2024
A Visual History of Dead Alive.
Commentary by Count Scapula
No Signs of Life - Live
The very beginning of 2024 we had a Dead Alive writing weekend to finish writing the songs for "The Madness of Dr Ludvig Von Brainmatter." I have all of the lyrics written first as well as a big chunk of riffs for the songs, some even fully written like "Flip the Switch," "Fear...Conditioned," most of "Volt" and "From Beyond." We all worked together to fully finish the album, splitting off on which songs each of us are interested in focusing on. Dead Beat, naturally, adds his drum style to the whole album and the two of us wrote "Hollowman" together. Dedmen Walken came up with some added bass sections on the songs including a bass solo on "Volt" and wrote the strings for "Gone Mad." Dedmen and I worked together to write "Re-Agent." Manthing focused on "Exhumed" and all of us added riffs to "No Signs of Life." I did some song doctoring after we got all of the parts together and wrote out the tabs, and made adjustments here and there to riffs to make it all more cohesive with the "Dead Alive style."
Recording "THE MADNESS"
Day 1
Recording was a lot of fun. We came in much more prepared then the first time. We kinda had to as well because we only had the budget to record for two days, and record 10 songs. Most of everything was done in one or two takes. I did have to do a couple of pick up sessions to finish vocals, and I had to record a couple of the guitar solos at home. We recorded old school with live drums, and live tube amps. The only thing we did direct were the couple of the solos that I record at home.
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Fun Fact: The morning of our first studio day I woke up and turned my head to stretch myself awake and pulled a muscle in my neck and was in a wild amount of pain for the two days, unable to move my head. I still played all of the guitar for the scratch tracks and on the recordings, except for "Exhumed" which Manthing played on.
Day 2
Working with Jeremiah Scott was awesome! He totally got what we're going for, and did an awesome job recording and mixing the album. All of the other guys in the band were Demon Hunter fans which was cool for them. I really like his first band, DESTROY DESTROY DESTROY. Jeremiah told us a bunch of cool stories of him working with other bands, being on the road, and other industry stories and lessons.
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Fun Fact: Jeremiah goes to my parents church, and I was talking to him about how we finished writing the album and we were looking for a studio to record, and he was interested in working with us! So we set up the studio time.
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In recent years, while I haven't personally had bad experiences with my church or the denomination I was a part of, I have began to distance myself from the Christian faith. Mostly as a result of things surrounding the 2024 election that I felt were not how Christians and Christianity should act and associate itself with. So I've became agnostic on the topic.
Fish Fest Battle of the Bands
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
There's a nice couple that were trying to do their part in organizing metal and rock events in Nashville, with varying success. They put together a Battle of the Bands "to see who would play their festival" later in the year, and the winning band would also get 100 vinyl made of their most recent/upcoming album. I was gunning for that vinyl...
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
We pulled out all the stops for this show. We opened the show with me being carried in a coffin and placed at the edge of the stage while the intro tracks were being played. The other started our first song "Rise" which I then crawled out of the coffin to take the stage and we started the show!
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Every show we give it our all. Tons of energy, headbanging, movement, and crowd interaction. To this day I am always covered in sweat after a show.
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At The end of the show I "died" and fell back into the coffin to end the set.
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
We were the first band performing that evening, and the crowd hadn't really showed up yet, unfortunately. We did our sound check and everything was set in place. When we went into "Army of Darkness" after I took the stage, there was an issue... The power chord from my amp was unplugged...
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Apparently they had sound checked the next band, and their front man had thought the gear was being shared and used my power chord on his amp and didn't tell me.
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
We didn't win... In fact we were in last place. The "Judges" had favored the more "easy listening" bands, and the extreme metal bands were at the bottom of the rankings for the evening. Would we have done better if we didn't have those technical issues? Maybe. It still seemed very bias on the Judges taste and not on the "performance" aspect we were under the impression we were being judged on.
Farewell Dedmen Walken
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Shortly after we finished recording the album, Dedmen told us that the show at the Battle of the bands was going to be his last show with Dead Alive. He was young and still figuring out what his path in life was going to be. He also wanted to get married to his girlfriend and work to prepare for that big life change. He got a new mask to replace his makeup and he only got to wear it for one show.
Dead Alive - Army of Darkness | Battle Clips
Fish Fest Trials 2024
Clips from the Fish Fest battle of the bands at the Vinyl Lounge in Nashville. 05/09/2024
We didn't win...
