Tragic Black

For those who don´t know Tragic Black, briefly tell some facts about
your band.

vISION: TRAGIC BLACK is a five piece band from Salt Lake City and is amongst the
most active and dedicated modern Deathrock bands. With Vision - lead vox, Vyle -
bass/keys, Hex - guitar, and Seputus - drums.

While the current line up is somewhat new, the core founding members Vision &
Vyle have released various self-released CDs since their inception in 2000.
Released their label debut "The Decadent Requiem" on Strobelight Records
February 2006, and have numerous compilation appearences, as well as concerts
and festivals all over the USA, most recently the WAVE GOTIK TREFFEN festival in
Leipzig Germany.

Genres are necessary evil, where would you put Tragic Black?

vISION: We are a progressive Deathrock band with elements of old school goth
rock, glam rock, post/punk rock, industrial, and new wave.

How are Tragic Black songs born? Could you share some details on
your writing style?

vISION: We work together, no one person does all the song writing.
We each write our own parts for every song. A lot of the time I will have new
lyrics, share my vision for the style of the song and then each of us will
create what becomes a new song. It's like that for each of us, if Hex has a
guitar riff or if Vyle has a bass riff, they will play it and we will all write
our parts that suite it well.

On your latest release "The Decadent Reqieum"(excellent -editors
note) there is a alot different vibes, are you happy with the result?

vISION: I am. Our vision and message in The Decadent Requiem cannot be summed
up by any one style or theme, rather the combination of musical styles and ideas
that inspired us to create The Awakening that is TDR.
It gets across a lot of the initial ideas that made us want to form this band in
the first place. To awaken to certain forces in the world we are forced to live
in and your place in it.
The music on TDR was written with different people over 4-5 years.
It is essentially our 1st official CD, and the phase of Awakening.

You made a Christian Death cover for Strobelights New Dark Age 4
complation, tell us more about this?

vISION: Hell yeah, it's "Skeleton Kiss (RIP Mix)" we recorded exclusively for
this compilation. We are all big fans of Rozz Williams and have covered
Christian Death and performed memorials for Rozz in the past. This song is our
newest release and is a glimpse of what is to come next.

Let´s go to touring, I read somewhere that you love to tour, best
places to play?

vISION: Chicago is an amazing place to play, we have played there twice and will
soon play a third time!! Release The Bats in Long Beach are killer places to
play.
Texas rocks too, we only played there once, but it was bad ass.

You just got back from Europe, was it a good experience?

vISION: It was a great experience, I felt so releived and excited seeing the
German/European deathrock/goth scene. We left Europe incredibly inspired and
started writing lots of new music when we came back.

What is the difference between American and European scene?

vISION: It seems closer, and bigger. In the states it's so far spread apart.
There are a lot of fiends, but we are spread so thinly in the states, whereas in
Germany each city seems to have it's own relatively big scene.
The people seem really into it, it felt good to be around people who have the
same love for it as we do.

Last 3 CD that have been spinning in your CD player?

vISION: Chants of Maldoror - Every Mask Tells the Truth (amazing!!!!!), All
Gone Dead - Fallen & Forgotten, and Moi Dix Mois - Dix Infernal.

Favourite horror movies?

vISION: In the mouth of madness, Dawn of the Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street,
Event Horizon, all the Halloweens, and all the Exorcists.

What will the future hold for Tragic Black?

vISION: New music, more gigs in Europe, Mexico, US and one day, hopfully,
Japan! More and more updates to our official website www.tragicblack.com.
There is much to come from Tragic Black, there's some really exciting news I
cant say just yet, so stick around and enjoy the terror-ride!

Fangs alot for the interview and good luck in the future! Final
words are yours.

vISION: Fangs to you too! It's been nice chatting with you!
Many greetz and cheers to you and yer fiends for now!!

http://www.tragicblack.com
http://www.myspace.com/tragicblack

All text contained herein; © 2006-2007 Talesfromtheshadows. All Rights Reserved.

For the Finnish Fiends

Club Bonga Bonga proudly presents!

Club Lepakkomies
address: helsinginkatu 1

Miss Monster Club
horrorgarage with a twist of punkish vibes!

+ DJ playing punk, horror, psycho etc etc.

And the best part... It´s free! C´mon fiends and support your local scene! See you there!

http://www.myspace.com/clubbongabonga

http://www.missmonsterclub.com

Stalking with the Jackalopes

(Interview is with lead vocalist Rev. Chad A. Wells)

Hell-o, whats up with the Jackalopes?

