Horror Scene has been born. Fresh out of the fire, this is in-your-face heavy metal from the darker side. Longtime Central PA cult classics Suicide Puppets have been undergoing a transformation. If you’ve followed their socials, you’ve already seen the changes unfolding over the past year. To be clear—this is still the same band with the same stage presence. They’ve simply embraced where life has taken them and made the shift needed to defeat the algorithms that held them back for years. The name—once pulled from an early internet band name generator—had run its course. Now, they’ve buried everything “puppets”-related to make sure fans don’t need a help line to find them.
On October 3rd, Welcome To Your Hell will be the first official single release as Horror Scene, accompanied by a new video shot at the infamous Facktory in Liverpool, PA by JBAW Productions. The video will serve as a sequel to their popular Piggy video released earlier this year, symbolizing the death of the puppets and the rise of Horror Scene as they slaughter everything puppet-related—including the fans—in this horror-inspired work of art.
So who is Horror Scene? Or rather—the band formerly known as Suicide Puppets? Twisty—lead singer and frontman, melting mics with his screaming vocals—is one of the original founding members, alongside Jonny Suicide, bass man extraordinaire and the only guy I know with his own action figure. These two have been with the band since its inception in 2006. They were quickly joined by longtime member Steven Horror (lead guitar), who jokes that he was “just hanging out in jail waiting for the call” when Twisty rang him. He broke out fast and has been with the band ever since. Veritas (drums) answered an ad on 105.7X seeking a double-kick drummer who liked makeup and sharp objects. After his audition, he simply left his drums behind—it was obvious he was in.
Invictus and Z are the newer members, taking over the roles of guitar-slaying and scaring small children. Invictus, a longtime fan, had watched them perform for years at places like Tubby’s and Johnny Joe’s, as well as opening for Wednesday 13. A natural fit, he and Steven now battle it out on guitar—trading riffs and leads—creating the band’s signature sound. Z, the towering hooded figure in the shadows, remains a mystery. His deep, thunderous guitar paired with Jonny’s bass gives Horror Scene the dark, crushing tone of their horror-infused heavy metal.
This six-piece has been gaining traction in the horror-metal scene and recently teamed up with Frank Dormani, who has already landed their songs in eight movies. Released titles include The Boy From Below and The Slasher Nurse featuring “Prey,” along with Blood on the Bleachers featuring “Everyday,” “Death Note,” and “Sinner.” They’ve also partnered with Monster Entertainment, who will be booking them at horror fests nationwide, and Skateboard Marketing LTD, who are helping push their music out over the airwaves to new fans.
They’ve begun working with Dan Malesch at Soundmine Recording Studio—a multi-Grammy-nominated mix engineer known for his passion and meticulous attention to detail. With state-of-the-art equipment and techniques, Dan has helped them fine-tune and capture the sound they’d been chasing for years. His work has clearly taken them to the next level, as proven in their latest releases. Dan has also worked with Ghost, Avenged Sevenfold and Gojira as well.
For management, they’ve teamed up with Josh Balz, former keyboardist of Motionless in White. Both he and Dan have been instrumental in guiding the rebrand and helping the band finally reach a wider fan base. “No more pentagrams” was the advice when Twisty was reworking the new logo. Still cryptic with hidden dark meanings, yes—but no longer so obvious to the mainstream.
So, did the puppets “sell out” to the mainstream? Or maybe the better question is—is the mainstream finally ready for Horror Scene? After sitting in on a practice session deep in the woods at the Horror Scene compound, I was blasted with songs like Piggy, Prey, and the soon-to-be-released Welcome To Your Hell, followed by Yeah You-which will be featured in the upcoming Chase Didley Thriller “The Desperate”. Both of the new tracks are instant classics. As a longtime Puppets fan, I can say with confidence: they haven’t sold out—they’ve embraced the future, taken guidance from Josh and Dan, and leaned into what they always knew they had to do.
Horror Scene wants to thank all the hardcore Puppets fans for years of support as they take this next step forward. They want to make it clear: they’re still the same great group of guys they’ve always been—end quote. And truly, there isn’t a better group when it comes to supporting the local scene. I can’t wait to see what the next chapter in this thriller of a story brings them.
Check out the full list of upcoming shows and links below for all your Horror Scene news and updates
http://www.horrorsceneband.com
https://www.facebook.com/HorrorSceneBand
https://www.youtube.com/@HorrorSceneBand
Horror Scene’s Favorite Horror Movies:
Twisty- American Werewolf in London
Steven Horror- Nightmare on Elm St 3
Jonny Suicide- Creep Show
Veritas- Army of Darkness
Invictus- The Return of the Living Dead
Z- The Collector
