Slashing their way into Upcoming Talent this time we have Pennsylvanian horrorpunk heavyweights The Deathtones. We quiz the familiar-looking, masked 4-piece on their career so far avoiding (because I'm scared) the awkward questions about their family life, previous workplaces and mother issues (you've seen them, right?!!!).
Scene Point Blank: Hello to The Deathtones thank you so much for joining us. Please start off by introducing yourselves, telling us where you are from and how The Deathtones came about.
The Deathtones: Thanks for having us! Well, we have Mikey Murder on bass and backup vocals, Mr. Grim on drums, Killer Pat on lead guitar and Billy Bones on lead vocals, keys and rhythm guitar. We’re all from the Tri-State area in the US (NJ, PA, NY) and we got together in 2019. Billy and Mikey were playing together since 2011 and had tried like crazy to get an act together, but finding musicians in our area is difficult, so it took 8 years to acquire a good drummer and then another year to get a lead player. Our style is a quirky combination of classic horror punk, power metal, and alt rock. We love the way stereotypical horror punk sounds, but we also love bands like Iron Maiden, Sabaton and Powerwolf so a lot of that metal sound comes through in our writing.
Scene Point Blank: As a bit of a horror fan myself I am very much loving your band photos and I am getting the hint that you are all horror fans, the slasher genre in particular. Is there a bit of in-fighting within the band as to who is the ultimate slasher villain? You know a real life Freddy Vs Jason (haha, I'll get my coat!!)... but seriously do you all have different favourites or are you fans of all the slashers? What you consider the best franchise in the horror genre slasher or otherwise?
The Deathtones: Thanks, and yes, we’re all horror fans. Some quite a bit more than others, haha, but Mr. Grim is our current “horrorphile in residence”. Like, the rest of us like horror and have our favorites, but he lives, breathes and eats Halloween. He has storage units full of Halloween decorations and hosts a terrifying haunted house every year for the kids and adults of his neighborhood. Hmmm…as far as our favorites, Mr. Grim is a huge Jason and F13 fan, Mikey is a Freddy guy, Pat loves everybody and Billy is especially fond of Victor Crowley from the Hatchet franchise. I don’t think we have a favorite franchise as a group because all these killers have their own quirks and stories to tell, and as we saw in Freddy vs Jason, the eternal fight between these immortal beings is destined to go on forever, much like people’s arguments over who is the best slasher.
Scene Point Blank: You hail from Milford in Pennsylvania. What is the scene like over there for bands like yourself?
The Deathtones: Haha, to be honest it’s terrible. We all live in rural areas in Northeast Pennsylvania, so there aren’t many venues that want live original music. Most of the spots around us want cover bands that play “Jessie’s Girl,” “Sweet Home Alabama,” “Don’t Stop Believing” and other “bar rock basics.” The music scene in Scranton (of American The Office fame) used to be a vibrant hotspot for local bands to make a name for themselves, much like The Menzingers and Breaking Benjamin did a while ago, but in recent years the scene has taken a very hard and disappointing turn.
Scene Point Blank: When it comes to playing gigs is there much opportunity to put on many shows around Pennsylvania or do you find yourselves travelling out of town a lot?
The Deathtones: The opportunity to play quality shows around us is near nonexistent. We play where we can if it’s worth our time to do so, but mainly we focus on building our fanbase online through content creation, releasing music and just promoting the hell out it. We do have a few convention dates booked through the end of the year in Maryland, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania.
Scene Point Blank: When and where was your very first live show and how did it go?
The Deathtones: Our first show as a group was at Stage West in Scranton. It was in 2019 when we still went under the name “RadioRiot!”. We opened for Richie Ramone (of the Ramones), which was awesome. It was a decent show overall. Plenty of people showed up and we played well. That was the first time we listened back and said, “We may have something here.”
Scene Point Blank: What can we expect from a live Deathtones show now?
The Deathtones: Simple. Don’t expect a “show”. Get ready for an experience. Sets, lights, fog, lasers, integrated videos, anything to make our stage show pop as much as our music does. We don’t want to just put on a show. Anyone can put on a rock show. We want to invite the listener to join us on a journey through the terrifying, macabre and unsettling subject matter we cover.
Scene Point Blank: If you could play a gig with any band who would it be and why?
The Deathtones: Easy. The Misfits. They started the genre. It’s like being a rock ‘n’ roll piano player and performing on stage with Elton John. I mean, it’s a dream come true. We’re also partial to Blitzkid, Calabrese and Wednesday 13 so we wouldn't turn our noses up if they asked us to play either!
Scene Point Blank: Do you have any funny/gross stories to tell when you've been out on the road?
The Deathtones: Every time we are together it’s a laugh riot, be it in a car, hotel or studio. Between the four of us it’s like an episode of Seinfeld. Billy is George, Mikey is Jerry, Mr. Grim is Kramer, and (I’m laughing while saying this) Pat is Newman! Also, while all of this is happening, several of us will dedicate ourselves to only speaking like Bill Cosby or Christopher Walken or Bobby Boucher, (Adam Sandler’s character from The Waterboy) for hours on end. We also have a million inside jokes that no one finds funny except us.
