LORD WORM: I Left CRYPTOPSY For Health Reasons

Ali "The Metallian" of the Metallian webzine recently conducted an interview with former CRYPTOPSY frontman Lord Worm (a.k.a. Dan Greening) about his departure from the group. A few excerpts follow:

Metallian: Can you explain why you are no longer in CRYPTOPSY?

Lord Worm: Pretty much because every time we went out on the road for any stretch of time I ended up catching something and killing my health. It gets worse as time goes on. It is better for my health and better for CRYPTOPSY if I leave now.

Metallian: Are you referring to something as common as flu, or something more serious?

Lord Worm: No, I have been known to come home with pneumonia, sometimes double.

Metallian: Your departure, in other words, has nothing to do with the band's music or any band member.

Lord Worm: Pretty much. The body breaks down and you have to make room for someone younger who might not have health issues.

Metallian: Having said that older musicians, let's use Lemmy as an example, seem to be continuing without a problem.

Lord Worm: Yeah, but Lemmy doesn't do what I do. That's the thing. There is certain amount of extreme activity that Lemmy no longer has to engage in — if he ever did. This includes carrying our own gear and the activity on stage. Lemmy basically stands. I don't. It takes a lot out of your lungs.

Metallian: Were you completely happy with the last album you made with CRYPTOPSY, "Once Was Not"?

Lord Worm: I wouldn't say happy; I would say satisfied with the job done. The music was already written by the time I came back into the band. I really had no saying in arrangements or specific riffs. I was given an assignment to write the lyrics and arrange them for this music. I did that. In that sense, I am satisfied that I did the job as well as I could with the constraints I was given. I am into extreme hate-filled black metal. Anything that approaches that I approve of. The more diametrically opposed to that the music is, though I might appreciate the talent behind it, it won't be the type of thing I would listen to. CRYPTOPSY has never been a band I would listen to. I appreciate the effort that would go into it, but it is not something that would go into the CD player unlike, let's say, "Deathspell Omega".

Metallian: Your statements thus far contradict CRYPTOPSY's assertion that you were booted from the band…

Lord Worm: Interesting.

Metallian: How do you reconcile the two versions?

Lord Worm: I have not really read what is being said. Interesting. When Flo and I discussed this we agreed that we might as well do it now. It is the right time to get someone in the band because CRYPTOPSY is in the writing period. We agreed that whoever the new guy might be should get used to everyone else in the band and the way the band works. Then eventually when the touring starts again the new singer would not only have the new material under his belt, but also get some of the older material under his belt as well. I haven't actually spoken to Alex since we came back from Ontario two weeks ago. I will probably talk to him this week. It doesn't bother me. Either way, I am gone. It doesn't bother me.

Read the entire interview at Metallian.