What common thread though do you see running through bands like Joy Division, Sisters of Mercy and Pantera?
WAYNE: There’s definite darkness there—not the band The Darkness, but you know. That’s the common thread I see between all the bands that I would say were the influences for us. I mean, it goes all the way from their lyrics to the musical keys they choose to write in and things of that nature. KNAC.COM: What would compel somebody to not only write in that manner, but to be drawn to it as a fan? WAYNE: I don’t know. A lot of people are–I always have been anyway. I don’t know. Maybe some people can just identify with other people’s misery. KNAC.COM: Do you think it always reverts back to the idea that music can serve as a catharsis for the listener? Does it make them feel better to know that others feel worse? WAYNE: That’s always been the way it’s been for me. I mean, when I’m in a bad mood, I just feel better listening to someone else who sounds like they’re in a bad mood. That was especially true when I was a kid, and I was mad at my mom or dad for whatever reason. Listening to Ozzy