Scene Point Blank: I have to admit that I have only very recently been introduced to your music having heard you on Horrorpunk's “Not Dead” radio show on Moshville Radio so can you give us the low down on all of your current recordings?
The Deathtones: Sure. Let me preface by saying all of our recordings were done remotely. We have a band file sharing account, Billy writes the verse/chorus/bridge on guitar, keys and vocals, records all that and sends it to the cloud. Then Mikey and Mr. Grim track the bass and drums and Pat comes in last with the lead parts. Once everything is done Billy mixes the songs and schedules the release with our publisher.
Our first published release was a single, “All Hallows Eve,” in 2021.
Following that was “Imposter at the Costume Party,” a half-joke song that we just came up with after one or two too many pints, but people like it and it’s a fun song so why not?
After that was “Here With Me,” a ballad-style love song about horror’s greatest love story that was never told. The love between Leatherface and his chainsaw. Billy started writing this one a few days after Meatloaf passed away so you can definitely hear his influence in this song.
In April of 2022 we released “Saucy Jack,” the first song in the “maybe new?” genre we came up with called “Murderpunk.” It’s all about real life killers and true crime stories. All of humanity has that little dark place inside that loves hearing about the gory and gruesome stories about real life crimes. I mean, in the States we have multiple channels devoted to 24/7 true crime, a la “Investigation Discovery.” Obviously the song “Saucy Jack” is all about Jack the Ripper.
In May of ‘22 we released a six song EP entitled American Monster. In this album we focus on infamous American killers and their crimes, featuring names like Bundy, Gacy, Ramirez and BTK. The coolest thing about this EP is that a couple of the song lyrics (Werewolf Of Wysteria and BTK) were taken directly from letters that the killers themselves wrote. Billy took them and rewrote them in poetry/song form. So when you hear those songs, it’s the actual words of monsters like Dennis Rader and Albert Fish.
Our latest release at the time of this interview is “Skate Or Die,” a skate/horror punk fusion song about a skater girl who slashes as much as she shreds!
Scene Point Blank: What do you consider the benefits of being a DIY band?
The Deathtones: We get to play and write what we want with no commercial oversight. It also gives us the ability to plan and release our material as often as we please and promote it any way we desire. We’re not saying if the right offer came along we wouldn’t sign up with a label, but until someone approaches us, we’re going to keep on keeping on. (And it seems to be working.)
Scene Point Blank: What do you consider to be The Deathtones’ greatest achievement to date?
The Deathtones: Right now our greatest achievement is getting all this radio play in all these countries! We’ve gotten airplay/promotion in over 13 countries including the UK, USA, New Zealand, Mexico and Japan, as well as large chunks of South America and Eastern Europe. We’re just happy that so many people like what we’re doing. (Also, just saying, we wouldn't say no to an invite to come play in the UK or Japan!)
Scene Point Blank: What is next for The Deathtones?
The Deathtones: We have a slasher EP entitled Boomsticks and Bloodshed scheduled for release in the coming month as well as a few more singles following that.
And, you’re hearing it here first, we also have an untitled Stephen King EP in the works.
Coming up in the next few months we have:
- August 27-28, Maryland Pop and Horror Con, Linthicum Heights, MD
- October 7-9, Wicked Killah Horror Con, Manchester, NH
- October 9-10, Meet and Greet, Multiple Locations, Salem, MA.
Here are our links:
We are available for booking at deathtonesband@gmail.com
Scene Point Blank: Thank you again for taking part in this feature it has been a pleasure, please use this space to mention anything else about yourselves you think will be beneficial to your band and any other bands, friends, family, neighbours or any venues you think deserve a shout out!
The Deathtones: We would like to thank you and Scene Point Blank for having us and would also like to thank the following for all they’ve done for us.
- Horrorpunk’s Not Dead
- Moshville Radio
- Radio Indy Alliance
- Punk Rock Demonstration
- Monsterpiece
And finally, the lovely and talented Heather Grim, who puts up with our insanity and penchant for goofing off and always has a cold beer, a plate of chicken cutlets and a witty quip for the band.
Discography
The Deathtones
"All Hallows Eve"
Self-released Oct 2021
As far as introductory tracks go, this has it all: eerie intro, thumping backline and a killer riff. The haunting vocals warmly envelope you in that familiar classic Misfits style that wraps around you like a creepy but welcome embrace. This is a track that will leave you wanting more.
The Deathtones
"Imposter At The Costume Party"
Self-released Jan 2022
A different take on horrorpunk from the previous single but still quintessentially horror. This has more of a bass-driven swing with a kind of new romantic feel to it with a great ‘80s synth solo and catchy chorus. Choosing to go with a killer at a costume party is a great idea for a theme too.
