitar playing style and riffs. Anthony Vigo Gabriele is more of a virtuoso guitarist, so he's into guys like Malmsteen and Randy Rhodes. Mike "The Machine" Churry worships Pete Sandoval and Morbid Angel, and digs some far out 90s Scandinavian death metal like Captor and Cadaver. It keeps things fresh to have different tastes.
[K] What was the process behind the album? What kept you pushing forward until it’s completion?
Many months in a dark place. Literally. I lived in an apartment with no windows when I wrote "The Lair Where No Light Enters" and was going through a hellish bout of depression and existential dread. My bedroom faced an alley between buildings and was perpetually draped in shadows. Metal is the perfect soundtrack to overcoming your demons, and turn them into allies. We had many delays with drummers flaking out and lack of consistent personnel in 2014 and 2015, but each step back made me even more determined to finish the damned album. We finally got Mike Churry on drums recorded the album in a dark basement in Philadelphia. Very grim, subterranean party atmosphere, 100% independent do it yourself production. I must also give due credit to Rob Pallotta who contributed drums on the songs "Trust No One" and "Bottomless Pit" from his home recording studio.
[K] Why cover ‘Paint it Black?’
The Rolling Stones possess a true rock n roll attitude, and their showmanship is something to be admired. Paint It Black is a song that has been covered to death, but I think our is the blackest rendition, and probably the fastest too. I'd like to cover a few more obscure tunes in the future.
[K] Outside of music, what else influenced the creation of GRIM 1?
I grew up on X Men comics and Sega Genesis, and that visual style is definitely present in the album art work for Grim 1. Scott R Johnston created an album cover that is totally out of this world.
[K] With The Necrosexual covering bass, guitar, and vocals - how does a live show usually work?
We are a power trio in the tradition of Motorhead, Venom, Sodom, with me on bass and vokills.
[K] Horror-rock/metal albums, with a dash of comedy, seem to be a dying breed these days. Did you, at any point, feel the album might be a risk? Or did you really even care if it was?
I embrace being different. I don't care if people laugh with me or at me, as long as they're entertained. But if you listen to the album, our musicianship is no joke.
[K] What does Necrosexual strive not to be?
I aim to be the antithesis of all things poser.
[K] If you could collaborate with any other band, doesn’t matter if they are around anymore, which would it be?
I write all my songs as if Dave Lombardo is playing along on drums. It'd be a wet dream to play with Lombardo on the kit. I feel like Necrosexual is a match made in hell as an opening act for Metallica. I feel like Lars and Kirk would get what I'm about. In the near future, I'd love to play a show with Ghoul. Ross Sewage designed the Necrologo and they have a hell of a live show.
[K] What’s your biggest peeve when it comes to metal and/or underground music in general?
There will always be annoying things in any circle of art or industry. I bust my ass to stand out and inject my own colorful and chaotic personality into black metal, a genre that tends to be quite stark and literally painted in black and white tones. I'm sure someone could look at me on the surface and say 'look at this jabroni, another guy wearing corpse paint obsessed with being grim.' Brutality is in the eye of the beholder.
[K] A friend of mine said they had something along the lines of a ‘Necrosexual encounter’, you have anything to do with that?
"Necrosexual Encounter" is the opening track of the album and will be released as a music video soon. It's a rager to blast through live. I'm excited to bring it to life in video form with my longtime video producer Liam McGlynn.
[K] What's in the future for Necrosexual?
We're writing the next album. I'd like to have it recorded before the end of 2018. We plan to hit the road and play out to support GRIM 1 and raise the horns of death with all the heavy metal hellraisers the world over.
[K] Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, anything closing comments or shameless plugs you’d like to mention?
GRIM 1 will be available for CD purchase or download worldwide on February 23 2018. Head over to necrosexual.bandcamp.com to hear my singles or download a CD. See you in your nightmares.
You heard the man, get over to the bandcamp and check out what Necrosexual has to offer. To keep up with everything Necrosexual on social media, check out the dedicated Facebook page here.
