Interview with Maniac Neil of Lord Gore/Frightmare/Whore (January 2005)

How do you feel about "Resickened" now it's out? How would you describe it? Is there anything in it you'd maybe have done different?

Maniac Neil: I think it turned out great! We put a lot of work into the album and it feels really good to have it finally finished. I think we have a much more diverse sound on this record. We mixed up the tempos a lot more and tried to keep things interesting. There's definitely a more "Grind" feel to some of the songs but we haven't lost the DooM element either. If anything I think it makes the doomy parts sound heavier when there's some more fast parts to offset and contrast the ultra heavy riffs. We also experimented more with weird guitar effects and using samples in a more interesting way. Some of the samples on the CD aren't even really samples, we did them ourselves! There's always little things that you wish you go back and redo after you get done with a recording. But I can honestly say i'm really happy with the way everything turned out.

There's been a bunch of line-up changes in the band since the beginning... How do you feel about the current one? Does it feel solid to you? Besides the fact you're looking for a bass player?

Maniac Neil: Yeah there's been a lot of people in this band over the years. I myself i'm not an original member(I joined back in early 2002). I think the line up we have now is solid. We've never really had a permanent bass player. Bob from Bung played bass with us live for a while but couldn't continue with the band for various reasons. On the new album I played all the bass tracks and we sometimes play shows sans bass. But I definitely prefer the way everything sounds on stage with a bass in the mix. Much heavier.

Did you have any conscious influences when you guys wrote these new songs or did you simply write stuff as it came?

Maniac Neil: A few of the first songs I wrote for Lord Gore I had to consciously think of certain bands because I had to keep to a certain style and sound that LG has. After a while of being in the band I got familiar with their sound and feel and stuff just came real easy. The main bands that influenced me when I was writing songs were Autopsy, Impetigo and Pungent Stench. But I think Lord Gore has our own sound. I don't think we're one of those bands that wears our influences on our sleeves and rely on that.

What about lyrical influences? Are all the songs based on something (like for example the ones based on Edward Lee stories) or are some of 'em simply out of Gurge's imagination? By the way, the lyrics' order in the booklet seem to be screwed up... Is that intentional?!

Maniac Neil: Gurge handles all the lyrics. He's great with coming up with twisted yet original ideas. I'm pretty sure all the lyrics with the exception of the two about Ed Lee stories are straight from Gurge's imagination. Nope, the lyrics are out of order on purpose. At least I think so! Haha!

Whose work was it to pick up the movie samples for the album? These make for an incredibly jarring listening experience. "Shivers", "Total Recall", "Happiness", "The Burning"... Are those some of your fave flicks or did they simply fit the songs?

Maniac Neil: Gurge did most of the samples for the album. We picked the samples for the content not because of the movie they're from. Although I do love all those movies. It's not like Frightmare where were paying tribute to a particular movie with the songs and samples. We just looked for samples that fit the basic idea of that particular song.

Lord Gore Discography "Resickened" Cd (Razorback Records, 2004) Intro Gastric Gore-met Brainfucker Liquid Lunch Trash Hole Resickened N.C.T.B. Human Bot-Fly Chitin Kicked To Death Son Of Forgotten Flesh Megacephallus Trioxin "The Horror Hive" Comp. Cd (Razorback Records, 2004) Decomposed (Repulsion cover) "The Autophagous Orgy" Cd (Razorback Records, 2002) Intro Morguewhore Krash Kourse In Psychopathology Rape Camp The Forgotten Flesh Last Supper (The Autophagous) Involuntary Vaginal Vermin Slut Post Coital Eruption Nekro-Erotik Art Zombie Molestation (Raped By The Dead) Lord Gore Breakfast At The Manchester Morgue "Wizards Of Gore" Comp. Cd (Razorback Records, 2000) Breakfast At The Manchester Morgue (Impetigo cover) "Massive Deconstructive Surgery" Demo 2 (2000) Unreleased Cassette Morguewhore Krash Kourse In Psychopathology Pathogenesis (Rebirth Through Disease) Nekro-Erotik Art The Forgotten Flesh Breakfast At The Manchester Morgue "Dark Lords of the Cyst" Demo 1 Year: 1999 Casette Morguewhore Krash Kourse In Psychopathology Nekro-Erotik Art The Forgotten Flesh

I think you have a bunch of remaining new tracks... Do you already have an idea on which releases these will be used?

Maniac Neil: Yeah we have 4 more originals and three covers that were gonna use on some splits. We did covers of Rigor Mortis' "Foaming at the Mouth", M.O.D.'s "Hate Tank" and Autopsy's "Ridden with Disease". At this time i'm not sure which songs are gonna be on which splits but we have splits planned with Biolich and Engorged and a special 4 way split that's coming out on
Razorback Records.

Waita Uziga did the art again on "Resickened"! Some of the most twisted stuff I've ever seen... Did you give any indications to the artist... How much is Waita Uziga's ideas, how much is Lord Gore's? Do you plan on using this artist again for all the future cover artwork?

Maniac Neil: Yeah I love what Uziga did this time! It turned out awesome! Gurge came up with the cover concept himself. He drew a detailed sketch for Uziga to work from and they emailed back and forth exchanging ideas and fine tuning things. I would love to have Uziga do some more stuff for us! I think his style really fits the band.

You also have a new and improved logo, very Impetigo-esque... Will this be the definitive one? Or do you plan on using different ones for each release (kind of like Autopsy?!)

Maniac Neil: Yeah Gurge drew that! I love it! Some people didn't dig it for whatever reasons but I like it a lot more than the first logo. Yep were gonna try and have a different logo for each release. Just like Autopsy used to do. I think it's a cool way of keeping things fresh and different. It gives each release it's own sort of identity.

