H13: Hyde – Armless Alice
Written by Gaz E
Monday, 29 October 2012 03:33
10 down, 3 to go. If the name Armless Alice hasn’t already told you that this band is perfect for Uber Rock’s 13 Days Of Halloween, then the noise that this cadre of Swedish industrial metallers summons up will confirm all of your worst fears. The band’s frontman Hyde fell down behind the sofa clutching at his throat, and re-emerged with the answers to our unlucky-for-some 13 questions. They wanted a son, he gave them a nightmare…..
1.) What are your most vivid childhood memories of Halloween?
I remember dressing up to go trick or treating as a kid, most kids in Sweden don’t do that, but I came to a church nearby my oldest sister’s house and saw these people wearing witch hats, they were gathered inside and the first thing that came to my mind was The Witches by Roald Dahl and I just ran like hell.
2.) Why do you think that the worlds of horror and metal/punk have always been so closely linked?
They both represent the dark side of life. Both are tributes to the mind’s most horrifying places, dark stories from beyond and the forbidden. I started out listening to Kiss, which to me were the most scary monsters of rock n roll. They had some dark tracks, like ‘God Of Thunder’ that I always found to be haunting just listening to, the same feeling I got after watching movies like Alien or A Nightmare On Elm Street. My parents did always let me watch and listen to everything like that as a kid, unlike my childhood friends who used to sneak away to my house to watch or listen to that stuff.
3.) Has there been a horror remake yet that has bettered the original movie?
Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Gary Oldman did a great job as the Count himself. It was the first vampire movie I can remember that I saw as a kid and it really made an impact on me. The scene where he climbs down the wall when Jonathan looks out the window always made me shiver. It really felt like they were in the deepest parts of Transylvania. I’ve always loved the clothes and furniture from that era.
4.) What’s the greatest ever horror movie kill?
The first scene that comes to my mind, and that is truly legendary, is the scene from Alien with the Xenomorph bursting through a guy’s chest, really effective and creepy. Imagine having that thing living inside of your body before it decides to explode out of your chest.
5.) Who is the baddest ever horror movie villain…and why?
First I thought about Norman Bates from Psycho, but after all Hannibal Lecter feels like an evolved version of Bates. Without mother issues that is. The way Anthony Hopkins portrayed him felt so real and he was always a step further than anybody else. The ultimate psycho.
6.) Who is the greatest ever Scream Queen?
Barbara Steele. I really loved The Pit And The Pendulum, a typical Roger Corman movie that captures the feeling of the Edgar Allan Poe story. Barbara always adds a new level to the movies she’s featured in.
7.) Name your Top 5 favourite horror movies of all time…and tell us why!!
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974): That was the first movie I saw that made it turn in my stomach. The characters was so odd and disgusting – I loved every second!
The Shining: I remember watching this film late at night by myself. That scene with the old lady in the bathtub scared me as fuck and Jack Nicholson was great as Jack Torrance. You can really see the madness growing on him second by second as well as the isolation.
The Thing (1982): I loved the feeling of isolation in this one too. Not knowing which one’s an alien and all of a sudden some grotesque creature pops out.
The Exorcist: Growing up I usually watched classic horror movies in the middle of the night and this is a movie that still is amazing to this day. Linda Blair still seems possessed.
House of 1000 Corpses: That movie has got really strong characters, a real modern classic. A film I’ve seen hundreds of times without getting bored, it’s just perfect!
8.) What underrated horror movie would you recommend to our readers just in case they have never seen it?
I would recommend Spider Baby, it features stars as classic as Lon Chaney Jr and a really young Sid Haig. I, myself, just recently found it and got really impressered with how similar it was to movies like The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and The Addams Family in a way. It’s got that looney, murderous family vibe that I love.
9.) What is your guilty pleasure, the trashy horror flick that you hold dear but everyone else runs away from?
Demons, it’s got a great soundtrack and some cheesy acting. How could anyone say no to a movie that features a guy driving a motorbike in a cinema, chopping the heads off zombies with a katana. They just don’t make ’em like that anymore!
10.) What is the greatest ever horror movie poster?
I’d say it is the original The Creature From The Black Lagoon poster, I got it framed in my home actually. I’m a really big fan of horror movie posters and collect them. Old horror movie posters were amazing and often described that old black and white horror atmosphere.
11.) Have you ever had a ghostly supernatural experience?
I’ve had several actually. But one in particular that comes to mind is when I was at an old friend’s house and a door knob moved by itself. The door opened while we were on the other side of the room, nobody else was home, no windows were open or anything. His stereo also used to start playing all of a sudden without anyone touching it, as well as his guitar hanging on the wall started to swing by itself.
12.) What ‘star’ of the music world would you like to see slaughtered in gory horror movie style?
I can name several “stars” like Justin Bieber, Fred Durst and Keisha. Can’t wait to see a Saw movie including those three.
13.) What are your plans for Halloween this year?
Hopefully I’ll end up on some Halloween party, but I don’t know for sure yet. I may just end up at my home too, watching some good old horror movies, light candles and carve some poor pumpkins.