“I worked at [Video USA] for 10 years, it was my favorite job,” Emilio Menze says. “And looking back now it’s a page out of history to have worked at a video store.”
That particular page is loosely immortalized in “Rewind,” a new song—with a music video, of course—by Menze’s horror punk band, Dark Ride. The Santa Cruz musicians make their Ritz debut Nov. 22 with L.A. punks NIIS and Danish psychobilly trio Nekromantix.
Along with being the upcoming single, “Rewind” is also the first off their new, upcoming album, Blade Manor, which is set to release sometime in early 2025. It’s the follow-up to their 2020 self-titled debut EP.
“The songs are more personal to me this time than on the EP,” Menze admits. “A lot of the songs are love letters to different things I like.”
Eagle-eyed fans might notice a blade theme happening in Dark Ride with the new album’s title and the song “Mistress Blade” off the first release. It’s not by accident. Each release will have part of an overarching storyline throughout the band’s recorded material to connect them. It’s a mystery loosely based on a real-life story in the 1990s about an abode in Seascape off Dolphin Drive.
“It’s one of my pet peeves when horror punk bands just write songs about horror movies, like they’re reading the description of the movie from the back of the box,” he says.
“So I really wanted to look into where I grew up to see if there’s any really cool spooky mysteries or darkness.”
Yet, despite being firmly buried in horror punk, there are some lines Dark Ride won’t cross.
“I wouldn’t write a song about [Santa Cruz serial killer Edmund] Kemper or [Herbert] Mullin,” he says. “I don’t care for glorifying serial killers.”
Dark Ride, which started as a solo project for Menze in 2019 after he quit Santa Cruz horror quartet Stellar Corpses, has evolved into an ever-changing multi-musician force. At any given time, on any given tour, the Dark Ride collective has a rotating cast of different musicians shredding riffs.
This unconventional way of playing live shows and touring also adds a different element to how the music is played. This not only keeps the songs fresh for the band but also for the audience as well.
“Depending on which show you go to you’ll get a different taste of Dark Ride with different alterations,” he says.
On this particular tour they are bringing along Ryan Heggum on lead guitar with Willie Hatton-Ward filling in on bass during the Oregon and Washington dates. However, despite the swapping of musicians, the core of Dark Ride consists of Menze on vocals, Jesus Lopez on bass, Rob Hyodo on guitar and newest member, Briana Mota on drums.
“I’ve been really lucky because anybody I bring in wants to be there,” says Menze. “And doing it this way allows me to say ‘yes’ to any opportunity I want to do. It’s really cool because as Dark Ride goes on more of my friends are learning the material so it’s easier to find people to fill in.”
Blade Manor will also be the first time Lopez and Mota will appear on a Dark Ride recording, along with three new songs that may be included or released on a separate date. Despite being the youngest member, Mota’s monstrous in-the-pocket and precise drumming style reanimated Dark Ride’s music giving it new life with a grittier edge and a double-dose of kick drum.
“When she does it we call it ‘garlic salt’ because she’s seasoning the song with the double-kick,” Menze laughs.
However, Blade Manor, is an album that almost wasn’t.
As an independent, DIY band, the first obstacle was raising enough money for the recording space and time. Then the members of Dark Ride were dealt a heavy blow in February 2023 when Dan LaMothe, a friend and ex-Stellar Corpses stand-up bassist, was killed during an official firefighting training exercise in Ben Lomond.
“That 100 percent derailed me,” says Menze.
However, he was determined to finish the album and release it to the world. One track in particular, “Electricuted” holds a special place in the Dark Ride catalog.
“Not only is it the last track he ever recorded but I think it’s the only time he ever recorded on an electric bass,” Menze states.
But for now, Dark Ride—and Menze—is enjoying the tour one day at a time.
“I’ve loved Nekromantix since high school so it’s really gratifying to play with them in my own band.”
Dark Ride opens for Nekromantix at 8pm on Nov. 22 at The Ritz, 400 S 1st St., San Jose. $26.71. ticketweb.com