I see you're also planning to go on tour... When would you see this happen? Do you perform vocals exactly like the recorded song versions in your live shows? Won't such throat-damaging vocals be a problem in case of extensive touring?

Maniac Neil: Were doing two mini tours this year one in April leading up to the Arizona Death Fest and one in May leading up to the Maryland Death Fest. Gurge's vocals sound the same live as they do on the CD. We haven't done this many shows in a row so we'l have to l see how his throat holds up. All the people that don't believe we don't use vocal effects can come on out and see us live! You will believe!!! Haha!

What about Frightmare? You're starting to work on a new album... What's in store for it? How do you hope this will sound compared to "Midnight Murder Mania"?

Maniac Neil: Yeah were jamming Frightmare again and writing new stuff for our second CD which is gonna be called "Bringing Back the Bloodshed!".
People should expect the same style of Slasher influenced Death/Grind/Punk/Thrash that they heard on MMM. We have about 5 songs written so far and they're all killer! Only differences will be a WAY better/heavier production, more interesting and varied vocals and maybe a slight slant more towards the Crossover/Thrash side of things.

I saw a bunch of Frightmare split releases announced before, are they still in the plans?

Maniac Neil: As of right now nothing is planned. Most of those splits fell through. The first split with WTN never happened for whatever reasons. We sent the label that was supposed release it all our stuff for it and never heard back from them again. I still want to do a split with Birdflesh. I think that would be awesome!

I've also read in Tales From Uranus Dennis Dread talking about a giallo drawing he did for Frightmare... How does this looks like? Can you reveal what's it gonna be used for?

Maniac Neil: Dennis rules! I love his art! Dennis did the drawing that's behind the CD on the traycard. I think that the one he's referring to. The "PDX Ripper" art. I've already contacted Dennis about doing another drawing for the next CD. It's gonna rule!

What can you say about your other side-project Whore's second cd? When is it coming out? Can you leak some of the song titles here?

Maniac Neil: Yep we have completed work on the second Whore CD titled "Doing it for the Kids". It should be out in late February on Moribund Records. I think it blows away the first CD. It's much heavier and faster and the production is a lot better too. It will feature cover art by Jake Karns and also new amazing drawings by Mike Diana and hmm wait, I can't think of the other guys name...Oh yeah! YOU! Haha! (You did fucking kick ass job Pierre! Rob likes it most out of the three!). Some of the new song titles will be Emotional Punching Bag, Bottoming Out, Don't You Ever Listen?, For Only a Quarter, Time to Cuddle, Homecoming, Must've Blacked Out and a bunch more.
Oh yeah and SHOCKER!!!

Again regarding Whore, do you guys get a lot of hatemail or reactions of offended people?

Maniac Neil: I've never personally gotten any hate mail. Then again we don't put any contact info our CD booklets! Haha! I'm sure a lot of people would be extremely offended by Rob's lyrics. They're very disturbing in a realistic way. Most of the stuff he writes about really happens. He doesn't write about the typical cheesy nonsensical porno topics.

There's also a cd of your old Maniac Killer project coming out... What can you say about this one? How do you feel about this stuff when you look back on it now... In terms of one-man drum machine grind I personally think it's some of the best stuff ever...

Maniac Neil: Yeah No Escape Records just released "Amusing Anecdotes for the Depraved" a sort of "best of"/discography CD I put together. It's all stuff from the "Desperate Depravity" CDR that only about 5 or 6 people have remastered and re edited. I hadn't listened to that stuff in a few years and I think is still good stuff. I'm not really into that style of Death and Grind anymore but I think people will dig it. Thanks man!

Is it hard to juggle so many projects? Time management must be an issue? Don't you ever run out of riffing ideas?

Maniac Neil: Sometimes it is. But I try and keep each project separate. I have very specific ideas of what each band is supposed to be. If I think in those terms it's a lot easier to write stuff that's sounds different for each band. Time is big problem. That's why I had to take a break from Frightmare so long cause Lord Gore was busy writing and recording "Resickened". Like I said before if I know what a band or a project is supposed to sound like then it's pretty easy to write riffs that are distinct to that band. Like I would never write a thrashy grind riff for Lord Gore cause that's not what LG is about. If I always keep that in mind it's no problem.

What's your current music & movie playlist? Top 5 Slashers? Top 5 Giallo's? Top 5 Zombie flicks? Top 5 Horror General?

Maniac Neil: Music- Suicidal Tendencies-first three albums, Black Sabbath-Sabbath Bloody Sabbath and Born Again, Anthrax-Among the Living, Pentagram-Last Days Here, Rainbow-Rainbow Rising, Judas Priest-Sad Wings of Destiny and Hell bent for Leather, M.O.D.-U.S.A. for M.O.D., Cactus-Cactology, Budgie-Never Turn Your Back on a Friend, Laaz Rockit-Nothing$ $acred.

Top Slasher:
1. Maniac
2. Friday the 13th
3. The Burning
4. Black Christmas
5. Just Before Dawn

Top Giallo's:
1. Deep Red
2. Tenebre
3. Bird with the Crystal Plumage
4. 4 Flies on Grey Velvet
5. Don't Torture a Duckling

Top Zombie Flicks:
1. Dawn of the Dead
2. Return of the Living Dead
3. Day of the Dead
4. Zombie
5. The Beyond

Top 5 General Horror:
1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
2. Phantasm
3. The Exorcist
4. Suspiria
5. Videodrome

Ok, I'm done. Thanks for your time! Any closing words?

Maniac Neil: Thanks for the interview! Everybody go out and buy Resickened!
Look out for the New Whore disc in February. Take it Sleazy.

www.lordgore.net
www.frightmare.us
www.razorbackrecords.com