HORRiFiCS Interview with Boo 2008 by AL_Santo kyonsi.com

1.) In hearing your latest new song samples on myspace I am very impressed with the musical content. What are some of the bands musical influences?

BOO: Our tastes are pretty eclectic. We all listen to a little of everything. The bands that most directly influence the HORRiFiCS sound and image would be the Glenn era Misfits, Samhain, early Danzig, Tom Waits, Nick Cave, Type-O-Negative, Balzac, Plan 9, the Crimson Ghosts, Cradle of Filth, the Ramones, Dax Riggs, Black Sabbath, and White Zombie.

2.) Tell me a bit about the newest CD?

BOO: The new disc is a limited edition 7 song EP titled "HELLbent 4 BLOOD." It was released of course on 1031Records. New song titles include "Calling Doc HORROR," "Transylvanian Rose," and "COFFiN Bound." We actually recorded it in the studio as a 3 piece. Just Wretched, SHRiEKS, and I. SHRiEKS laid down all the drum tracks, I did all the lead vocals, and Wretched recorded all the guitar and bass parts as well as all the backing vocals. It was a cool experience doing it that way. We had alot of fun.

3.) How was the feedback from the new songs you posted and the newest CD you have released?

BOO: Really good. I'm happy to be able to say people seem to be liking the new stuff. It's cool to play live and have folks up front singing along word for word to the new songs. It makes us glad to know that folks appreciate what we do.

4.) Does the band plan to play the East Coast USA and include more cities in any upcoming USA tours?

BOO: We plan on playing everywere eventually. We do play alot further out alot more often lately. That's definitely a trend people can expect to see grow over the next few years. Just give us a little time to get organized and get our next full length out. That's our main priority at the given moment.

5.) Where can our readers purchase merch from You? What merch is available and how many CD releases?

BOO: We have 2 CD releases currently. Our 17 song full length debut disc "Now FEAR This," and the new 7 song EP "HELLbent 4 BLOOD." Both out on 1031Records. We are already writing new material for our second full length that we hope to have out sometime late this coming Autumn. We do have 3 t-shirt designs out. 2 of which I designed and 1 by the infamous Eric Pigors of TOXiC Toons. We have stickers and buttons with patches to follow shortly. Anyone interested in purchasing our merch can do so directly through us at our MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/thehorrifics
or they can do so via our label 1031Records at: http://www.1031records
or http://www.myspace.com/1031records

6.) I have seen your band before live, what can fans expect?

BOO: They can expect to see 4 grown men lose their ever lovin' minds. We go totally tilt 100% of the time. Balls out crazy. We pride ourselves on delivering a high energy, fun burst of true insanity.

7.) How is the Psychobilly and Rockabilly scene in your parts these days? Are there other bands there that you are into and what are some of the bands names?

BOO: Texas is big on psychobilly and rockabilly. Especially San Antonio. We dig the Sick City Daggers and the Saturday Night Shockers from San Antonio, the Ghost Storys from Houston, Alex Can's Sleep from Dallas, the Flametrick Subs from Austin, and Sawed Off Sick out of Fort Worth. And you can't forget Reverand Horton Heat!

8.) How long have you been together and what brought your members together?

BOO: The HORRiFiCS have been a band for almost 3 years. There have been a couple of member changes over that time. We did take a 6 month hiatus at one point, right after "Now FEAR This" was released, were we didn't do a damn thing but sit on our asses. It was nice though and definitely necessary to get focused and decide on a direction. Between the HORRiFiCS and my old band EERiE Ln. I've been an active, gigging musician for around 13 years and that was the first and only time thus far that I've had a break from the horror biz. The current HORRiFiCS line up of me on lead vocals, Wretched on guitars, SHRiEKS on drums, and GRiMNiR on bass is about 6 months old. Wretched is a founding member of the HORRiFiCS. He and I played together before in a previous band and we know we share the same ideas and goals were music is concerned so it was only natural to play with him in the HORRiFiCS. He was even my roommate for a good long time. SHRiEKS came along after our hiatus to fill in the drum position left open by prior drummer RiCTUS. SHRiEKS came to alot of our shows before he was in the band and we all liked him. He's a real laid back sort of fellow. He was in a band called Family Plot there for a while and we gigged around with them alot. So when we needed a new drum guy we all thought of him first. GRiMNiR is the newest addition to the the HORRiFiCS roster. He played bass with my old band EERiE Ln. for a good long time. When the HORRiFiCS last guitarist PHiBES left us in a pinch with studio time looming a week away, Wretched switched positions from full time bassist to full time guitarist. Wretched went on to records all of the bass and guitar parts on our new demo and then Mr.GRiMNiR was brought in after the fact to take over live bass duties. Interstingly enough, GRiMNiR is also an old roommate of mine from way back.