- We're currently in the middle of a big change. We recently had to let our long time guitarist, Ronnie Tinkham go.
We're in the middle of writing and demoing songs for the new album and recording the songs that are ready.
We've broken up and fallen to pieces several times since our inception and I'm just not willing to do that whole,
break up and reunite thing anymore. I will continue on with the project with entirely new members if I have to.
The Jackalopes continue to grow in spite of ourselves. We've been really selective with the shows we've played in the past year
and in spite of not touring this year, we continue to sell more and more CD's and gather more fans and friends.


To someone who hasn´t heard about you, how would you describe Jackalopes
music?

- It's Rock N' Roll with a dark side. There are elements of punk, metal, rockabilly, psychobilly, psychedelia...
It straddles several genre lines. We're most often grouped in with "Horror Punk" bands and I'm happy to be there
but only as long as that's allowed to encompass more than just the same Michale Graves era Misfits cliches.
That stuff was great but it's really become the jump point for most Horror bands.
As long as your singer is mimicking Mike then you're in the club! Horror music for me starts back a little earlier... Could be my age.
I'm into my 30's now so I've been into this kind of music since the 70's.
Also, we don't just sing about graveyards and pumpkins. Our lyrics range from silly and nonsensical at times to really deep and harsh.
Also, our music isn't about false spookiness and mopiness. It's about having fun while chucking a Molotov cocktail at established morals,
ideals and religions.

What made you guys form the Jackalopes?

- A common love for alcohol, drugs, music, murder, violence...
Motorhead, Misfits, Ramones, Motley Crue, Alice Cooper... I had a band that was much more abrasive at the time
and I wanted a way to inject a spoonful of sugar into that project. I wanted to do a sort of serious without being boring,
mean and evil, satanic and spiteful, pop fueled punk band.

Biggest influences?

- I have a ton of influences from outside of The Jackalopes scope of influences...
As a band we're coming from a Motorhead, Misfits, Ramones, Motley Crue, Alice Cooper, Antiseen, Frankenstein Drag Queens place...
Although Rue Morgue magazine did catch a Hawkwind influence in a couple places and I thought it was great that they caught that...
I dig everything from Prince to Elvis, Frank Zappa, Yoko Ono, John Prine, Nick Cave, Hank Williams, Mike Patton...
I need music that is at once emotional without being pretentious as well as visceral and challenging.

The Jackalopes played with the legendary "the murder junkies", that must
have been quite an experience?

- Those guys are amazing. Merle Allin is the world's nicest outlaw. I am and was a huge GG Allin fan
and was crushed that I never got to play with him before he died but I got to play with his brother and Clayton from Antiseen on vocals...
Antiseen is a huge influence on The Jackalopes and myself so that ruled.
My clothing company, AartKult, just sponsored those guys on tour with Hank III and AssJack!
We did a rad Charles Manson tribute T-shirt for them.

Following the question above, best touring experience so far?

- We always had fun playing the Heavy Rebel Weekender in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
We did that 3 or 4 times... We loved playing in the jailhouse. The crowds were rabid there! White Trash Luaua was a best
and worst tour experience. It was like 30 degrees on top of a mountain in Virginia,
just above the place they filmed Dirty Dancing! A bunch of bands, camping, no facilities, not much of a road to speak of...
We were in the woods! I wrote a story about it that was published in the book "Gigs From Hell", published by Headpress from the UK.

I usually ask this question from everyone I interview, Favourite horror movies?

- All the old Universal flicks, especially Frankenstein.
I love too many to try to do a list here... I like really hardcore gross out stuff. Also anything by Jim Van Bebber.

What do you think about all the re-makes that hollywood is making?

- Well, most shouldn't be called remakes. They're taking a lot of liberties with things.
They should craft some new characters and give it a new name and a spin.
Nobody will mind if it's inspired by some other movie to do a remake and toy with the characters and memories
that certain people hold in such high esteem... It's sorta like me calling myself Elvis ya' know!?
No, I'm influenced by him, I'm not him... Your Texas Chainsaw Massacre was not the same Massacre!
Some of them are good on their own, but they're ruined by the fact that they're calling themselves this other thing...
That is sorta my problem with post-Danzig Misfits.

In a horror movie about The Jackalopes, who would play you?

- I get told I look like Elvis and Jack Black... JB's sorta short to play me.

Last one, what does the future hold for The Jackalopes?

