“Emmure is a Deathcore band from New York. I met them through HIGHFIVE. They weren’t as fucking huge as they are now, but they were a lot of fun and really immersed themselves into doing these pictures. They went as far as shaving their bodies to accommodate what I had to do to them, in order to get the level of decomposition I desired. I was grateful, because doing these photos allowed me to touch a darkness inside myself that I very much wanted to touch. Much of the shoot was filmed by Gary Michel, I believe, who was on the road with them. But I’ve never seen the footage.
Their bassist Mark Davis was easily the yummiest of the group. But for some reason, I went for lead singer Frankie Palmeri (it’s his beautiful eyes) and started calling him Frankie Bear. The bullshit that I’ve heard – regarding him being homophobic – is just that: bullshit. He was very free, open and a lot of fun, going so far as showing me his hairy butt at one point. I thought I was special, but then I learned he shows his hairy butt to everyone (ha).
I rank this collection of photos as simply some of the best series I’ve ever done. I wasn’t alone in my sentiment. It was with this feature that I found out my work is well known by Denver police and I actually was complimented by several officers, who had been to many crime scenes. The photos look as if we shot them in some spooky forest, but in reality, they were shot in the spooky backyard of my friends, Jeremy Atkins and Brittany B-Rexy Paige .
The final picture (bottom right) was shot a week after the group left. I needed to show what happened to the bottom half of drummer Joe Lionetti (bottom middle), whose death photo just didn’t feel complete. I had a mental image of a decaying bottom half of a body, impaled with a tree branch. I put out a casting call over facebook, looking for someone to die in such a horrible way. Jordon Jorden Brantley offered the services of his body and was a top consideration, but I thought it might be too intense for him. I ended up getting a extremely talented artist friend named Loushane Randall, who had previously performed as a zombie with The Faggots of Death. He actually went though a lot of pain to get this shot done (have someone shove a tree branch up against your asshole and see how you like it). I remember he was very happy with how his lower half looked once the shoot concluded, however. He was planning to put on some buttless chaps and go to a leather bar, later that night.
These pics were shot by Andrea Rebel”
~Maris The Great
THE DEMISE OF EMMURE
EMMURE'S FINAL INTERVIEW
Most mortals get in bands dreaming of fame, or at least world-wide recognition and wealth. What is your dream within Emmure?
Frankie- Bear: World Wide Recognition and Wealth wouldn’t be to bad! But the goal initially for me was to connect with people. And use music as a platform for me to express my feelings and ideas. I think I’ve accomplished at least that much.
The last time I saw you play, you went over really well, but this most recent time, people went ape-shit. Has Emmure’s popularity been increasing? Why?
Frankie-Bear: I would like to say its been increasing! To answer why is simple: “TOURING!”. We are always on the road and putting our name out there. We hope the next time we come back its even better than ape-shit..It’s LION SHIT!
Tell me about the new CD “The Respect Issue”
Frankie-Bear: The new record is hands down the most brutal record we’ve released to date. There’s a lot of harsh lyrics and brutal parts that I think will keep our fans listening.
Why did you title it that?
Frankie-Bear: I felt it was a strong title, especially based on the lyrical content..most of the songs have to do with removing people who have crossed you in life.. “Tales From The Burg” is definitely the song that I think best expresses our sound and vibe both lyrically and musically. Its a really energetic, and brutal track.
Are your lyrics just stuff you make up up or…?
Frankie-Bear: No, it’s all based on experience. Everything I write is 100% true. Most of the time I write about how I view myself or about people I feel have hurt me.
I plan on killing you. Are you going to write a song about me?
Frankie-Bear: Probably not. You’re cool in my book.
Oh, then you should write a love ballad!
Frankie-Bear: That’s not really my forte.
Do you think the fact you swing both ways will fly in the machismo world of Metal?
Frankie-Bear: Swinging swords you mean? I think the cheese mo of metal will be cool with my mighty sword swinging!
That’s not what I’m talking about! Remember that time I performed fellatio on you in that tub? Does your band even know?
Frankie-Bear: (Laughs)..in your DREAMS Maris..but you did a sneak peek at my harry ass..and I think everyone knows about that.
Did you know a hairy buttocks is a highly coveted thing in the gay community?
Frankie-Bear: Really? That’s dumb. I would think a smooth, pampered butt would be more desirable.
There’s a whole gay audience out there that would love you for your hairy buttocks. You could even pose for BEAR MAGAZINE and use the money to offset touring debt!
Frankie-Bear: (Laughs) Next question!
I notice so many bands within your genre try to look and act the same. Do you try to do anything to make Emmure unique?
Frankie-Bear: Totally. I mean, I’ve made it my personal mission to break stereotypes and push the envelope of what heavy music is all about. I think there’s definitely room to do things that are creative and fresh.
And what about yourself?
Frankie-Bear: Sure. The clothes I wear, the way I sing, my entire persona. I’ve heard plenty of times that people think I’m a rapper when I walk on stage (laughs). I think when people think of a Metal singer they have this preconceived notion of how they’re supposed to be. Sometimes it’s necessary to break that mold.
Tell me about Kurt Angle and how he got connected with Emmure
Frankie-Bear: TNA wrestling and Victory Records have a nice business relationship..they help each other reach large demographics with both music and mainstream entertainment..so.. it’s really all about marketing. We wanted to get a iconic figure for our album and Kurt Angle was the go to guy!
Can you hook me up with him, so that I can run my tongue along his anal region?
Frankie-Bear: I will do anything and everything I can to get you hooked up with Mr. Angle!
Is credibility important to you? How do you maintain it, within the band?
Frankie-Bear: Personally , I try to keep it as real as possible with myself and our fans. I get a lot of emails, instant messages, public interaction with our fans and they are really amazing. If people appreciate our music I try to make them also appreciate us as people.
Is being in Emmure therapeutic for you? How does being in the band make you feel as a human being?
Frankie-Bear: It’s changed a lot about my life, I never thought I would really get to experience even half the things I’ve done in my short 21 years on this earth..and I feel very blessed.
All Murder Photography by Rebel Photo
Accomplices: Brittany Paige, General D. Kay and Loushane Randall