Category Archives: Interviews

Interviews, Various

(interview) ThePicassos – Horror tends to be the fear or threat of death, and in life we know it’s fleeting.

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ThePicassos recently released a fine record and I reviewed it for this zine.

I was about time for me to talk to the guys in the band a bit about everything, the new record, horror, life and all other themes we thought of.

FIRST OF ALL, WELCOME TO KRAYKULLA WEBZINE. I THINK IT IS YOUR FIRST INTERVIEW FOR SOME MEDIA IN CROATIA, SO PLEASE INTRODUCE THE BAND TO READERS WHO DON´T KNOW YOU YET. HOW COME THE NAME OF THE BAND, DO YOU LIKE PICASSO AND ART OR IS IT A COINCIDENCE?

Greetings and thank you for taking the time for having us and listening to our haunting tones.

We are a 3 piece of occult practitioners consisting of : 

Charles Urban – Guitar/Vocals/lyricist 

Dan Lowe  – Bass Guitar/backing vocals s

Thorin Murphy-Fahlgren – Drums/banjo/keyboards/accordion/backing vocals/auxiliary percussion.

 We attempt to perform live séances originating in the dark sides of metro Detroit, MI, USA. This is indeed our first international interview and we couldn’t be more tickled to be hosted on your site and help spread our death-positive messages  – as for Pablo Picasso as an artist it’s less of a tribute to the person and more the concept of looking at things creatively and in the mindset of visual artists in general. Specifically as many painters are only ever truly revered after death. 

TALK OF THE DAY IS YOUR NEW RELEASE OUT VERY SOON. WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE NEW RECORD? HOW WAS THE WRITING AND RECORDING PROCESS? WHERE CAN WE GET/BUY YOUR NEW RECORD? WHERE DO YOU DRAW YOUR LYRICAL INSPIRATION FROM?

Charles: Yes indeed, we released exclusively on digital release in time for our Samhain celebrations here, we are currently streaming this and our first single released last year (on occult day, no less) on all streaming platforms with potential plans for a physical release compilation down the road. We were fortunate enough to get together back in early February (pre-pandemic) to track these numbers and unfortunately haven’t been all together since then. It was a very quick recording process as we have written and lived with these songs for about a year before we put them to tape. 

As for lyrical inspiration I’m inspired by horror films and stories – and in part from my time as a cemetery worker – the message of “Memento Mori” our title track of the E.P. translates to “remember you will die” is simply that: we are all destined to cross the fresh (threshold?) hold of life into death at the end of our lives. It’s singularly the thing all life has in common. We don’t wish to live in fear of death and if anything the acceptance of death is the freedom to live your life as full and completely as one can. A “seize the day” sentiment more than anything. 

DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELVES A HORROR PUNK BAND? OR IS YOUR MUSIC IN A WAY AN AMALGAMATION OF EACH AND EVERY OF YOUR MUSIC INFLUENCES?

Charles: It’s difficult to classify us as we have such a wide array of influences- we definitely would like to claim “horror punk “ influenced as bands like Misfits and the Cramps have informed parts of our sound. But we also have a love for alternative and  folk bands, The Decemberists, The Cranberries – and experimental unclassifible artists like Tom Waits really stretched the creative license to take any sound or influence and stretch it farther than it has before. 

Dan: Which is why I think we really went with the name of ThePicassos. It allowed a creative freedom and doesn’t box us in. The genres become our medium beyond the instruments. We’re able to really create what we want. It really helps to overall message reach more ears. 

Thorin: I definitely agree with both Charles and Dan, I think our sound comes from a pretty wide variety of influences, and we have a pretty varied sound. We’re certainly some kind of horror, though I’m not sure I’d say punk is a very pervasive sound in our repertoire. When I think of punk, I think of fast and aggressive and either angry or angsty, and I don’t see a lot of that in our music. We usually like to take things a little more slowly and with bigger drama and dynamics. But we have a few songs in our back catalog that have a bit more of a punk vibe going on, and I’m really looking forward to when we can get together again to start getting all our back catalog material together for release.

