Articles

NME.com 'Amen frontman turns his back on metal'

AMEN frontman CASEY CHAOS has branded fellow US metal act MARILYN MANSON "gimmicky" and professes to admire European female singers like PJ HARVEY, who he describes as "like GHANDI".

Speaking exclusively to NME.COM, Chaos denied that Amen intend to shock people with their music and imagery. He said: "Marilyn Manson, that's just a show, it's shock rock. Amen is the embodiment of not that, because it's sort of gimmicky I think. I just try to portray images and lyrics and music that complement each other and put it in a package. Because if I wanted to shock people I'd do a lot more shit. But that's not we want to do, it's about the music and honesty, but I think the truth is shocking right now."

Speaking about his current musical influences. He said: "I totally respect Bjork, I think she's a genius. She's so good, it's so real. That's what I think music needs today. I listen to so much stuff man, I listen to Black Metal, that's the only aggressive music, but there's an artist that Bjork signed, Emilianna Torinni - I love that album."

Enthusing about PJ Harvey's new album 'Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea', he said: "I love her so much, she's so amazing. She's one of those people on the planet that have so much power, it's like Ghandi. I saw her in Hollywood, and LA is the most jaded city in the fucking world, people want to stand there and look cool, they don't give a fuck. She just stood in one place and sang and there wasn't a mouth that was fucking not wide open at how much power she has. Like Nick Cave you know, people who are survivors and put it across. It's really spiritual I think."

Despite Amen's morbid image, Chaos added that the band are so happy at the moment that "right now I think our next record will probably end up sounding like fucking Britney Spears or somebody".