Horror Story

In Jan 2000 members of New Zealand Punk/Metal bands Nefarious, Valhalla Crossroads, 1080 and Horror Business stitched together their ultimate Rock n Roll Monster! They called it Horror Story. Instantly becoming New Zealands premier Horror Punk band!

On Halloween that year the band recorded a 17 song Demo called Monsterpiece which was released in 2001 by the bands Demon Nation label. A limited edition of 1000 copies were snapped up by horror-hungry fiends! The albums werewolf sing-along 13 Moons also featured on Auckland label Puppykiller Records – Pick of the Litter compilation.

For Halloween 2002 the band (complete with new rhythm section) recorded 10 new songs and re-recorded 10 songs from Monsterpiece. Combined with a video for Tombstone (made in a local graveyard) and a full colour portrait of the band on its cover Graverobbers From Outer Space was released on Halloween 2003 by Demon Nation.

During this time the face-painted fiends infiltrated NZ televisions Space and XSTV including both programs Best of 2003 shows! The Tombstone music video has also been aired on C4 numerous times.

In Jan 2004 the band was asked to record a Misfits cover for the new Misfits tribute album being released by American Horror Punk label Crypt of Blood Records. As a result a cover version of Braineaters was the bonus track on the second pressing of Too Much Horror Business: 1977-1983 and Graverobbers From Outer Space was picked up for distribution in the U.S.A, Canada and Mexico thru Crypt of Blood Records.

In between constant live shows the band recorded 6 new songs before drummer Craig Plague left in Feb 04. Nekrotika drummer Craig Psycho stepped in, recording Demos with the band the same day that Plague left!

Halloween 2004 saw the release of Rock n Roll Frankenstein featuring the songs recorded in Feb, and bonus tracks taken from Monsterpiece. A video for Devil Girl From Mars has been made, and work is currently being made on a new album Bride of the Monster, 18 songs of pure Horror Punk with Craig Psychos drumming re-affirming the bands Psychobilly influenced Punk Rock sound!

Undead Semp left in 2006 to start up his own project Red Hot Pussy Liquor and was replaced by Von Toxic’s brother Shawn Toxic. A huge recording session on 06/06/06 resulted in an EP Sons of Hell Island (2007) and full-length album Songs From The Devils Jukebox (2008). After this Craig Psycho left to front his own band Shut The Hell Up! His replacement Chris Katipo (who had been in Von Toxic & Semps band in the 90’s Nefarious and Horror Business) came on board for the darker and heavier Frankenskull A.D album (released 2010). Due to illness he was replaced by Jackal Mayhem (Drummer in H.S. side band Cyclotrode X) who played on 2012 opus to death This Graveyard Earth bringing back a mostly punk feel with heavy grooves and slick production. To celebrate, the album was given away as a download on horror-punks.com as well as the usual CD release.

A month later bassist Shawn Toxic would die,asleep at the wheel. The band took a year off and returned with bassist Stefan Ex. In time to open for the Misfits a second time,the band continued playing live until December 2015 when the band found themselves playing with the Misfits on a third tour. An acoustic album was recorded and released as well as re issues of the catalog on CD and a limited box set were to be the end for the band, we never had the backing to tour outside New Zealand and the tour circuit here was looking bleak so it seemed like time to end. Then in 2017 fan/friend Chory Von Creeper convinced the band to make a new album, this became 2019’s Return of The Strange album which featured Von Creeper on drums. He even traveled 10,000 Km to play live! Next up is our 20th anniversary!! First we released another acoustic album as a free download!

In between these albums and line-up changes, there have been plenty of live shows, a few magazine articles and reviews (Vampirella magazine, U.K Metal Hammer, Kerrang, New Zealand Musician, Rip it Up has had a few mentions as well and Real Groove) Broadsword Comics in the U.S.A has included the band in 2 of its publications: ‘Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose’ and ‘School Bites’. Appearances on TV shows such as the now defunct Space TV, 3 appearances on XSTV and videos being popular on C4 and Alt T.V showcasing the bands love for B-Grade Horror imagery.

Horror Story have also had a fair share of tracks being included on both domestic compilations such as: Puppy Killer Records vol 1 and 2, Demon Nation vol 2, Have a Beer Mate vol 1, Awesome Feelings (Real Groovy free CD) and the Illicit Throw Up Ya Goats tribute CD to deceased friend of the band Martin F. Emond. Exposure on International Horror Rock compilation The Horror of it All Vol 2 & free download comp Bands of World Horror Network released by the World Horror Network/Dr.Cyclops records cemented Horror Story’s name on the international scene.

Late 2005 saw the band win a world-wide online Battle of the Bands, and a tour of the U.S.A was the prize, unfortunately the organizer didn’t think a band from New Zealand would win, and decided to cancel the whole thing and pack up his booking agency of 13 years. Horror Story have shared stages and held their own with bands like The Misfits, U.K. Subs, Nekromantix, The Bleeders, The Varukers, Die! Die! Die!, Flesh D-Vice and many others. The bands popularity on websites like the original MySpace resulted in fans from all over the globe wanting to see Horror Story in their town and CD sales and downloads from sites like iTunes continue to increase over time.

Horror Story have been on 3 download comps from horror-punks.com , the 1st Universe of Horror Punk download comp, Generation Dead compilation CD on Dead Records Australia and on the free Radio Control compilation CD Control Freaks Rule The Air. We missed out on a deal with People Like you Records due to our lack of funds to tour Europe. In more recent years there have been more comps on CD from different countries & download comps keep coming out. We have a deal with Deadly distribution in Germany & are talking with a label about doing vinyl.

There are 10 music videos, 1 has over 100,000 thousand views on you tube.You can buy the albums from international webstores like Interpunk, CD Baby and digital stores like iTunes etc and from Bandcamp. Contact the band on Facebook (keyword:Horror Story), or email von Toxic @ [email protected]