Kingston from the band Outpost unplugged the power cord from my amp. WTF bro?
NEW ENGLAND DEATH METAL FUNTIME BONANZA
NEDMFTB 2024
Dead Alive's first outing out of Nashville, playing at the NEW ENGLAND DEATH METAL FUNTIME BONANZA 2024 in Lebanon, Maine.
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This was a lot of fun. And met a lot of really cool people. My parents helped us get a trailer to haul our gear, and we got Dead Beat's band mate from Hive Mind Blunt Rotation to fill in for us on Bass. It was a 24 hour drive up there (we hit traffic) and about 18 hours back home.
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Introducing... Dreadward
Introcuding...
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
After Dedmen left the band, we needed to find another member. The question is do we get another bassist or guitarist. I wasn't a very strong shred guitarist and neither was Manthing. Dead Alive needed a shredder!
Dreadward
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
There was one guy I had in mind for a while. But I had to wait for him to finish college before he would be available to play. Then Dreadward joined the band!
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
It was pretty much a done deal to me. We auditioned him, and he killed it on all of the songs! I offered him the position right after the initial audition.
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
That first show with Dreadward was awesome! Our stage chemistry was at a whole new level, and I fit into the Bass player/vocalist role really easily.
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Dead Alive was getting better and better each show.
Notably, Ray had some family visiting from Europe, and they were blown away by the performance.
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
We were already getting some notoriety, but now Dead Alive was becoming a force to be reckoned with.
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
One egg that we are still trying to crack was how to make the Nashville scene bigger. It's a game of endurance. Each show is generally lucky to get in front of 5 or more new people at each show that aren't just other bands.
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
I soon found out Nashville is considered a C tier market for shows - because there are so many events happening here all of the time. We're not just competing with other shows, but video games, movies, and an economy that would prefer people to stay at home.
A Word of Warning...
The Madness of Dr. Ludvig Von Brainmatter
ALBUM 2!
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Now it was time to tie up the loose ends for the album release. We called Dedmen back for one last photoshoot.
The Madness of Dead Alive
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
One of the things that we needed to do was plan a music video. So we built a set in "The Dungeon." The walls were provided free of charge from Ray's dad, I made the floor from an old wood fence that I tore down with a claw hammer over a week, We bought set dressings like the faux brick walls and other props, and rented lights.
Count Scapula
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
While The Count is a character within the band Dead Alive, I kind of see him like a horror host of sorts, like the Crypt Keeper, or Elvira. Having him be a sort of Narrator of the Monster stories we sing about.
Count Scapula as Dr. Ludvig Von Brainmatter
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
It's fun playing a character playing a character.
I LOVE B.C. RICH
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Evil Pointy Guitars are superior to all other guitars. I absolutely loathe any guitar that just looks like a squire.
(This is my costume)
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
I had a plastic neck bolt costume piece that I gave Manthing to wear for a photoshoot, to kind of put him in as the role of "The Monster." He immediately broke it trying to put it on.
Manthing
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
So I took the bolt parts and hand sewn them to some material I had laying around to create that costume piece. I thought It was punk and Misfits-y.
Manthing as The Creature
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
He only wore it for one show and then "would forget" to wear it for other shows. So instead of having him be "Manthing The Monster" we leaned into "Manthing The Creed Fan"
Dedmen Walken as Corpse
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Even though Dedmen was "out of the band" we still needed to do a final photoshoot for the album promo and packaging.
Dedmen Walken
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
At this time Ray and I we're in the midst of filming the music video for Re-Agent, and since that song was written by me and Dedmen I wanted to include him in the video somehow - since he helped write the song.
Bird is the word
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
I had him come in early the day of this photoshoot to film a couple clips for the music video, where he is a corpse the Mad Doctor exhumes for fresh parts to experiment on - and his eye becomes the Diddle creature.
Dead Beat
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Dead Beat is the best drummer I've ever seen. It's still crazy to me that he's in MY band. However a trend within Dead Alive seems to be, I'm really the main "horror fan."
Dead Bead as Hunchback Lab Assistant
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
The whole "spooky ghost" character from the first show and Green Hell music video wasn't really sustainable. So when it came time to launch the "Mad Scientist" album I thought it fitting for him to be the hunchback character - ala Igor/Ygor.
