ROCKET’s Interview With Dirt Von Karloff Of SOCIETY 1

“When I started people honestly didn't understand where I was trying to go with what I was doing," says Lion. "Eventually the fans caught on and by then the scene started to change. I was always and still am in a peculiar position as far as my stuff is concerned. I’m too melodic for the hardcore scene and I’m way too aggressive and heavy for the melodic rock scene. Since I’m not part of any scene I have to create my own world musically speaking. This is much harder than following a trend but it lasts much longer as well. I was never someone who ran with the herd. If you want to be a mega pop or rock star you have to cave a little in order to please more people. Most bands that really become giant success stories are bands that are willing to change for the sake of making more money. I remember, for example, when Pantera was a band very much like Poison, with pink spandex and all the trimmings. When the glam scene started losing its lustre they changed into a heavy band because the scene became more of a heavy scene. Ministry looked and sounded a lot like A Flock Of Seagulls at one point and changed as soon as heavy industrial stuff became popular. I remember when Ian Astbury looked and sounded like a gay pirate before he went metal and broke into my closet. Today he is doing a great Jim Morrison impression and singing Doors karaoke every night. This is what you need to do if selling huge numbers is what drives your ambitions. I’ve never been and never will be willing to compromise what I do for anything.”