For decades, The Deep Eynde has been a haunting yet electrifying fixture in LA’s goth-punk scene. Led by frontman Fate Fatal, the band became known not just for their raw, macabre aesthetics but also for deeply introspective lyrics and intense performances. Now, as Fate looks toward new musical ventures with his project “Deathstrip,” he reflects on his time with The Deep Eynde, the creative process, and the sometimes dark yet transformative power of music.
We sat down with Fate Fatal, and what follows is an interview filled with raw honesty, stories from the underground, and insights into a band that defined a generation of LA’s dark punk scene.
When did The Deep Eynde first come together? Were you all friends before that?
The band started around 1991 with two close friends I met at a gothic club called Helter Skelter. The club was this wild mix—half dance venue, half live music spot. Bands like Nine Inch Nails and Shadow Project played there, which fueled a lot of our inspiration. Back then, we were doing a lot of LSD and other stuff, so it’s kind of amazing that we managed to accomplish anything at all.
Did any of you have music experience before The Deep Eynde?
We all had some projects, all of which were profoundly gothic-sounding. My first project was Kittens For Christian, who eventually signed to a record label owned by the singer of System of a Down. But the band I have never talked about before was one called Nineteen Nun Massacre. The band was short-lived as the keyboardist, Daniel Hazelton, and I had a falling out.
He tended to annoy me by attending Deep Eynde gigs with his entourage and gawking. One night he showed up to a show we played at the Whiskey, and I was so pissed I jumped onto the roof of the car and completely destroyed the roof. In the end, he struggled with alcoholism and eventually drank himself to the grave, so I guess that whole aspect of talking about that first band never really sat well with me.
Did the band ever have creative differences?
We argued because we cared, but maybe the most significant issue I had was being contrived. If anything got in the way of the band, it was pride. Some guys thought they were rock stars and wouldn’t do anything but play music. I really honestly tried to the best of my abilities not for all of it to go to my head. I would carry the amps in, sell merch, clean the stage, drive the car…that is what having a band is.
The bullshit the media wants people to believe in every rockumentary is that having a band is all drugs and no work. It’s quite disturbing that the media would instead focus on an artist’s “fuck ups” than what they have to creatively deliver.
Who are your main inspirations?
The biggest inspiration for me is those who don’t give up. I was in the closet for a long time telling people I liked Johnny Cash, but he is one of the biggest inspirations for me, not only in his music but also in his ability to persevere through hard times. What inspires me are heroes of all sorts, not only musicians. People who are inspired by only the “art” and not the artist are really missing out on the true value of what a hero’s journey is.
In some strange way, suicide has been a significant influence. I have always struggled with suicidal thoughts; maybe that’s why I was looking for answers in music. In no means am I insinuating of taking the role of the victim, I can only speak for myself through the situations that have happened. Those who have been that close to their own death can understand that they are given a choice. I treasure the choice I have made, and it is my biggest hope not to lose that vision. There is nothing wrong with singing about death because it helped me understand the fantastic complexity of my own mortality.
What were your best and worst venues?
The best venues I would have to say are house parties. I think that is where the new sounds will always come from. The worst venues are The Whiskey, The Roxy, and any other venue that makes bands pay to play.
Who motivated you to play music?
I was mostly motivated by people who thought I could not do it. This might sound strange, but I have such a vengeful Scorpio personality. It was not all about revenge. I do believe that music is the sound of the universe. It could be punk, classical, or jazz. It is this human expression, this human cry, that I think we all can identify with as the human family.
Did The Deep Eynde gain popularity right away?
No one knew who I was, only maybe by that “guy in plastic wrap” or “the guy wearing live worms.” I was probably known more for the things I did rather than the music I was playing. It was entirely backward.
Our music was not that great at the beginning, but we got better over time, and I have to say it was a big relief that we were getting signed for the music we were playing rather than what “act” I was doing on stage.
What’s the weirdest thing that’s happened at one of your shows?
There are so many stories, I just have to pick off the top of my head. At one show in Downtown Los Angeles, the promoters filled four adjoining rooms with four feet of water and made a boat ride. It was fantastic. I remember playing that show in the loft, only thinking that I really wanted to ride that boat. Finally, after the show, we got in the boat, and someone released the water. It was a mess that only being young can appreciate.
How long has The Deep Eynde been together?
With this lineup, it will be roughly 20 years. There are many songs we have not recorded. I’m not sure if that will be done for the last album, but I’m attempting to choose the songs that identify not what the band is now but what the band has always been: diverse and unpredictable.
What’s your favorite song to play live?
Playing live, I would have to say Nuthing to Do. Yes, it’s a sloppy rock song, but it’s also my chance to be like Iggy Pop and get fucking nuts.
Tell me about the video for “Love In Shadows.” What was the inspiration behind it?
Much of where we toured in the states, some of the most colorful images that stand out are being in the Southern states. One time, just outside of New Orleans, we had a chance to tour the swamps, and it was one of the most magical experiences. The song and the video plays with the idea of lost souls who could never be together, and the fantastic world of being in that swamp, I felt the veil between our world was thin enough that I could feel it.