Can't really capture sick stick spins in photos
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
One of the first "Horror Movies" I watched as a kid was Mel Brooke's "Young Frankenstein" and I always loved Marty Feldman's Igor character. So Dead Beat became our version of Igor. You can hear us reference Young Frankenstein in our song "Flip The Switch."
We're coming for your heads
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Mel Brooks films were early imprints on my sense of humor - coupled with the fact that my family would quote their films and other classics like "The Princess Bride."
MY CREATION
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
As I got more into horror I really fell in love with Horror Comedies and the Classic Gothic Monsters. And Like everyone in 2012 Zombie movies was also a phase - thanks to The Walking Dead, and Call of Duty.
MY CREATION! (Panic)
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
One thing I've heard as a suggestion to new film makers is to "cut their teeth" with Horror or Comedy. I'd like to be like Rob Zombie and be a rocker who gets to make horror movies.
Brains...
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Dead Alive as a Horror themed band has allowed me to kind of experiment with these horror film making aspects - and I hope to be able to scale it up with time.
Headlock City
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
The Re-Agent music video was very fulfilling in that sense - to cut my teeth in the production standpoint. Building a set, adding lighting, planning out shots, telling a narrative and acting.
Let's get Mad
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
I consider "Count Scapula" and "Doctor Brainmatter" separate characters in my mind. But I kind of brought in the corpse paint character into the Re-Agent Music video.
Recreation of a classic
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
In a way as the author and the actor of the character I am "Both" The Count Scapula and Doctor Ludvig Von Brainmatter. As I write this and we are planning the third album - I juggle the idea of each album being a contained story, or if it should be a connecting narrative.
I'm sure nothing bad will happen
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Again, I see The Count more of a horror host frontman - rather than the actual character within the narrative. Though, naturally as the face of the band The Count kind of gets inserted into the narrative of the videos and subsequently the albums.
OH NO!
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
I write the albums/songs with multi-tiered meanings.
- Fictional Narrative - The monster story being told.
- Metaphorical Commentary - What the songs are trying to say through the narrative or imagery.
- Personal Connection - My personal experience, thoughts, or observations.
There is an unwritten rule that the Bass Player and the Drummer have beef for no reason
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
FLIP THE SWITCH!
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Given the medium in which I'm creating these stories. It seems like most people are "getting" the general story of the fictional narrative - with some minor confusion.
Most also figure out the metaphorical commentary, however, I think personal interpretation is important for people to get their own meanings out of songs. If I say "Gravestoned is a warning song about drug abuse as a cope for monotony" but someone thinks its a song praising weed, they've misinterpreted my intention but they might connect to that meaning more.
Most songs have some kind of personal connection to it. Whether or not its implicitly included within the narrative or just inspiration for lyrics depends on the song.
For instance in Re-Agent. The fictional narrative is the Doctor returning to his lab to begin experimenting on parts of corpses to figure out the secret to re-animate the dead. He studies books on science and ancient tomes of magic searching for the answers. He creates a potion and he injects it into himself, declaring "death will die" bringing the dead to life and attempting to make himself immortal.
Diddle
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
There are multiple metaphors within these lyrics. Both in the commentary and in my personal connection.
There is some commentary on drug use and temptation, but that's not the main point. The main point is the song is about the next generation of metal, and my position in it as someone who is trying to do the whole "band" thing.
The "laboratory" is my workspace. The "bubbling flasks" are my libations, usually a soda or wine. The "Ancient tomes" are my collection of vinyl, and movies, and the various other things that give me inspiration. The "whispering corpses" are the legacy bands that are retiring or dead, and I'm trying to bring them back to life by being inspired by them and keeping the soul of the music that they make alive. Even against the odds of popular taste and algorithms that would prefer "other things."
With the section about the "spike" (syringe) that is multi-layered. One, I have an aversion to blood, and when I get my blood drawn I typically get woozy and risk passing out. Two, The syringe represents my passions and obsessions. Three, I'm dooming myself to the consequences of my life choices.
Flip The Switch
Released July 26th 2024
Recorded with and mixed by Jeremiah Scott
Mastering and Cinematics by Davey Oberlin
Artwork by @DirtyDustVoid on Instagram
Album 2 - Original Sketch
Original Rough draft sketch of The Madness of Dr. Ludvig Von Brainmatter by Dan Goldsworthy
The Madness of Dr. Ludvig Von Brainmatter
Releases October 4th, 2024
Artwork By Dan Goldsworthy
Jeremiah Scott: Recording and Mixing Engineer
Davey Oberlin: Mastering Engineer and Cinematics
Re-Agent
Dead Alive's New Monster... Dreadward!
