CRYPTOPSY Singer LORD WORM: 'Show Me The Money'

CRYPTOPSY singer Lord Worm recently spoke to Metallian.com about his departure from the group eight years ago and his eventual decision to rejoin the band. Several excerpts from the interview follow:

Metallian: Why did you leave CRYPTOPSY at a time when it seemed the band is just about to make it big? There were so many rumours.

Lord Worm: "Yes, and I am fairly certain most of them were off the mark. At the time, of course, I was not working. Which employer wants someone who is going to disappear and go out of town to tour to work for them? I was not working which meant I was on welfare. That is fine, but welfare sends you a check once a month. That is fine again, but it certainly not enough to cover a two-bedroom apartment and food and electricity and phone. So my fiancé, at the time, was paying for all of it through her part-time job. In the meanwhile, I was using my money to help finance the band. How nice is that?

"I had to leave. It was a question of my personal honour. What kind of a bloodsucker am I that she is going to pay for everything and I am going to go gallivanting across the planet? I basically forced myself to leave."

Metallian: Can you explain the rumours that has you more into black metal at the time and preferred to be in such a band instead?

Lord Worm: "Oh, as a side-project sure. I adore black metal, but not to give up CRYPTOPSY. I did not join a black metal band. There has absolutely been nothing for... eight years. The rumours about my illness were also false. I am healthy."

On being asked to rejoin the band:

Lord Worm: "Flo called me and asked me the only way I would even think about it. He asked me whether I was one-hundred percent positive I would never ever come back. I said, 'Well not one-hundred percent.' Then I could see the wheels turning in his head. He asked me what I was doing on the Saturday night and I thought 'I know where this is going.' He had Jon and Eric join us at his house and we talked. They pitched me. I reminded them why I left. I reminded them I was paying hundreds of dollars for the simple pleasure of going on tour and coming back without any money. I said 'Honestly guys, show me the money.' Flo told me to look around. That is his house. Jon piped in and said he has a house too. That was it. Anyone who can buy a house on CRYPTOPSY money... Sorry to sound like a money grubber, but I am working two jobs and CRYPTOPSY would be a third job for me so it had to be worth my while."

Metallian: Care to comment on the report that Century Media put some pressure on the band to get you back?

Lord Worm: "Actually, they are not. If we want to be dead honest we are putting pressure on them. We want more from them than they are comfortable delivering. What it comes down to is a clause in our contract, and we hear from many sources that it is a standard clause in a standard contract, that prevents us from ever making money. We end up indebted to the label forever, unless we become double-platinum or something, and we end up becoming their employees. The band signed the contract, which was for seven releases, and has two of those releases under its belt. The label also decided that the live album doesn't count. When we get the royalty statements we notice that the numbers never jive. It's always that CRYPTOPSY makes nothing and Century Media makes everything. OK, that's standard, cool, but guys can we actually change this so CRYPTOPSY makes some money on album sales? Could we do that please (laughs)? So that's us putting pressure on them. We are asking them to change that and then they can have the next release. They are going to have to jump for it. That clause says something like 'money coming to CRYPTOPSY is precluded (laughs).' "

Read Lord Worm's entire interview with Metallian.com at this location.