Why do you wear makeup on stage? Is it just for the look, or is there more to it?
It might be that I did not want my face to influence the music I was creating; it might be the expression could be whatever I wanted. Becoming a different persona has always been one of the biggest aspects of my persona. I suppose if I had a true fetish, it would be to shapeshift, and makeup is maybe a cheap way of giving that effect.
Some say you’re goth; others say horror punk. How would you describe your music?
An old friend told me recently that he never thought I was gothic and that he knew me as always being an artist. As much as I hold gothic close, that was the most significant compliment I have received in a long time. I don’t think there is a day when any of us humans don’t think about death. We all come in many different colors, but we all share our mortality. We all have the ability to ponder our mortality; it might come in different forms and different arts, but honestly, people are really missing out if they don’t search for this ideology in things they would otherwise not pay attention to.
What new projects have you been working on?
We are currently working on a side project called “Deathstrip” here in Los Angeles. The idea behind the band is to release the reigns and let it take us in its direction. Many bands can tell you that when they first start, they want to sound like this or that, but over the years of making music, we discovered we want the music to direct us. Some new works, like the song “Bleed With Me,” have become its own entity. We made sure we followed that song and let it direct us not to fit into a genre.
Tell me a bit about your final album. What can we expect to see on it, and when will it be finished?
The thousand dollar question. Most of what I want to accomplish is sort of insane. I wanted to have this last album to tell a story. After we recorded 5 songs, I wanted to take a step back and start over. I needed a story to go behind it. So the plan is that there will be a small novel released first, and this novel will be a young adult story which the last Deep Eynde album will be going with. Strange, yes, but I wanted this last album to be fantastic, not only one sided, because that is not who I am. I have always been a strange boy looking for a strange land, always on the search for some adventure. The young adult story is kind of the story of my life put into a different format. I got to the point of where I was wondering if this was the right thing to do, but that though process is not what got me here to begin with. I account for any of my measurable success by not asking “if” this is good, I always just did it. So the book is written for young adults, while the album will be its soundtrack.
Why are you guys separating as a band?
Putting it bluntly, I suppose I felt I had nothing more to say. Maybe the aspect of having Deep Eynde was to cure this unfinished part of myself. As everyone does, I had issues growing up that I wanted answers to. I don’t think my story is any more important than anyone else’s but I can say I felt controlled by my past. I was molested twice, I saw my mother die, I felt violated. I felt I needed to figure out why people hold onto this life when it continuously throws shit back in our faces.
Do you think you will miss The Deep Eynde?
Incredibly. I have these flashes in my head of these fantastic times we had. I did think on and off if I was doing the right thing. Somewhere deep inside, there was a voice that said, “Yes.” The importance of ending this project might have signaled to me that I conquered my demons. Art is an amazing avenue to sponge out those toxins. Most might only get that from religion, but for me it will never be that way. I have given my troubled past something to be buffered by, a foundation for it to sit on away from me. This might be the house I built for my demons, and for that, I will miss The Deep Eynde, but it will always be on a hill for me to see.
What do you want to achieve with your music before you die?
My main objective is not to be contrived. As I mentioned before, there are times I felt I compromised my art because I listened to people around me too much. Duane Peters wanted me to be punk, Bomp Records wanted me to be Rock, and German labels wanted me to be gothic. I admit I struggled, but I learned to be true to myself in whatever the music is. Is being gothic more important than being a voice that truly needs to be heard? Because that voice isn’t gothic all the time. It is multidimensional as we are multidimensional; it takes shits, it fucks, and transforms as we transform, but it can always be real if I truly want it to be. I have that final control, I just have always struggled with the confidence. If you asked me a few years ago what I thought of my music, I would tell you it all sucked, and I’m a sucky musician. I realized to not torture myself so much with the past but wear that scar and continue forward.
If you could say one thing to up-and-coming artists and bands, what would it be?
I don’t want this to sound like a religious bullshit sermon, but truth is transcendent. If your art is important to you, be true to it and people will be attracted to it no matter who they are, or where they come from.
If you could say one final thing to all of your fans out there, what would it be?
I would really like to thank everyone who has supported the band over the years, including photographers, promoters, and, above all, those who came to our shows.
As you can see, a singer can be much more than just a good voice holding a microphone. From humor, to wisdom, to pain and regret, they are just human like all of us. Though Fate Fatal may pretend to be the undead on stage, I know that he is more alive than most of us and has a bigger heart than the ones his persona might sing about eating on stage any day.
Through this interview, it’s clear that Fate Fatal is more than just a frontman dressed in macabre imagery. He’s a multifaceted artist with a deep understanding of life, death, and everything in between. The Deep Eynde may be drawing to a close, but Fate Fatal’s creative journey is far from over. Keep your eyes peeled for “Deathstrip” because if history has shown us anything, it’s that Fate is just getting started.