Locals Only: ALLTHEDAMNVAMPIRES bring horror punk to NEPA

Break out the guyliner and queue up the slasher movies because we’re getting to know your local horror punk band, ALLTHEDAMNVAMPIRES. Catch their music on 979X’s “Locals Only” show on Sundays at 7:00 p.m.

“Horror punk is a scene, not a genre, and it encompasses a lot of different sounds. The most accessible way to put it is that we’re a pop punk band that wants to be a metal band when it grows up,” explained Elvis Aro Deadly, lead vocalist and backing guitarist.

ALLTHEDAMNVAMPIRES is Wilkes-Barre’s fun and freaky punk rock band. Band founders, Elvis Aro Deadly and Bobo became instant best friends after Bobo attended Elvis’s Deadstar Assembly after-party and never went home.

In 2016, Bobo suffered a pulmonary event that sent him into a coma. Elvis stuck by his side throughout his recovery and as Bobo continued healing, the two began jamming together. Bobo decided he wanted to play properly so he bought a drum-kit, suddenly they were tapping co-workers and holding auditions, and before they knew it — ALLTHEDAMNVAMPIRES was born.

“I met Marz playing bass for Charles Manson Dance Academy with Tedd Hazard. They played a gig with us in Scranton and when he started posting videos playing guitar, looking for a band — I snapped him right up. Bryan Revived was just a friend who came in to hang out during a rehearsal and asked if he could jam with us. He fit well, so we decided to keep him! “ said Elvis of his two other band mates. “These guys make me excited to make music.”

The band releases music under their own label, Cortege Records, which Elvis started himself. He launched the record label when ALLTHEDAMNVAMPIRES were working on their first full-length album, “Gray Matter Splatter” and ever since, release everything under their own name. Elvis also co-owns the The Sanctum NEPA with his business partner, Deeb.

“We put on a fun stage show, offer a lot of audience engagement, and above all, we’re 100% DIY. We own our bus, we own our rehearsal space, we own our recording space, we design our merch, we have a full print shop, I own the label that releases our music,” said Elvis. “We’ve cut out as much overhead as possible to streamline the process of creating, sharing, and performing our art.”

As singer-songwriter for ALLTHEDAMNVAMPIRES, Elvis always keeps one of his 15 guitars close by in case he needs to work out a melody. That, or he’ll try out new material on his dog, Ivan The Terri-pibble, to test different keys and melodies. He keeps a running document of all his ideas so none of them ever go to waste.

“It’s a big point of pride for me that my vocals stand on their own. I don’t try to sound like anyone but me!” said Elvis.

Elvis says making music is just something he needs to do.“Whether I make a buck or not, I’d still be doing it, writing these songs gets the worst parts of my mental health out in a way that’s safe for me. Performing for an audience gives me something I can’t get anywhere else.”

Elvis pulls inspiration from movies, comics, cartoons, books, games, and news, but also on his own challenges with mental illnesses, childhood trauma, death and loss, heartbreak, and even addiction when he was younger.

“Unfortunately, since you can only write what you know, all I know is Satan, monster movies. and mental illness, so my pop songs are horribly unmarketable — but they make for decent punk songs! We also have a rock-solid lead player who knows when to let the songs breathe and when to be flashy, a bass player who’s built like a monster, and a drummer who will hold the beat through an asthma attack,” said Elvis of himself and his distinct band.

Elvis says he and ALLTHEDAMNVAMPIRES make art for art’s sake. They release music they want to release, they play shows when they feel right, they’re happy if you like their music, but if you don’t — too bad! This is a band who creates music on their own terms.

ALLTHEDAMNVAMPIRES is currently working on a new album called “Midnight Radio” that they’re almost done writing. Elvis is also working his own solo acoustic project with an album called “Better The Devil.” The solo album will be a dark folk sound with many of the elements exhibited in ATDV but with more introspection that’s personal to Elvis.

Elvis has a new music video for his solo project out on YouTube now, and there’s new merch coming for both projects soon…and perhaps a new video or two on the way. Locals can see ALLTHEDAMNVAMPIRES in the flesh on April 20 at Keystone Stage with Riverside Odds from Philly and Zombii from Connecticut. They plan to play surrounding states over the summer and fall.

Find their horror punk music and merch at cortegerecords.bandcamp.com and catch ALLTHEDAMNVAMPIRES on 979X’s “Locals Only” Show with Lazy E during Sundays from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.