- You never really know with us. The new material that will become our next album is heavier and darker than before.
I see us experimenting more... Pushing the boundaries of what people think Horror music is.
We're working in new members of the band right now and I'm sure their input will season things.
"Black Church A-Go Go" will be the next full length CD. There is also a retrospective/rarities and b-sides type thing planned with
Crypt of Blood Records. We will continue to be selective with our touring and playing out.
I make music to create art and not to be a dancing, painted monkey on the stage.
We'll still perform live but only if it's going to be a quality performance in a worthwhile setting.
I'm personally involved with numerous other projects. My experimental project Wulfkult will release a new CD very soon.
Some of the material dates back before The Jackalopes. I also am doing an old timey country project called The Hazard County Heathens
with my brother Gerede (of The Bang Tale), an ambient/black metal/ritual noise project called Glasyalabolas,
a guitar drone project called SunMelter, a new wave/death rock project called New Way Vendetta and several other interesting experiments.
I write for several magazines, most notably, International Tattoo Art...
I tattoo for a day job and I design album covers, posters, T-shirts and stuff for bands...
The Jackalopes are one of my biggest projects but it's just one of many things I do to keep my head from exploding.
Oh yeah! There will be a Jackalopes book project soonish as well!

http://www.thejackalopes.net
http://www.myspace.com/thejackalopes
http://www.rumblegraffix.com
http://www.myspace.com/revwells
http://www.aartkult.com
http://www.myspace.com/aartkult
http://www.myspace.com/wulfkult
http://www.myspace.com/glasyalabolas
http://www.myspace.com/newwayv
http://www.tattooteam.com/rev.html

All text contained herein; © 2006-2007 Talesfromtheshadows. All Rights Reserved.

Having a bite with the Young Werewolves

How did the tale of The Young Werewolves begin?

- Clawing their way out of Transylvania...errr....Pennsylvania, The
Young Werewolves searched to unfold the true roots of Rock 'n' Roll.
The band began in early 2002 when three wandering musicians met in
the city of Philadelphia.

By mixing the styles of classic hot rod
rock 'n' roll to outlaw punk rock, The Young Werewolves hope create
a timeless sound guaranteed to make you howl along and strut your
stuff.

The Young Werewolves are from Pennsylvania, how is the horror
scene there?

- There are a few good Horror Cons around here. We’re lucky to be
located in the Tri-state area of New York, New Jersey &
Pennsylvania. It lets us cover alot of ground. It seems wherever we
go there are creatures of the night that come out of the woodwork!

You´ve got your debut album out, are you pleased with the result?

- We couldn’t have asked for more. We’re going back into the studio
with the same guy ( Andy Kravitz ) in September, for the 2nd.

How does a song like "Curse of the Cocaine Mummies" come to life?

- It was a special on the Discovery channel about mummies in South
America that are wrapped in cocoa leaves. We set a twist on it & the
rest is history!!!

Biggest influences in music?

- WOW! So many to choose from…The Ramones, Elvis, The Misfits, Buddy
Holly, Stray Cats, The Monkees, and The Cramps…just to name a few.
Between the band, we pretty much cover the gamut of musical
interests…everything from Mozart to Morbid Angel!!!

First five horror movies in your collection?

Young Frankenstein
Braindead (…that lawnmower scene ROCKS!!! )
American Werewolf in London
Dracula ( the original )
Shawn of the Dead

Let´s go to touring, best experience so far?

- Again, so many choices! Recently, we opened for Rock City Morgue.
Sean Yseult’s (White Zombie) new band. Dana was thrilled about this.
Sean was a major influence on her. We’ve played with Elvis’ guitar
player, Sleepy LaBeef. Robert Gordon. Alot of good times.


What would be the band of choice to tour with in a fantasy world?

- At this point it would be in our best interest to shoot for the
Horrorpops or Social Distortion. But if we’re goin fantasy, that
would depend on which one of us you were talking to. Miles Davis,
the Misfits (original lineup), or the Dead Boys.

Euro dates?

- We’d love to jump over the pond, funding doesn’t allow for it at
this point…Is that an offer??? Our funds at this point are sunk into
this new CD. We’ve got a way to go for financing this one. Keep your
paws crossed. Europe sounds right up our alley & hopefully we’ll
make it to you soon.

Last but not least, what is the Wolf-man up to these days?

- Don’t you know??? Hmmm, maybe you hadn’t heard. He went into
retirement & passed the torch onto us! We keep him updated as to the
lycanthropic adventures of the world. He just got to be too popular,
you know, being mobbed at the store, flash bulbs everywhere. He was
a prisoner of his own fame. We try to shield him from all that. We
actually like the flash bulbs!!! Shhhhhhhhhhh!

Ooooooooowwwwwwwwwww!,


The Young Werewolves
http://www.theyoungwerewolves.com
http://www.myspace.com/youngwerewolves

All text contained herein; © 2006-2007 Talesfromtheshadows. All Rights Reserved.