The Other, ‘New Blood’ — New Album

Horror rock, when done well, is probably one of the most thrilling and fun to watch subgenres in metal. But "doing it right" isn't something that comes easy for a lot of aspiring horrorists. But Germany's the Other are on a quest to become one of the world's pre-eminent horror bands with their new album, 'New Blood,' which will see the harsh, cold light of day on Aug. 31.

When asked who is his favorite horror showman of all time, vocalist Rod Usher was flummoxed. "That's very hard to choose, because both Alice Cooper and Glenn Danzig are my favorite horror rockers, and I am a huge Kiss fan," Usher told Noisecreep. "But I think Alice Cooper wins for me, because he's a legend, has released countless great albums, has invented the whole theatrical stage show and we will support him this June at his only headlining show in Germany and play with him, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Mötley Crüe and others at the legendary Wacken Open Air."

We also asked Usher to give us the rundown on the three most important things a horror rocker must do to be successful and not cheesier than a pot of melted Velveeta, which some vampiric musicians succumb to by trying too hard. Here are his suggestions.

Cultivate your own style. "Don't try to just rework old Misfits songs. Find your own identity in a genre that is so diverse that influences can range from the Cramps to Rob Zombie."

Be creative. "Good horror rock bands don't just sing about movies by retelling them. A movie can be an inspiration, but not all that the song is about. Find your own angle, find your own interpretation. And remember, there's not only movies out there, but books, comics, amusement parks, real events or your own emotions and thoughts."



Learn how to apply your makeup! "Don't put on make-up unless you have a good idea about how to use it. Bands look like they bought their first pack of clown-white and then tried to apply skull makeup. If you don't have a new idea, just wear black clothes and leather jackets. That's better than looking like a 9-year-old on Halloween."

The Other put their loot where their piehole is, and they even have their own comic book, 'Tales From the Other.' A second series is in the planning stages. "'Tales From the Other' was a history of the band and the characters," Usher said, revealing details of the back story. "About how we all became the monsters that we are and were then reanimated by Doctor Caligari to become a band and set out to dominate the world. I, for example, am the real Roderick Usher, who survived the fall of the house of Usher -- yes, Poe lied! It turned out that I was so weird, because I'm a werewolf. An angry lynch mob used a silver bullet to bring me down and more than a hundred years later. I was dug up by the good Doc and became the singer for the Other."

The band is "throwing ideas together" for the follow-up comic, which will probably see the band fighting a great villain that wants to take over the world himself and has killed a few of their peers in horror rock bands. "Maybe we can have a little Marvel Team Up vibe in their and feature some good friends, like Blitzkid, Shadow Reichenstein or Rezure. We will see."