Horror-rockers Forbidden Dimension on the ghastly career of The Misfits
by Christine Leonard
Misfits with Forbidden Dimension & 40 Gun Flagship at Whiskey Sunday, November 8, 2009
October
has come and gone, but the creepy vibes carry on as local yokel spook
rockers Forbidden Dimension once again prepare to regale Calgarians with
another dose of their nigh-legendary horror-rock stylings. Vocalist,
guitarist and organist Jackson Phibes (a.k.a. Aleister Hexxx), bassist
and Cthulhu-prophet H.P. Lovesauce and percussionist P.T. Bonham have
been, in their own words, “stinking up the joint with damn monster-mash
crap” for over 21 years. Recently, Phibes was lulled into a moment of
nostalgic reverie when Forbidden Dimension was approached to open for
his former teen idols, The Misfits, at their forthcoming Calgary
appearance.
“I
was totally intrigued by them,” Phibes says of his youthful infatuation
with the horror-punks. “Apart from an English band called the Screaming
Dead, they were only punk band I was aware of at the time [1982] that
dealt exclusively with horror subject matter in their lyrics and image.
Other bands had elements of it, but these guys were full-on horror punk.
The music matched the image and was very dark and powerful, yet was
also catchy and melodic.”
With
three critically acclaimed (if hard to locate) full-length CDs to its
credit on the now defunct Cargo Records, along with a handful of
blood-drenched singles on various small labels, Forbidden Dimension’s
latest release, A Cool Sound Outta Hell,
emerged as a two-sided terror on the Saved by Vinyl label in 2007.
Loyal and new-found fans alike were delighted with humour-imbued tracks
like “Hatchet Fight in a Mannequin Factory” and “The Night Has a
Thousand Tongues,” proving that the long-running garage-bound trio still
has the grim task of entertaining the masses laid out before them in
perpetuity. Comparing themselves to The Misfits might be a leap, but
Phibes certainly identifies with the band’s unconventional creative
proclivities.
“I
looked at the photos on the record’s inner sleeve and I tried to figure
out who the heck these lunatics were,” he recalls. “They looked like a
really tough gang of outer space greaser guys. There were also lots of
legends and rumours circulating, such as that they’d issued death
threats to Jello Biafra, that they smashed up their guitars after every
single song, actually robbed graves, beat up half the audience, etc.
Great stuff that totally built up their mystique and got the teenage
imagination going! Later on when I got more into stuff like the Cramps
and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, I realized that I needed a slightly more
humourous bent to my horror-rock role models.”
Since
those teenage years, Forbidden Dimension has become a staple of the
Calgary bar-scene, surviving long past its prescribed expiry date and
transcending the usual revolving door of local pub acts. Ensuring the
survival of its goth-trash genre for future generations to learn from
and enjoy is all part of the plan, but what does Phibes really think
when he sees a typically sullen 14-year-old at the bus stop wearing a
newly minted Misfits hoodie?
“I’m cooler than your parents, ’cuz I was listening to those guys back when your parents were listening to Journey.”
ONLINE
BONUS: Just for fun, we decided to give you Christine Leonard's
complete conversation with Forbidden Dimension's Jackson Phibes about
The Misfits, homoerotic metal frontmen and potentially embarrasing
tattoos. Enjoy!
Who are Forbidden Dimension?
Local
yokel spook rockers: Jackson Phibes, H.P. Lovesauce and P.T. Bonham.
Stinking up the joint with “damn monster-mash crap” for over 21 years.
How did it come about that Forbidden Dimension was requested to open for the Misfits during its Calgary appearance?
The Union, the promoters of the show, picked up the phone and asked us. Nothing super cryptic.
Were you influenced by the Misfits during your formative years as a young musician? If so, what did they mean to you?
I
was totally intrigued by them. Apart from an English band called the
Screaming Dead, they were the only punk band I was aware of at the time
(1982) that dealt exclusively with horror subject matter in their
lyrics/image. Other bands had elements of it (Damned/Cramps/T.S.O.L.,
etc. in the punk camp, Maiden, BÖC, KISS, etc. in the metal camp) but
these guys were full-on horror punk. The music matched the image and was
very dark and powerful, yet was also catchy and melodic. At the time,
they were very much an exclusively underground punk band. Apart from the
Walk Among Us
LP, it was really difficult to get your hands on any of their other
recordings. Unless you knew somebody who had a (usually fifth
generation) cassette of their early singles, you were out of luck.
I
was also a fan of Danzig’s next band, Samhain, who weren’t quite as
catchy, nor as B-movie oriented, but still had some cool tunes and gory
band photos.
As
for the Misfits themselves, I looked at the photos on the record’s
inner sleeve and I tried to figure out who the heck these lunatics were.
They looked like a really tough gang of outer space greaser guys. There
were also lots of legends and rumours circulating, such as that they’d
issued death threats to Jello Biafra, that they smashed up their guitars
after every single song, actually robbed graves, beat up half the
audience, etc. Great stuff that totally built up their mystique and got
the teenage imagination going! Later on when I got more into stuff like
the Cramps and Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, I realized that I needed a
slightly more humourous bent to my horror-rock role models.
Obviously,
the Misfits have gone through some changes over the years — can you
briefly compare the “Danzig Era” to their current incarnation?
Like
I said, the Danzig era was a way more underground cult kind of thing.
It wasn’t until years after the band ended that mainstream fans picked
up on them (I’m guessing mostly thanks to Metallica). I did enjoy seeing
the Jerry Only-led shows when they’d come to town, though. Also, I met
Jerry at a Chiller Con in New Jersey back in the ’90s and he seemed like
a really nice guy.
Overall, what do you consider to be their strongest release?
I loved the Misfits Walk Among Us album to death as a youth, hands down. However, in hindsight I’d have to say the 3 Hits From Hell EP ended up getting the most spins over the years.
Their worst album?
Evilive! I still enjoyed it immensely at the time, though. I was a sucker for punishment!
Best cover art?
I did spend hours staring at that creepy Earth AD
drawing… although, the newer era has those great Basil Gogos paintings
adorning the sleeves (he was one of the big Famous Monsters of Filmland
cover artists).
Do
you think their recipe for longevity is a viable one? Does their
endurance as a band/brand give you any insights into how you might like
to spend the rest of your musical career?
I think Jerry’s doing it because it’s fun, so good on him. It’s the only reason I’d be doing it!
The
group Danzig is often pointed to as an example of homoeroticism
deliberately aimed at a straight male audience. What is your appraisal
of the whole leather-vest-over-a-well-oiled-chest thing?
I
think from an outsider view, all metal posturing has that appearance —
and rap too, look at them snaps of Tupac’s glistening, tattooed torso.
From a young headbanger male’s standpoint, it has entirely to do with
hero worship and role model fantasy. I seriously think you’d be
hard-pressed to find any hetero youths lured into spilling their
precious seed over snaps of Glenn and the boys. That’s what Taylor St.
Clair is for.
Do you think Rollins regrets his Misfits tattoos as much as I regret these four black bars on my bicep?
He
probably thinks they’re funny and give him even more old school cred,
and that’s what you should think about your bars. As a side note, there
are more old Black Flags in the current Misfits lineup than there are
old Misfits (although to be fair, Robo did play on Earth AD, so guess it’s about even)….
What’s the first thing that pops into your head when you see a 14-year-old wearing a Misfits hoodie?
I’m cooler than your parents, ’cuz I was listening to those guys back when your parents were listening to Journey.
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