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DO YOU PLAY GIGS? HAVE YOU TOURED OR POSSIBLE TOURED EUROPE OR OUTSIDE USA?

Regrettably, we have yet to make it out of the US, and this past year certainly didn’t help that matter. But it would be a dream to get out to Europe and share our sounds with other parts of the world. We only hope they would have us! 

HOW ARE THINGS IN YOUR HOMETOWN GOING? WHAT KIND OF CITY IS YOUR HOMETOWN?  DO YOU HAVE A SCENE, BANDS, VENUES?

Charles: We came up in the DIY punk scene in the Detroit area and that gave us a lot of appreciation for any rooms we can fill. We thrive in art collective venues – and spaces with a lot of collaborative soul. We don’t have too many bands that share our sonic tastes  locally – but have a heavy dose of garage rock in our sound in a city known for MC5 and the Stooges so that helps on a variety bill on occasion. 

Dan: Also I’m pretty sure Charles has been described as a gothic Jack White so that doesn’t hurt local shows either. 

HOW IS LIVING IN USA NOW AFTER TRUMP LOST THE ELECTION AND HOW IS LIVING WITH ALL THAT COVID EPIDEMIC? WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PAY YOUR BILLS? 

Charles: It’s a relief! It’s still a scary time to be living in, but the reality that we are nearly done with the Trump years is a major weight lifted. As I mentioned I work at a cemetery so that has been a stressful time – a necessary job to help those that have seen the caustic effects of the virus on a personal level. It’s been rough but rewarding. 

Dan: I think we have been very fortunate in that our lives don’t necessarily rely on making money from this. Obviously that’s a dream as well to be able to support yourself with your art. But we are very fortunate I can only imagine how hard this is. As for Trump, good riddance but I think there is still so much work to be done beyond the next four years. There’s a lot of distrust and irreversible damage however this is a step in the right direction. 

Thorin: The thing about Trump losing the election is that he’s refusing to admit defeat and he’s been filing a bunch of lawsuits and making ridiculous, unfounded claims of widespread election fraud, so for us, the election turmoil isn’t over yet even though we know Trump isn’t reelected. As for COVID, I could go on and on about so many different things about the pandemic, but I’ll just say that Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell, who’s the head of one of our national legislative bodies, are both responsible for killing several hundred thousand people here in the US and ruining millions of lives with their disgusting lack of leadership, and I can only hope we find some way to hold them responsible for what they’ve done.

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DO YOU HAVE ANY MOVIES/BOOKS/BANDS THAT YOU SAW/READ/LISTENED LATELY TO RECOMMEND?

Charles: I know I don’t need to recommend Netflix these days – but very much enjoyed “Devil all the time” with Tom Holland, just a relentless depressive departure into depravity so a high recommendation for those who haven’t. Also the  Ratched series which led to a thoughtful viewing of the original “One flew over the cuckoos nest” is worth the time to immerse yourself in that time period. 

As for books I’ve been thumbing through Neil Gaimans “Graveyard Book” (we would be happy to provide a soundtrack for the eventual screenplay) 

Dan: My wife and I have been watching a few shows about cults from the years. I think the one we watched was on Showtime from People Magazine and on Netflix one is called “Wild Wild Country”. That was a trip, highly recommended and a great soundtrack too. 

DO YOU STILL REMEMBER WHAT DREW YOU INTO THE MUSIC SCENE, YOUR FIRST SHOW OR SOMETHING THAT INSPIRED YOU TO START PLAYING MUSIC? 

Charles: I was in theater and marching band in school and that definitely informed a taste for performance and theatrics- it took a few years of playing other people’s notes and saying their words that began the itch to start using my own.

The real eye opening experience was in high school I went to a production of Sweeney Todd at the Detroit Opera House that the actors were also playing live instruments in character to provide the score. 

Dan: I grew up wanting to play music, but I also did my share of theater which definitely helps drive the performance itch AND helps make you a better performer. My first local show was actually one of the very FIRST incarnations of ThePicassos in which their bass player had quit prior to the show. So I joined afterwards. ALSO the local community theater is how Charles and I met about 10 years ago.  

