TAPEWORM, the star-studded band featuring members of Nine Inch Nails, Pantera and Tool, may become the greatest project never heard. This impressive alliance of industrial/metal names formed in 1995 has yet to issue any music. This, plus the fact that the three bands involved have either just released a new album or are currently working on one, has cast doubts as to whether the ‘Worm will ever surface.

Tapeworm/NIN member Charlie Clouser predicts, rather boldly, that we’ll hear the band within the next 12 months. “It might appear on a B-side to a Nothing Records release or a movie soundtrack, he adds.

NIN mainman Trent Reznor - at whose Nothing Studios in New Orleans the Tapeworm sessions began - told Kerrang! That, for once, he should not be blamed for the project’s lengthy gestation period.

Everyone should not wait for me to tell them what to do, he protested, because that’s not how democracy works. Nine Inch Nails is a dictatorship where everyone gets served their food rations and their day-to-day itineraries. Tapeworm requires multiple people having leadership qualities and making decisions. It’s all on the agenda, but it could be moved along if other people start pushing a little bit.

Tapeworm/NIN man Danny Lohner reveals that Tapeworm presently have only three songs completed, along with a clutch of instrumentals.

We did some really heavy NIN-meets-Pantera stuff with Phil Anselmo, says Lohner. We also did some mellow Pink Floyd ‘The Wall’ - type songs with him where he’s actually singing.

Danny adds that Tool singer Maynard James Keenan has contributed less extreme material: The stuff we did with Maynard has very psychedelic, groove-oriented verses and anthemic choruses. Ex-Helmet leader Page Hamilton has also teamed up with Clouser to write some material.

Tapeworm’s music is electronic with big guitars, beats and melodic yet aggressive vocals, says Lohner. It’s something that Trent will bring up every couple of weeks - and every couple of months we’ll do some work on it.

Adds Clouser: Tapeworm is a way for us - and Trent especially - to do music that doesn’t fall under the same scrutiny as NIN. He doesn’t have to micro-manage every single nut and bolt.

© EMAP Metro 1999 Transcribed for The NIN Hotline by node_girl.

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