The Deathtones
"Here With Me (A Chainsaw Love Story)"
Self-released Feb 2022
A song sung from Leatherface's point of view about his love for his chainsaw, this piano and strings led intro (all with the sound of chainsaw hovering in the background) will show you the softer side of The Deathtones as they croon slowly along to this ballad that lulls you into a false sense of security until the halfway mark as it flips into a rock 'n' roll style guitar and drums with backing vocal "woahs' and "heys" that will have you humming along.
The Deathtones
"Saucy Jack"
Self-released Apr 2022
Similar in style to "All Hallows Eve" this combination of classically-honed horrorpunk style (now renamed by the band themselves as "Murderpunk") and Billy Bones' charismatic velvety vocals takes you on a trip through the streets of London in the 1800's on the trail of Jack The Ripper.
Listening to these four singles, all released separately, you get a great impression of the talent behind the band here. You could also point out that releasing these separately was a clever move. Collectively these four songs could've made a great demo EP as they showcase The Deathtones range within the genre perfectly. Releasing them separately however only leaves us the listeners asking for more. As the band have said, they record remotely, which is then mixed by Billy Bones before being released. If I did not know this beforehand I would have thought it was done in the usual way. For a band that do absolutely everything for themselves these sound pretty good. If I was to be picky then the guitar on "All Hallows Eve" is a little high in the mix for me but that was their first release and since then I've not noticed anything else so I can forgive that.
The Deathtones
American Monster
Self-released May 2022
Track listing:
- Hath No Fury
- BTK
- Ted Talk
- 33 Dead
- Werewolf Of Wysteria
- He Stalks The Night
This 6-track EP is their take on the true crime theme and well-known documented American serial killers throughout history (I'm liking the Murderpunk label!). As they have said, they have taken excerpts from letters written by Dennis Rader (the BTK Strangler) and Albert Fish (the Werewolf Of Wysteria) and incorporated them into the lyrics of their specific songs which is a clever idea and works really well. Each track is dedicated to a different infamous felon and are set to a backdrop of eerie keyboards, incredibly catchy riffs from straight up punk to chugging edgy metal twangs and some well-placed solos. The percussion and basslines are busy, prominent and tight as fuck. Lyrically they show real dedication to the cause and come up with great anthemic sing along choruses and lines that really get stuck in your head. The intro to "Hath No Fury" has been bouncing round my noggin' ever since I heard it. Stand out tracks for me are "Hath No Fury," "Werewolf Of Wysteria" and "33 Dead".
The Deathtones
"Skate Or Die"
Self-released June 2022
Released at the beginning of this summer, they have gone for a more fictional theme of a skateboarding killer. Set to a fast-paced skatepunk style full of great sing along “woahs” and “heys” that will get stuck in your head. Finishing dead on two minutes, it's a short sharp blast of fun! The band recently put a post on their socials asking for female skateboarders to feature in the video for this so if you are reading this and want in send them a message!!
The Deathtones
Boomsticks And Bloodshed
Self-released July 2022
Track listing:
- 1Nightmare
- Camp Blood
- Here With Me (A Chainsaw Love Story)
- Imposter At The Costume Party
- The Shape
- Book Of The Dead
Boomsticks And Bloodshed is The Deathtones’ most recent release and came out this July. It’s another great horror-themed release going back to horror villains from the movies. "Nightmare" is an ode to Freddy Kruger, "Camp Blood" is Jason, "The Shape" Michael Myers with a bonus in the final track "Book Of The Dead" which is a tribute to the Necronomicon and Deadites. As a life-long Evil Dead fan I will never tire of songs that involve Bruce Campbell or Sam Raimi's talents.
Musically, The Deathtones sound has creeped up a notch and I am really noticing the metal influence becoming more prominent with a distinct Iron Maiden feel to it. They have included their previous singles "Here With Me (A Chainsaw Love Story)" and "Imposter At The Costume Party" as they fit in well with the theme. Again, this is an accomplished effort from the band. Every song has a slightly different feel to it but collectively they all fit together really well. Stand out tracks for me on this are the creepy “Nightmare” and, of course, the awesome “Book Of The Dead”!
Going by their releases so far, The Deathtones are working hard on producing material to rival the bigger horrorpunk bands out there right now and they sound like they are having an absolute blast at the same time. It has been a pleasure and an honour to listen to them, dissect their music, and revisit a genre I had lost contact with for several years. It has totally reignited my enthusiasm for horrorpunk and I thank The Deathtones so much for their time and giving us an insight into them as a band. Please do check them out on their socials, listen to them on Bandcamp and YouTube and if you can, go check out their live show, it sounds like a show that needs to be experienced!
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Thanks for reading "Upcoming Talent". This is the place to be if you are in an unsigned band and want to shout about it. In this feature you will find out all about our chosen band straight from the horse’s mouth -- not to mention a full discography review, merch, social and gig links with some visual aids for your delectation! If you would like to be featured in a future Upcoming Talent piece then please contact me at sarahjane@scenepointblank.com.