Thorin: Oh wow ok so it’s really funny that Charles mentioned The Cranberries earlier, because my first inspiration to make music, according to my mother, was when I was a few months old and I would sing the beginning of The Cranberries’ song “Ode To My Family” (but apparently I always refused to sing for my doctor, who wanted so badly to hear me sing). So I guess creating music is something I’ve always been inclined to do. But the first time I consciously recognized any desire or inspiration to play music was when I was seven years old and my brother Trystan started playing drums in his high school marching band, and I just thought that was the coolest thing ever,

ALSO, WHAT WAS THE CATALYST THAT DREW YOU INTO MORE DARKER HORROR SIDE OF THINGS?

Charles: I think growing up watching the Universal monster movies, feeling such a familiar tie with Frankenstein’s monster and Bela Lugosi they feel like relatives I’ve never met. So it just stays with you and that isn’t something you run from. 

WHY IS THERE SO MUCH BEAUTY IN HORROR? 

Charles: Horror tends to be the fear or threat of death, and in life we know it’s fleeting. A thing isn’t beautiful because it lasts forever, but since the flowers only bloom some of the time we take note. The color palate of deep reds into inky black. I think one can’t help but look at the genre like a painting in a museum. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE HORROR SUBGENRE? MINE IS GOLDEN ERA SLASHER, HAMMER OLD SCHOOL HORROR AND YUP, FOUND FOOTAGE!

Charles: Absolutely top notch picks! I’ll always love the universal Silver screen monsters. But I’ve been coming to appreciate the 80s slashers in a new light as the next generation of classic monsters. Though my favorite flavor is a good physiological thriller – Silence of the Lambs and the like.

Dan: I was and still am into the really (really) bad horror movies. The cheesier the better. Always was a big fan of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre I have the third one and worst one on vhs somewhere. Charles has been telling me to watch “Silence of the Lambs” for years and I still haven’t. 

Thorin: I actually don’t really watch horror movies or anything. Well, really, I don’t watch movies at all unless it’s with a friend or something. I saw one really good found footage movie once, though: Troll Hunter. I definitely recommend it if you haven’t seen it, it’s a bit of a trip.

WHAT IS THE FUTURE HOLDING IN STORE FOR THEPICASSOS?

Charles: We have plenty more songs that have yet to be recorded and heard, if the world allows we would love to talk touring – however I think the safe bet is more music coming out  to stream. We are talking to some filmographers about some videos.. so stay tuned in! 

THIS INTERVIEW HAS COME TO AN END. IT WAS A PLEASURE. ANY WISE WORDS IN THE END? 

Dan: THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME!

Thorin: Thank you for having us, and please, to everyone reading this: please stay safe!

Charles: This was a splendid time for us as well! We appreciate the time and consideration – and the kind words in our Ep Review – so thank you, and Remember You Will Die. 

https://thepicassos.bandcamp.com/

Interviews, Various

(interview) Hangtime is an undiscovered jewel in punk rock crown!

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Hangtime from Canada are in no way strangers to the pages of this zine. They recently released their brand new e.p. and it became in my opinion one of the best releases this year. I just love it. So, it was a great opportunity to talk with the guys for Kraykulla.

HI GUYS, NICE TO FEATURE YOU IN MY ZINE. WHATS UP? CAN YOU TELL THE READERS SOMETHING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF HANGTIME FOR THE READERS WHO DID NOT HEAR OF YOU?

Thanks for having us! Warren and I (Rick) have been playing in bands together since 1989. Hangtime started around 2009. Our current lineup put out our first full length record in 2010, with the exception of Enzo who joined the band in 2013. Since then, we released another full length record “Invictus Melodious”, as well as 2 EP’s “Invasion”, followed by “Destroy”. We’ll be releasing our first LP on vinyl sometime in January 2021, which hosts each EP per side.

TALK OF THE DAY IS YOUR NEW RELEASE OUT VERY SOON. WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT THE NEW RECORD? HOW WAS THE WRITING AND RECORDING PROCESS? YOU GUYS HAVE SUCH NICE MELODIES AND HARMONIES IN VOCAL AND MUSIC LINES, SO WHAT COMES FIRST, LYRICS OR RIFFS AND MUSIC? WHERE CAN WE GET/BUY YOUR NEW RECORD?

