Interview

Misfits Member Doyle Comments On Debut Solo Album "Abominator"

Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein is best known for playing guitar in the Misfits. This is where he partially found his look, at least the long bangs called devil locks. Doyle also played in Kryst the Conqueror, Gorgeous Frankenstein and has toured with Danzig performing Misfits songs.

Doyle most recently branched out to create his own solo project. Last year Doyle released its debut album “Abominator.” Said album is a mix of punk and metal that will appease both Danzig and Misfits fans. The album featured Alex Story of Cancerslug on vocals, Dr. C.H.U.D. of the Misfits on drums, and Left Hand Graham of Gorgeous Frankenstein on bass. Since its release, Doyle has experienced lineup changes. While on the second day of his headlining tour, I caught up with Doyle to discuss these lineup changes. In the following interview we also talk about the making of “Abominator,” Doyle’s label, Monsterman Records and his brand of hot sauce.

Rex_84: Why did you use the word “Abominator” to title your album?

Doyle: I don’t know. We didn’t have a title and it just came out of my mouth. Then we wrote a song titled “Abominator.”

Rex_84: So you came up with the title before you wrote the song?

Doyle: Yeah

Rex_84: What were the recording sessions like?

Doyle: They were like Hell! We recorded for about a year a and a half. We recorded about 25 songs, 31 songs. Did the whole segment and was ready to go, just had to do the drums over, title it and do the art work, so yeah.

Rex_84: You wrote “Abominator” between 2008 and 2012. Why did it take four years to get it recorded?

Doyle: I was broke.

Rex_84: When did you start looking for band mates?

Doyle: In 2004.

Rex_84: Who was the first person you got in your band?

Doyle: Alex [Story]

Rex_84: When you started the project, did you have him in mind from the beginning?

Doyle: I did. I actually auditioned in The Village Voice and something in L.A. that starts with an “r”, Revolver or something. His CD was the only one that got sent to me that I listened to the whole thing. Everything else went into the garbage immediately.

Rex_84: And his is the only one that stayed with you.

Doyle: Yeah, he is a great writer.

Rex_84: What does he bring to the stage?

Doyle: (laughs) Brutality.

Rex_84: On a performance I saw on You-Tube, Story says all your songs are about killing and fucking. Is this true?

Doyle: If he says they are. He wrote them.

Rex_84: The album has harmonics that remind me of Danzig. Does his music influence you?

Doyle: Of course. He influenced everybody I know. What are you talking about? You have his shirt on right there. (Points at my Danzig 6 t-shirt. )

Rex_84: Who do you have drumming for you now?

Doyle: His name is Brandon [Pertzborn]. I don’t know his last name. I call him “Crusher,” Brandon Crusher.

Rex_84: I saw a video with a drummer called Tiny.

Doyle: He got fired.

Rex_84: What happened to Dr. Chud?

Doyle: Dr. Chud shot himself in the foot.

Rex_84: When you wrote the album did you try to balance punk riffs with metal or did it just come out that way?

Doyle: Whatever I write, I write. Whatever’s good I keep. Whatever sucks I throw away. Whatever is too hard I throw away. I throw it at Alex and we arrange a musical composition. I let him do all the magic. I give him the canvas and he is the song writer. He’s the lyricist. He writes all the vocal melodies.

Rex_84: Have you started signing bands to your label, Monsterman Records?

Doyle: We can’t even sign ourselves to our label. What are you talking about?

Rex_84: What do you mean by that? That’s your label.

Doyle: This label is just for us right now. Once we get a handle on it and things are going good, we’ll sign bands we like.

Rex_84: You have your own brand of hot sauce. Tell me more about your product.

Doyle: Yes I do.

Rex_84: Tell me about your hot sauce.

Doyle: I’m not going to tell you about it. I’m going to show it to you. It’s vegan. (He walks to the kitchen in his bus and pulls out Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankestein’s Made in Hell Hot Sauce and sprinkles some on blue tortilla chips. It tastes like spaghetti sauce with a kick. Doyle tells me that’s his secret ingredient.)

Rex_84: Tell me about your guitar. I understand you designed it?

Doyle: You know when you’re in high school and your mom covers your books in paper. I drew it on a book cover and I kept it. I kept that picture of the guitar. Some kid came walking off the street into my shop making a guitar. It was really nice, but he wasn’t making it right. I put on my machine and fixed it up for him at work. So I made guitars with him and I wanted to make mine. I had a Paul Stanley that I put on the ground and I used a picture that I put up to it, right to scale. The nut was in line. The bridge was in line it was great. It was perfect, man.

Rex_84: I was wondering about your physique. You’re built well. You are vegan. Do you find it’s easier to shed fat being vegan?

Doyle: I’m definitely more ripped being a vegan, yeah.

Rex_84: What is your relationship with your brother Jerry Only like? Do you talk to him much?

Doyle: Sure. He’s my brother.

Rex_84: How did your tour with Mushroomhead go?

Doyle: It went pretty good. I just find the crowds in the United States are pretty lame. They would rather watch you through their phones than be there and enjoy the show. They’re real quiet. They don’t go crazy and get into it like other countries do. Other countries are way more into music than here. Here they are afraid to get into it. I don’t know. I don’t get it.

Rex_84: What country would you say gives you the best response?

Doyle: All but this one. Same for every band. Every band has said the same thing.

Rex_84: What’s next after this tour?

Doyle: We’re going to book some more shows. We would like to get on the Summer Slaughter Tour. If not, we’ll probably do a headliner or something.

Rex_84: Are you working on new material?

Doyle: We got a whole other record done. We’ve got songs for the next one after that. We just have to fix them and write a couple more. We just have to rerecord the drums and we’re out.

Rex_84: Who is playing drums on the album?

Doyle: We have a couple of guest stars.

Rex_84: Nothing you can reveal right now?

Doyle: I will not reveal.