INHUMAN

INHUMAN
interview by Jason Walsh

JW: So how are things going Mike? What does INHUMAN have going on this year?

MIKE INHUMAN: We are playing currently around the Northeast right now, looking to get down South before the Fall. Inhuman is playing the Built to Last Festival in Rhode Island in May and we are really looking forward to that. It's with Madball, Skarhead, Breakdown, and many other good bands, so it should be insane. Were also doing our first show in a long time with one of our biggest influences, Sick Of It All. That show is in New York City in June and should be awesome. And, we are slowly coming up with ideas for new material for the next record.

JW: So the show with Sick of it All. These are guys you grew up listening to and now, you get to do shows with them, and as we saw last year, Lou Koller (SICK OF IT ALL vocalist) jumped on stage during your set and did some songs with you guys. How great a feeling is that, and what does that say about the power and unity of hardcore?

MIKE INHUMAN: It is a cool feeling to be friends with someone who you look up to, and in my case, still see as a huge influence in my life and on the band. I feel fortunate that I know many of my hardcore influences on a personal level. When I was growing up, listening to nearly all of the NYHC bands of the late 80s got me through some hard times and now as an adult, to call many of these people my friend is a great feeling indeed.

JW: Tell me about how the band got started and what led you to forming it after playing in other projects.

MIKE INHUMAN: The band started in the late spring of 1995 and the first Inhuman show ever was in October of 95. We are hitting fourteen years as a band this year. Inhuman is the first and only band I have ever sung in; I was a bass player for seven years prior. I wanted to front a band, but never got up the nerve to do it. Here it is fourteen years later and I'm still having fun and still making music.

JW: What is about doing Inhuman that keeps it fun for you?

MIKE INHUMAN: A lot of reasons really. Performing on stage, having a voice and a way to get not only my frustrations out, but also to have an impact on people through something I helped to create along with my friends. I love the energy and intensity of the music and seeing kids sing along or dance in the pit. I also love meeting new people as a result of the band and the friendships I have made through Inhuman and hardcore in general over the years.

JW: "Last Rites" was a tremendous step forward for the band. Tell me about what went into creating that record and what you guys brought different to the studio when you started laying it down.
MIKE INHUMAN: The whole band is very proud of "Last Rites," and we all feel it is the best representation of the band as a whole. There is something for all types of heavy music fans on it and that wasn't intentional; it was just how it turned out. Most of the songs on the record were written in 2005 and 2006 with one or two in 2007, so we knew the songs inside and out before going in. We used Dean Baltulonis again as our engineer and co-producer, just like we did for "The New Nightmare" in 2003, and he did a great job. I think as a band we were more focused and took it very seriously when we were in the studio. Joe, Hank and Steve are all top notch musicians, so that helps too of course.

JW: Is there a plan for a follow up to "Last Rites" in the future?

MIKE INHUMAN: Although we are still promoting "Last Rites", a lot of my thoughts lately have been on the next record and new lyric ideas. In 2009, I'm hoping to write not just lyrics, but music for the next Inhuman record as well, something I haven't done in a long time. Joseph James (INHUMAN guitarist) writes about 90% of the music for the band usually, but the next record will be more of a group effort I think, which is great. If all goes to plan, you will surely see a new Inhuman CD in 2010.

JW: You have a couple guys from AGNOSTIC FRONT in INHUMAN as well. Does their schedule present difficulties when it comes to touring, recording, or even practicing?

MIKE INHUMAN: Yes and no. Thankfully, we know ahead of time as far as tours go, but sometimes things come up that can't be avoided. We practice more often than not for a band that doesn't tour all that much, and if you see us live, I think our tightness is a reflection of that.

JW: You have always been a fan of the horror genre. What elements from this have found their way into your music?

MIKE INHUMAN: Aside from music and comic books, horror in my biggest passion in life. Actually, films in general, but mostly horror I would say. I find inspiration for lyrics in horror films sometimes, which some may say is more for death metal bands, but Inhuman has never been one for following the rulebook, you know? I really do enjoy writing about a movie that moved me or inspired me. On "Last Rites,” the song "Grindhouse" was written in 2005, two years before the movie of the same name. On the "New Nightmare" CD, we have a song called "Bloodlust," which was inspired by the movie “Deep Red” by Dario Argento. We also have a sample from the movie "The Prophecy" on that record as well. I have about 500 DVDs and the collection is growing. Aside from horror and exploitation, I also like Italian Crime films, movies from the 70s and 80s and anything offbeat or disturbing really.

JW: Let's talk about your other obsession...comics.

MIKE INHUMAN: I have been a collector and reader on a serious level since about 1986 or so. I'd say I have about 10,000 books. My favorite characters are Batman, Daredevil, The Punisher, Iron Man, Wolverine, and The New Avengers. As for non-superhero books, I'm a big fan of the Preacher series, the Sandman series, Y The Last Man, and a book called Optic Nerve as well. I also like a lot of horror comics and ones that are either disturbing or violent.

JW: So how did you come to be a comic fan? Did this start at a young age?

MIKE INHUMAN: I think I got my first comics at like seven or eight-years-old, but I became a rabid fan at around eleven or twelve. Growing up in Brooklyn wasn’t always easy and I think I saw comic books, superheroes, as a way to escape. Who wouldn’t want to fly or be invincible? I think a young kid can find things in characters like Spiderman that they can really relate to, or find strength in a character like Wolverine or Superman. I grew up in the 80s, before the internet and before the really good video games, so comic books were “the shit” for kids my age. I don’t think enough young people are reading like they should be and the evidence is that most of the customers at the Brooklyn Monster Factory are 25 to 45 years old.

JW: So yes, let’s turn to the shop. When did you start the Brooklyn Monster Factory and how has that been going?

MIKE INHUMAN: The Brooklyn Monster Factory opened on April 1, 2006 and we are hanging in there. My brother Jon and I are the owners. We are a comic book, graphic novel, t-shirts, toys, and DVD store. It was a dream come true to open a store like this, but it's not easy. Both my brother and I also have full time jobs on top of the store as well, so we are busy guys. We do not sell CDs or music, but we are about to start selling band t-shirts which is new for us.

JW: Why do you not sell music at the shop, being so involved in the scene?

MIKE INHUMAN: My brother Jon and I are both really involved in music and when we opened the store we felt that adding music along with the comics, toys, et cetera, would just be overkill and take away from the focus of the shop: the comics. The store isn’t very big spacewise and there is a decent record store like four blocks down from us. Also, it is getting harder and harder to sell a CD, but it’s not so hard to sell a t-shirt, so we are now going to do hardcore and metal band shirts as well now.

JW: Lastly, the current economic atmosphere has been challenging for independent business folks like yourself. Things have been tough at the shop?

MIKE INHUMAN: The first few months of 2009 almost killed us they were so bad, but thankfully as the weather got better, the business has gotten a bit better, but were still not where we should be. In 2007 and 2008, the winter months were great for the shop, but with the recession, buying food and paying bills wins over buying comic books for most people. We are very glad to have the customers that we do have who come in every week and get their books from us. Without them we would have closed this winter for sure.