Our latest release is our 2nd EP, “Destroy!” that we released Sept 2020. 6 new songs – short, catchy and melodic, totaling 15 minutes and 43 seconds. Warren and I usually split the song writing duties for each release and we each sing our own (self-written) lyrics. A song for me, usually starts off with a line, vocal melody, some chords underneath, on an acoustic.

Once I have a verse/chorus foundation, I’ll go back and add a beginning riff, bridge and maybe an outro. Once I have this, I’ll try it out with the guys at practice. Hangtime’s music is available on all the usual streaming platforms. We also have cd’s/shirts and other merch available for purchase on: https://hangtimeband.bandcamp.com/music and https://www.epicmerchstore.com/collection/artists/hangtime/

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YOU DELIVER PERSONAL THEMES IN YOUR LYRICS TO THE SONGS, DO YOU THINK THAT THERE ARE TOO LITTLE POLITICAL PUNK BANDS LEFT IN THE SCENE AND THAT PUNK SCENE LOST ITS TOUCH WITH BEING PROVOCATIVE, ANGRY AND REBELLIOUS?

I’m not smart enough to write songs about politics so I just stick to the personal stuff. To me, the important things are the melodies, harmonies, and writing a catchy song and trying to have them sound good live, and to have fun doing it. Write about what you know, if that happens to be politics, then that’s cool.

DID YOU GUYS TOUR OUTSIDE CANADA A LOT? DID YOU DO A EUROPEAN TOUR? WHAT ARE THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EUROPEAN SCENE AND CROWD AND BACK IN CANADA AND USA? ANY FUNNY TOUR STORIES?

We haven’t toured outside of Canada a lot, but we’re planning to. We were working at setting up a tour in Europe and applying to some festivals in Japan before the Covid-19 pandemic started. Of course, our plans have been halted for the time being.

WILL THE NEW RECORD BE IN PHYSICAL FORM(CD) OR ONLY DIGITAL? DO YOU BELIEVE THAT BANDS CAN STILL SELL ENOUGH HARD COPIES OF THEIR RECORDS NOWADAYS OR IS DIGITAL THE RELEASE FORM OF THE FUTURE?

All of our music is available in digital and physical format as well. We always like to make at least a short run of cd’s for people who still want the feel and look of the real thing in their hands. We’re excited to have copies of “INVASION/DESTROY!” together on 12′ vinyl, coming out in Jan 2021.

WHAT WERE YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES GROWING UP AND WRITING AS A BAND? TO REPHRASE THE QUESTION, CAN YOU STILL REMEMBER THE FIRST PUNKROCK/HARDCORE SHOW YOU WENT TO?

The first punk show I went to was in Toronto, at the Siboney club, to see Dag Nasty. It was the Field Day tour, around 1989, I was 16. The first punk band that blew my mind was Minor Threat. I thought they were catchy and melodic and hadn’t heard anything like it. I was more into metal (Metallica & Slayer) at the time. Then I heard Bad Religion’s “Suffer” record and the song “Coolidge” by Descendents in the same day and couldn’t believe what I was hearing; it’s been my favorite genre of music ever since.

IS THERE ANY TRUTH IN BELIEF THAT CANADIANS ARE MORE HAPPY AND MORE SMILING THAN AMERICANS? HEHE, DONT LAUGH, THAT IS THE POPULAR BELIEF HERE IN EUROPE, I HEARD IT A LOT OF TIMES IN THE PAST.

Hmmm… I don’t know if Canadians are more happier than Americans. Perhaps we’re just quieter and more relaxed; we sit back and assess the situation first and then react accordingly. But for us to have the reputation of being happy, smiling people is cool.

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WHAT IS YOUR STANCE ON THIS COVID VIRUS AND ALL THE PROPAGANDA? HOAX? CONSPIRACY THEORISTS HEAVEN OR SOMETHING ELSE?