Passing the torch... er... strings
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Last I spoke to Dedmen he's doing well. Hoping the best for him. We're going to miss the style and personality he brought to the band, but this change was for the best.
Que Rockstar Poses
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
In a way, Dead Alive has always been what it needs to be when it needs to be it. Even though it'd be nice to have something "pop-off" and penetrate the wider conscious of the global metal underground there's still a lot of work to be done at home.
serious photo
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
We went from demos on SoundCloud, to making our first album, playing our first shows as a hodge podge of friends, to a quick and dirty punk outfit, to an actual "band". Our costumes are simple and somewhat tacky, but it's what we can do. Our stage setups are simply foam gravestones and plastic skulls. But the effort we are able to put in is better than just showing up in our street clothes.
Guitar guys
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Keep in mind, this whole time I was broke, getting paid barely 20k a year and going increasingly further into debt. Most of that debt was not even from trying to fund "band things" though band expenses did help bring my taxes down. The financial weight of the band was something I made my personal responsibility, though If the others wanted to participate in buying merch they would get a cut of the profits.
Count Scapula, The Bassist
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
When I was a Junior in high school there was a girl I liked and when she found out I played guitar said "You look like you should play the bass though?" I was offended when she said that at first (mostly because I didn't know what she meant by "looking like a bass player")... but I get it now... And I really like playing bass.
Always B.C. Rich
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Playing in the gloves meant I couldn't play with a pick. Which is fine since I preferred finger style anyway. I feel like I can play at high tempos easier being able to use three or four fingers to pluck the strings. I also picked up some technique from Xander at the NEDMFTB with a modified upstroke technique.
Dreadward...
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Dreadward was an amazing addition to the band. Not only was he a killer guitar player, but he was also a nice, fun, chill guy as well. I also appreciated him also being dedicated to doing music as a career and caring about the business side as well.
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
We had a handful of out of city shows lined up. One in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Alabama, and North Carolina.
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Knoxville was SICK! Unexpectedly we were the headliners of the evening, and a bunch of people came up to us for photos, autographs, and told us they were at the show FOR US!
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
The crowd was practically moshing during the entire set! Which was a huge difference from the crowd in Nashville. It filled us with so much energy - it was probably one of our best shows we've played so far.
Just wait till we get to album 3
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Alabama was kind of dead though. At this small scale when shows hit, they hit! When they miss, its just another day of band practice. We played in front of like 5 people.
No you can't be "the count" I'm "The Count"
Photo by Ray Lee Rose
North Carolina was for a "Haunt Fest." Similarly we played in front of like 9-10 people... We did get a guarantee for performing, so that made it worth it.
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
Just getting out of Nashville for these shows made me realize that what they say is right. Nashville is a C-Tier Metal Market...
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
But when I go to "big shows" rooms are packed. So there is an audience in Nashville for the type of metal that I enjoy.
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
The hard part is getting them to come out to small venues. I've had conversations with "metal" looking people at events around Nashville. And these people "love going to shows." But what they mean is they love going to big arena shows, and had no idea about the local music scene or what venues host the shows.
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Photo by Ray Lee Rose
I've even had a few of them say "I'll catch you when you play at Bridgestone" or the Brooklyn Bowl, etc, etc. Which for a band at my scale to play at these kinds of venues at that time in our career, was practically impossible... and in a way was sort of a backhanded insult.
IT'S ALIVE! - The Madness of Dr. Ludvig Von Brainmatter Out Now!
The Madness of Dr. Ludvig Von Brainmatter Album Release Show
Live Wire
Fright Night
Smoke Bloody Gore
Photo by Joshua Herndon
BLEGH
Photo by Joshua Herndon
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Photo by Joshua Herndon
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Photo by Joshua Herndon
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Photo by Joshua Herndon
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Photo by Joshua Herndon
30 Years of Embodiment
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Photo by Lester Hathaway
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Photo by Lester Hathaway
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Photo by Lester Hathaway
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Photo by Lester Hathaway
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Photo by Lester Hathaway
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Photo by Lester Hathaway
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Photo by Lester Hathaway
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Photo by Lester Hathaway