CALL IT MONSTER-METAL, CALL IT HORRORCORE, CALL THEM......MANIMALS!

The night sky glows neon blue, like the cathode-ray tube of an old black and white TV. Midnight trees twist and shudder as the tension mounts. MANIMALS are stirring. Muscles swell, eyes roll back and the rage explodes. The evil has returned...

Led by founder/visionary Larry The Wolf (LTW), the MANIMALS have lurked in the darkest shadows of underground music for years. Emerging from the Detroit/Toledo hardcore scene of the early 1980's, this unholy three-piece punished punk crowds along side such acts as NEGATIVE APPROACH, The Danzig-era MISFITS, GOVERNMENT ISSUE and THE NECROS. A handful of legendary shows and a self-produced EP entitled "Blood Is The Harvest" released in 1985 hinted at The Wolf's ultimate master plan. For five years, the MANIMALS reigned as the most notorious band on the Cleveland, Ohio metal scene. Delivering occasional, but shocking legendary live shows, this period saw a number of national acts refusing to allow these punk/metal monsters on the bill. A few notable exceptions were shows with SAMHAIN, NUCLEAR ASSAULT and MEGADETH. Then mysteriously, LTW and company disappeared. It was not until 1996 that they would resurface.

In 1993 LTW attended the 35th Anniversary Famous Monsters Convention and met one of his childhood heroes, Forrest J. Ackerman. Inspired by the resurgence of interest in the horror genre, Larry began formulating his return. Then in 1996 LTW was invited to make a guest appearance singing with old friends THE MISFITS at a sold-out show in Cleveland, Ohio. The rabid response from the fans reinforced the drive to carry out the Wolf's vision as it was truly meant to be.

Recruiting the soul-crushing thunder of Dark and the mysterious hands of Orlock, this unholy three blends into a monster-powered groove. The sound is a unique hybrid of LTW's eclectic tastes, combining hardcore punk/metal/rock filtered through a lifelong devotion to classic horror films. Mr. Ackerman was so impressed with the project that he agreed to record an intro on the band's 1999 first full-length album "Horrorcore". The album, recorded and produced by BREAKER guitarist Don Depew, received enthusiastic critical acclaim and is regarded by many as one of the greatest horror-rock/punk albums ever released.

Over the years the band has headlined several major horror conventions , including the Chiller Theatre Expo and FrightVision, and garnished the attention and praises of musical luminaries such as Glenn Danzig.

LTW recruited guitarist Von K to join the pack in 2009.

The MANIMALS will be releasing a two-disc anthology in 2012 entitled "Studies In Scarlet (1982-2012)" via Auburn Records. The collection will feature their EP, full-length album, compilation, live and demo tracks, along with 3 new brand new songs.

The MANIMALS will celebrate their 30th anniversary as a band with an exclusive live performance, their first-ever overseas, at the sold out 2012 Wacken Open Air festival in Germany - the world's biggest heavy metal festival. Coincidentally enough the band's very first overseas fan letter came from a fan in Germany back in the early '80s. This promises to be a devastating performance of monster-metal and Horrorcore from the uncrowned Kings of Horror!

"The MANIMALS seize classic horror themes by the jugular and rock them into the next millennium. They are without a doubt the best-ever in the horror/rock genre"
Gary Don Rhodes
Bela Lugosi Scholar/Author/Film Historian