My personal stance on Covid is, wear a mask. It’s not hard to do & they don’t cost a lot of money. Even if you don’t believe in science – even if you think it’s a hoax, it’s not a lot to ask. You might save a loved one’s life. Stay home if you can & stay away from large crowds. Hopefully in a few more months, the vaccine will be well distributed and we can get things back to normal, start having shows, live music and having some fun again.

WHAT CAN YOU SAY WERE YOUR PEAKS AS HANGTIME AND YOUR LOWEST POINTS ALSO? WERE YOU DISAPPOINTED A LOT OF TIMES?

I don’t think we’ve hit the peak yet, we were ramping things up just as Covid hit and slowed everything down. The lowest has got to be the quarantine; it seems to have brought almost all music to a standstill.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PAY BILLS AND SURVIVE BESIDES PLAYING IN THE BAND? HOW IS LIFE IN CANADA GENERALLY?

Some guys are working from home when possible, at their normal day jobs. As everyone knows, it’s almost impossible for bands to make enough money to survive by just playing music. Things are ok here but people are starting to get restless with Covid and all the limitations; I’m sure it’s the same in most parts of the world.

THIS IS IT FOR THE FIRST TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS ONE. ANY WISE WORDS FOR THE END?

Thanks again for having us! Wise words…hmm… Keep on rockin in the free world, and…oops, nevermind, that’s Narduwar’s gig.

Interviews, Various

(interview) The Midnight Spookshow: The scariest thing of all is real life!

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The Midnight Spookshow are hailing from Spain and they are soon releasing their debut e.p.  So, it was an ideal chance to talk with these fiends about different topics.

HEY, THANKS FOR DOING AN INTERVIEW FOR KRAYKULLA. FIRST OF ALL, LET US TALK ABOUT THE MIDNIGHT SPOOKSHOW. DESCRIBE THE BAND A BIT FOR THE READERS WHO STILL DIDN´T LISTEN TO YOUR MUSIC. COULD YOU PRESENT THE BAND, THE MEMBERS AND YOUR MUSIC? WAS CALABRESE INFLUENCE FOR THE NAME OF THE BAND?

The band was formed only by two members, Evilead and Mark Berserk. We are also partners in a death metal band called BIZARRE, and we both share a great passion for punk and everything related to horror: movies, comics, books … So we decided to form a band in which we could express all that influences. THE MIDNIGHT SPOOKSHOW is a mix of horrorpunk, psychobilly, street punk, deathrock … The name comes from our brainstorming, but afterwards we realized that CALABRESE has a song with that title. It is a complete coincidence.

YOUR DEBUT E.P. IS COMING SOON AND YOU RELEASED A SINGLE ON YOUTUBE RECENTLY. TELL US HOW WAS THE RECORDING AND WRITING PROCESS? HOW MANY SONGS ARE GONNA BE ON THE RECORD? LYRICS INFLUENCES? IS THERE SOME CONCEPT STORY BEHIND IT OR ONLY PURE HORROR FUN?

We are a band that believes in the “Do It Yourself” way of life, therefore the entire process of recording, designing and producing the EP has been done by ourselves. The EP consists of four tracks and in lyrics you can find a bit of everything, although I could tell you that they all deal with the scariest thing of all: real life. The sneak peek single is about Burke & Hare, and how two famous body snatchers end up becoming murderers just for money. We also make references to the theories of Luigi Galvani and his experiments with cadavers or simply about murderers who kill by instinct or for the simple pleasure of doing so. Reality always surpasses fiction and is much more terrifying. We also like folklore and ancient human-made legends and superstitions.

ARE THEIR GOING TO BE PHYSICAL RELEASES OR ONLY DIGITAL VERSION OF THE RECORD? ARE YOU RELEASING IT YOURSELVES OR WITH SOME RECORD LABEL?

We don’t like digital formats at all, we are old school and passionate record collectors. Therefore we never considered the digital release. We have a label that supports us and has shown us all its support from the first moment: DEADLY DISTRIBUTION. The EP will be released on CD, although we do not discard other formats such as Cassette or 7″ vinyl for the future.