9.) Which kinds of non electric instruments do you incorporate into your music if any?

BOO: Just the drums.

10.) How has rockabilly culture affected the music when it comes to songwriting and lyrics?

BOO: Well, mainly in the fact that our drummer SHRiEKS is originally from a now defunct Denton Texas rockabilly band called the Family Plot. So he brought alot of that flavor to our sound with him. He is big into the psycho stuff like Mad Sin and the Koffin Kats. Wretched is really into the obvious older stuff like Johnny Cash and Hasil Adkins. Of course we're all big Elvis and Jerry Lee fans. On the psycho front I'm really into Demented Are Go. Those cats are wacky.

11.) What influences your band to create darker oriented music?

BOO: That's just what we're into. I've personally always been aware of and interested in the occult and macabre as far back as I can remember. My mom was a big horror movie fanatic so that obviously rubbed off on me. If there is a "light side" of life then by contrast there is definitely a "dark side." It's in those cold shadows that we find solace. The way that we see things is that true power comes from the ability to manipulate both the "light" and the "dark" so we go through great efforts to seek a balance between the 2 and not fall off into the direction of either extreme. But for image sake of course the "darker" the better.

12.) Can you tell me some of the themes or storylines that your past CD and new releases have been about?

BOO: I write about whatever I'm obsessing over at the moment. It can be anything as blatantly obvious as a movie or comic book I'm into, for example "UZUMAKi" is about the Japanes manga and movie of the same name, by the amazing Junji Ito, and "Forever the NiGHT" is about the early 1970's Marvel Comics character the GHOST-Rider. Or it can be something very controversial and esoteric as in "In Dark Descent" were the subject is the Hebrew child killing demonic entity Lillith/Lillitu, the biblical Adam's first wife before Eve. We even go as far at to invoke her secret name in the song. I write alot about my disenchanment with the world at large. I have a soft spot for hauting love songs and the occasional murder anthem.

13.) Does your band have a international fanbase?

BOO: I'm proud to say that yes, yes we do. We get just as many requests from fans to play in Germany and the UK as we get to play down the street in Dallas or Fort Worth. We have tons of folks from all over the globe ordering our CDs and merch. It's really cool in my opinion. I would like to add that bands like Blitzkid touring Europe so often has definitely opened alot of international doors for horror punk in general. As well as the fact that alot of the better horror punk bands are international acts themselves and spreading the word in their areas, like Nim Vind in Canada, the Crimson Ghosts in Germany, and Balzac in Japan. HORROR punk is a worldwide phenomenon.

14.) How can your fans reach the band?

BOO: Fans can reach us at the band's official MySpace page:
http://www.myspace.com/thehorrifics

15.) What are some of your favorite bands to play and/or tour with?

BOO: Locally we like to jam with Arlington based the Initiative and Fort Worth based Phaethon. The Spook City Allstars are all cool guys. We jam with them alot. The Saturday Night Shockers and American Swine out of San Antonio rule.

16.) Not to lock you into a genre but what kind of music do you say your band plays?

BOO: Most people classify us as a horror punk band which for the most part we do agree with. But we do our own thing with horror punk. We have our own direction and our own personal take on things. It's like the old Bruce Lee addage... "absorb what is useful, discard what is useless, and add that which is uniquely your own." We're the Jeet Kune Do of horror punk. :)

17.) Who does the artwork and layout on your awesome website?

BOO: Our page was put together by Tyler of Lawton Oklahoma based Novacaine Promotions and maintained by yours truly.

18.) When can we expect your band to rock NYC?

BOO: Hopefully soon. NYC has a special place in my heart. My wife and I got married there at the Westin Hotel in Times Square on November 1st a couple of years back.

19.) Do you have any closing comments?

BOO: THANX alot to all the cool people who write us and support us! We appreciate it very much! Your kind words and positive energy is what makes this all worth while!