Caroline

An interview with Shane of The Lurking Corpses
Justin (Nosebleed) Stankus

The Lurking Corpses formed in 2001 out of Fort Wayne, Indiana and believe me when I say that this band will rip the flesh off your bones and you will “Scream and Scream Again” as you are “Waiting To Die”.  Dark and sinister horror-punk filled with influences ranging from underground legends like Mercyful Fate, Samhain, The Misfits, and even Venom.  You will bare the “Mark Of The Devil” once you’ve heard Lord Vladimir Von Ghoul’s horror shriek “He Kills Night After Night”.  These guys are a group that should be one of the most talked about bands when it comes to horror-punk, blending the genre flawlessly and reflecting their collective love of classic horror punk anthemic qualities as well as death and thrash metal elements added in for good measure.  The Lurking Corpses will leave you begging for more, even if it means the end of your life!

Alright Shane, so I already know your name but just for the fans could I get your name and the rest of the members names and everyone’s position within the band?

Lord Vladimir Von Ghoul (me) – Vocals

Cousin Eerie – Lead guitar

Saint Legions the Six – Rhythm guitar

The Nameless Horror – Bass

Friar Frightengale – Drums

So Shane can you tell us how The Lurking Corpses came about?  How did all the members come together, and how did you guys come up with The Lurking Corpses as the band’s name?  Who came up with the name?

We formed in the fall of 2001. I came up with the bands name. Due to being a huge horror film nut, I wanted to name the band something that sounded like it could be the title of an old horror movie.

How would you describe the band’s music?  To me it sounds like an awesome unique brand of horror-punk with tinges of metal and thrash, and to me I consider you guys a horror-punk band but a unique one at that.  Others have gone onto label the band as “Zombiecore” or “Horrorcore”.  If you had to say, how would you describe your music?  There’s no need to label it if you don’t want to, just how you feel about it.

Some of our songs are more Metal in the same vein as Mercyful Fate and Venom, while some of our songs are more on the Punk side, in the vein of The Misfits and The Ramones.  Some songs mix the 2 genres.  Some songs even draw influence from Early Rock n’ Roll and Country.  We are a band with a wide variety of influences in which we try to incorporate into our music.  One of our goals is to give each song its own distinct sound.  A lot of bands out there release albums where every song sounds exactly the same.  This tends to get old fast.

  As an obvious horror fan, what about horror and the imagery brought you guys in to start a horror based band?  What was your “horror defining” moment?  Was it a movie, obsession, band, serial killer, book, etc.?  What started your love of the macabre?

I have been a self-proclaimed horror geek since I was a kid. I used to read the old E.C. horror comics from the 1950′s and fell in love with monster movies at a young age. I still enjoy these activities today. I’m also an avid reader of True Crime. All of these things have been a huge inspiration to the band.

When faced with writing new material how does the band go about doing it?  What usually inspires you, is there a certain process you go through?  Kind of a dumb question I know, but I find be surprised by a lot of band’s responses.

We all contribute musically in the song writing process. We usually will write the music first, and the lyrics come afterword. I write all of the lyrics.

Is there a new album in the works?  Can you spill some guts on this subject!?

We are currently in the writing process for another full length album. We are releasing a split 7″ record in July with The Beyond (from Pennsylvania). This record is going to be released on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions and will feature 2 new songs by each band.

Now onto some questions regarding shows, are there any big scale tours in the works?  Is there any chance of fans seeing you guys on the East Coast anytime soon?  North Carolina perhaps!?

We will be playing in Philadelphia, PA on June 11th. Also, we will be playing in Secaucus, NJ on July 9th with The Mentors.

Does the band have any pre-show rituals/obsessions?  May be a lame question but anything out of the ordinary?

We have to sacrifice an animal before each show. Just joking!

What are your top 4 favorite horror-punk and horror-metal bands currently in the scene?

In my opinion, the top 4 Horror Punk bands currently in the scene are The Independents, The Reanimated, Captain Blood, and Blitzkid. The best Horror Metal bands in the underground right now are Macabre, Ghoul, Rabid, and The Beyond.

Where can fans find merchandise?  I’ve always wanted an epic Lurking Corpses tee!

The best way to get merch is at one of our shows. If you cannot make it to any of the shows you can email us what you want and we can do the transaction through mail.

How do you feel your music has progressed since first starting the band?

The songs have more structure to them now. I think I have improved as a singer over the years too.

When it comes to horror-music there is no denying that every band takes a major influence from The Misfits, but if you had to exclude them then would be the biggest influence to The Lurking Corpses?

King Diamond. He’s a huge idol of mine! Alice Cooper also.

Has any of your lyrics ever struck a nerve with friends, family, or loved ones?

My mom has been emotionally touched by the lyrics of “The Witch’s Cunt” and “Mummy Cum”.  Ha ha!

In conclusion I want to sincerely thank you Shane for taking the time to do this interview, and I can’t stress enough how much I love the band! Make sure to check out this band, they come highly recommended and any horror punk/horror fan is instantly going to fall in love with this band.