THE TALK OF THE DAY IS YOUR NEW SINGLE. CAN YOU TELL US THE STORY WHAT THIS SONG IS ABOUT?

As mentioned above, it is based on the story of the West Port murders. Committed by Burke & Hare and how they created a method of murder that today is known as Burking, which consists of strongly squeezing the victims’ chest until they suffocate. By chance they were arrested on the night of October 31, 1828 and a few centuries later that same night our single was released.

HAVE YOU PLAYED LIVE GIGS PRIOR TO THIS COVID SHIT? HOW WAS THE RESPONSE TO YOUR SHOW? IS THERE HORRORPUNK SCENE IN SPAIN? I KNOW THAT PSYCHOBILLY IS STRONG WITH THAT PINEDA FESTIVAL THERE.

Well, the whole process of creating both the band and the recording of the EP has been performed during the pandemic. The idea came up years before but until now we could not make it come true due to the commitments we have with our different projects. We do not conceive the band with idea to perform live, but who knows, we never say never. Unfortunately, in our country this is a style that does not have much notoriety and currently in our genre there are not many active bands cause’ the few that remained are lethargic. We do have the Pineda festival, but the vast majority of the audience is foreigners.

COULD YOU DESCRIBE HOW YOU CAME TO TOUCH WITH IT AND WITH UNDERGROUND SCENE IN GENERAL? CAN YOU STILL REMEMBER HOW YOU CAME TO LOVE HORROR? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST MOVIE OR EXPERIENCE THAT MADE YOU LOVE THIS GENRE SO MUCH AND BECOME PART OF YOU 24/7? CAN YOU NAME YOUR TOP FIVE HORROR FLICKS?

Horror is something that has always fascinated us in all its entertainment formats. Concerning cinema, our first contact with horror would possibly be Hitchcock, followed by the mythical Hammer or Tales from the Crypt films. To select a top 5 of movies would be something very difficult to do, as this could vary depending on the day. Although we are big fans of the works by Clive Barker, Romero, Argento, Carpenter, Hooper …

WHAT IS SO BEAUTIFUL IN HORRORPUNK SCENE? I THINK IT IS THE DIVERSITY AND ALL THE DIFFERENT INFLUENCES THAT ALL OF US BRING IN WITH OURSELVES, ALSO IT IS A MUCH SMALLER SCENE AND MAYBE MORE TIGHT AND FRIENDLY?

Both of us have always been linked to the scene, international and national. Currently we manage Horrorpunks Spain site and thus we have contact with many bands. We come from other underground scenes like extreme metal, but it is true that the camaraderie in horrorpunk is impressive.

A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT I KNOW SAY THAT REAL HORRORPUNK SCENE DONT EXIST, THAT EVERY BAND IS JUST A MISFITS RIPOFF! WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ON THAT? HOW COULD THEY BE PROVEN WRONG?

Well, possibly MISFITS, SAMHAIN or DANZIG, is the starting point for everyone, but today, we cannot conceive being simple imitators of anyone. There are hundreds of tribute bands to do so and many others that sound completely alike. In our case it is not our aim. We try to sound as personal as possible taking influences from everything we are passionate about within the genre and staying as far as possible from the typical clichés of the mentioned bands. Obviously we have influences, of course, but from very different bands from other styles.

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LETS TALK HORROR. ANY PREFERENCES IN THE MANY SUBGENRES OF THE HORROR? MINE ARE SLASHER AND HAMMER HORROR BUT ALSO I AM A SUCKER FOR FOUND FOOTAGE!

We are big fans of Slasher, gore, scifi, B series, Giallo, classic monsters, German expressionism …

THANK YOU FOR NOW. PLEASE, FEEL FREE TO SAY ANYTHING YOU WANT IN THE END AND I DIDN´T ASK YOU. THIS IS YOUR FIRST INTERVIEW FOR SOME CROATIAN ZINE I THINK.

Thank you very much for this cool interview and your interest in the band. It has been a pleasure to answer. The only thing that we would add is to invite you to visit our page:  https://www.facebook.com/spookshowhorrorpunk where we will update all our news.