EERiE Ln. might frighten the bejeesus out of you but they don't really mean to.

" A sweet sugar coated vampire kiss"
Stolen in the night from a dead girls' lips
Cool gray skies pass overhead
Dancing 'round the fire with the pale young dead" Scared yet?
Horror-core ensemble EERiE Ln. hopes so, but just enough to make you want to hear more. No, they're not from Transylvania, they aren't satanists or vampires, and they haven't practiced ritual sacrifice on any children or small animals. But they're still young.

The Ft.Worth based ensemble is making a name around town with it's guitar driven assaults and campy horror schtick. Dressed in head to toe noir, the groups members have a penchant for getting noticed, not only for their fashion sense, but for their music and frenzied live performances, which have resulted in an altercation or two.

"Our fans really get into it." vocalist Corey "Boo" Gruesome admits. (Everyone uses an alias) "At one show, the mosh pit got so out of control, someone knocked over a table and a guy cut his hand wide open on some broken glass. Blood everywhere. We don't encourage it, but, we aren't going to dictate how people act. We want everyone to have fun."

Fun is a word the band members use frequently to describe their music and their collective aspirations. This may surprise those who rush to judje this band solely on its dark and negative imagery. EERiE Ln. combines early 80's gothic, a la London's Batcave, with punk minimalism and a love for all things Halloween.

"I love the smell of leaves and latex masks," Gruesome says.

Although they teeter on a tightrope of cheese, the groups sincerity, self realization and sense of showmanship lend them credibility where others may stray into pretentiousness or gimmickery. In short, they are more akin to Frakenstein then Marilyn Manson, a somparison the band says is common but incorrect.

"People always compare us to Manson." Gruesome says. "We like them, but we're doing something completely different. Sometimes people have come up to me and said, 'Marilyn Manson, Satan, yeah !' Like we're supposed to be into that. We're like 'Uh, no thanks!"

EERiE Ln. (named after Danzig bassist Eerie Von, the groups friend and mentor) began its preternatural existence in early '96, when a group of Misfit friends who shared an interest in punk music, old horror movies, and the macabre decided that forming a band was more interesting than getting picked on by their peers.

"We were always the outcasts in school," Gruesome says, "the ones that didn't fit in."

After several line-up changes, involving more drummers then Spinal Tap, the group seems to be holding with vocalist Gruesome, guitarist Paul "Goredog" Tergheist, bassist Pumpkinhead and drummer Psycho Mike-O. Within a year, they released a demo, "Ramma Lamma Kill Kill", whick they call "weak". and a recent full length cassette with the clever title "Nice Planet... We'll Take It!",an 11 song effort of straight forward pop-punk meets Hammer Films scholk. Recorded in six hours, "Planet" fails to capture EERiE's on stage virility, vocal tenacity and musical ability. As far as sweat shop records go, however, it's not too shabby. Still, they're better live.

"Music is a release and a mode of venting for us" says the ruff voiced Gruesome, who at 21 is the bands elder statesman. And vent they do.

Like the Bates Motel, a quaint two story in suburban Haltom City stands a facade to the horror, or rather horror show, that lies within. Outside young minions stand. EERiE's most dedicated fans, they gather to listen to the muffeled tremoremenating from the second story. After a knock on the buildings front door, two slobbering and excited pugs and a white haired matronly woman answer.

"EERiE Ln.?"
"Upstairs", the woman courteously replies while restraining the dribbling ankel biters'
The bands 20 foot rehearsal room takes the uninitiated aback. Wall to wall amps, guitars and drum kits are surrounded by floor to ceiling posters of the bands inspirations, Misfits, Danzig, Lon Chaney and Boris Karloff movis stills, along with Elvis and Marilyn Monroe. Candles and a host of plastic jack-o-lanterns provide light. As a conversation progresses, it becomes apparent that the image EERiE Ln. has cultivated is far removed from reality. The band members seem freindly, cordial, eager to talk and despite their growing popularity, still have an "aw shucks" demeanor. Only Tergheist, if it is correct to call him that, keeps up appearances.

"Kill him, kill him," he whispers maniacally.
EERiE rips into a thunderous, six song set. As in concert, Gruesome crouches low.

"I like to get down on the same level as the audience, eye to eye. That's where the action is. I don't like to be above it all."

As the sideburn heavy Gruesome wails, the band blasts away with acuity. Tergheist's sonic guitar sounds like a cross between speed metal sans solos and deconstructed '80s L.A. hardcore.

"Punks call us headbangers, and headbangers call us punks," the 17 year old says, " Who knows where we fit in."

"I don't really consider us punk although that influence is there." Gruesome agrees. "We aren't political, we don't have an ax to grind. We just want to play, have a good time and give the same to our fans."

Psycho Mike-O, also 17 and listed as Fangs on "Nice Planet," plays skins in accordance with his moniker, fast and hard, fluid and erratic. With baggy jeans, crew 'do and Marvin the Martian t-shirt, he looks like a skate boarder who steered off course into a vampire bar.
This juggernaut's anchor is the distorted rumblings of bassist Pumpkinhead. The 16 year old with a black bob and cool as ice disposition strums a mean fretless bass. She plays like a killer looking for blood but acts as if she could'nt care less.
After rehearsal the group swears they're better on stage.

" Right now we are doing pretty much a straight up, all out, full speed rock show." Gruesome says. "As things get going for us, we might incorporate more theatrics."

And if they get discovered along the way and get a Manson size record deal?

Gruesome smiles, "That would be OK ,too."