I’ve always been into horror from an early age. When I was a kid, I used to love watching any kids program that included vampires, werewolves, Witches and Halloween, and I always used to set the video when documentaries on horror were on TV late at night — my mum actually turned the video off once, while a documentary was on and it was showing a scene from “The Exorcist.” I didn’t really know what it was about, but I was just fascinated by it.
When I was about 10 or 11, I used to have sleepover at my best friend’s house and his dad used to get us horror videos to watch, started off watching things like the “Friday the 13th” franchise and “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, lots of 80s horror. Then it went onto things like “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre”, “The Amityville Horror” and “Halloween”, I used to love being freaked out and scared for some reason, I guess it was a bit like a fear drug or something like that feeling of being on edge. Being scared to sleep or go into dark rooms, sometimes even to be alone.
I will never ever forget the day my friend’s dad came home with a pirate copy of “The Exorcist,” this was one of the most talked about films in most of the horror documentaries that I had recorded and couldn’t wait to see it. After watching the film, I felt a little let down by it, but it wasn’t until later that night when I went to ride my push bike home that I felt scared to Death: I felt like someone had drugged me with the fear. I rushed as quickly as I could to get home, but that night I couldn’t sleep. I think then I had just realised that I had just watched the best horror film ever made.
Label: Heavy Psych Sounds Records
Release Date: Feb.22nd 2019 (Pre Order HERE)
For months after it played on my mind and I had trouble sleeping, I kept seeing Pazuzu’s face in the darkness, I think once you have been touched by darkness there is no turning back. After that, my obsession to watch more horror got worse and worse. Shortly after that, I taught myself how to play drums and joined a band with my school mate Tim who knew Justin, and which later became Electric Wizard.
I think when you are into horror, you have a passion for doom music, things that sound horrible and creepy. I think horror is a big part of doom music and the scene. Music was a big part of horror films and I’d like to think I was in a nasty enough band that could actually be a horror film score. Horror changed my life and influenced me and the way I wanted to create music.
Horror soundtracks have always been a big influence on me and the music I love to play, there is something very unnerving about it that makes you feel uneasy. Obviously I’m a big fan of ‘The Exorcist’ soundtrack that was mostly composed by the national philharmonic orchestra conducted by Leonard Slatkin; also that score includes ‘Tubular Bells’ by Mike Oldfield. I also love the ‘Halloween’ score by John Carpenter to name a few. I just love the creepiness about them, it plays in your head for days and makes you feel like something isn’t right, I think both of these soundtracks made a big impact on these films. Horror music puts me in a dark place, also I love things like the sound of a creepy Hammond organ or an eerie piano loop — I play a bit of keyboard myself and hope that one day, I will get the chance to write a horror score. It’s always something I’ve wanted to do.
I have a huge collection of Ouija boards and horror memorabilia, I even have a coffin in my front room. I don’t think I’ll ever change now, as it’s my passion and even today with my new band Dead Witches I like to include my world of darkness in the mix: the new album is heavy influenced on possession and the fight between good vs evil.
Like I mentioned before once you have been touched by darkness there is no turning back.
