From Gallows to Black Lungs to Alexisonfire, Wade MacNeil has a myriad of projects to occupy his time. Establishing a reputation for becoming a true renaissance man, MacNeil has added the role of composer to his resume.
Checking in on Mosh Talks, the veteran musician discussed his fruitful transition to scoring music for film. Confiding that lots of musicians have a deep-seeded desire to score a horror film in particular, MacNeil has actually gone and done it, along with a handful of other films, video games and TV shows to bolster his portfolio.
Drawing parallels between the horror genre and music, MacNeil explained that he liked punk, but he was specifically drawn to Misfits. He liked metal but he was drawn to Slayer. Favoring the "dark shit" MacNeil says the that style of music sounded the way the horror genre looked.
Delving into the process of creating and placing music in a film, Wade detailed his work in the upcoming Shudder Original horror flick, 'Random Acts of Violence'. Directed by Jay Baruchel, MacNeil's non-traditional approach meshed well with the director's musical preferences in that they were able to bounce off band references like Joy Division and Dead Kennedys to convey the right feel for a scene.
MacNeil also discussed his work on the Vice Studios documentary series Dark Side of the Ring and the kind of creative freedom he enjoys in essentially creating a soundtrack for a full range of emotion. Finding the right audio pairing for somber moments and being able to wild out with "asshole solos" on guitar is the emotional spectrum that nurtures creative freedom.
Of course the conversation would touch on the status of Gallows and Alexisonfire. With the world on pause, both bands are working out ideas for new music and sharing their creative itch. MacNeil would go on to explain that as everyone's individual evolution continues, their collective output only get better - partcilaurly with Alexisonfire. He confided that a song like "Familiar drugs" might not have been possible 5 years ago but as the members grow musically, so does the band's potential when they come together creatively.
Dig into the complete conversation with Wade MacNeil on Mosh Talks below.
'Random Acts of Violence' out Aug 20th exclusively on Shudder
