Suggested Audio Candy:

 

 [1] Iron Maiden “Blood Brothers”

[2] Megadeth “No More Mr Nice Guy”

 

 

 

Seven weeks ago I arrived in Los Angeles primed for an experience which I knew would change my life forever. Bound X Blood had passed the stage of its meticulous planning and the time was nigh to make a horror movie unlike any other in existence. I had siked myself up for the event in advance and was about to enter into the great unknown. When my plane touched down on LA soil My journey had begun in earnest. However, nothing could prepare me for what was about to transpire. I was to spend the duration sharing a hotel room with the infamous Marcus Miller and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to delve into the grey matter of this most notorious of killers. I had absolutely no idea whatsoever what was about to play out.

The hulking juggernaut behind that mask was to be played by a gentleman by the name of Matt Horwich. I knew from the offset that this experience would be unlike any other, you see, it takes a different kind of person to play the man behind the mask. His credentials were clear, over fifty professional fights and many great nights in the ring were proof that he had the physical presence to wear that mask with pride. Here was a world-class athlete, 6″2 and built to last. Upon meeting him, he was everything I expected whilst, at the same moment, nothing like I had envisaged. Several weeks later my life has been enriched by sharing an experience which has truly knocked me sideways.

I have always considered myself a social chameleon of sorts, able to forge a bond with those of all different walks of life and adjust to different personalities accordingly. It is an art form which I have perfected over the years and I know rapidly whether somebody is going to resonate with me and form strong bonds with those unique souls who touch my heart. On our first day of cohabitation, Matt suggested that we were about to undertake a spiritual journey. How right he was.

There was something instantly very different about Matt Horwich, refreshingly so. He clearly lived his life in a way that he deemed correct and wasn’t about to conform to the beliefs of anyone else around him. He was the master of his own destiny and, moreover, his goals were both modest and beautifully understated. Here was a guy without any pretense whatsoever, no bloated ego or opinion that he was better than anybody else. What you see is precisely what you get with Matt Horwich and, for those willing to accept that, he is as unique as any of God’s creatures I have ever had the good fortune of being introduced.

In no time I had deduced that this was somebody who would never be regarded as just a friend, brotherhood was clearly the order of the day, and I became fascinated with the relationship which blossomed instantaneously. We were worlds apart in many respects but none of this mattered a jot as he wore his heart proudly upon his chest and that is a quality I unreservedly applaud. Within no more than a day we were laughing in unison, to the point where our faces ached. That laughter hasn’t subsided.

Matt is a gentle soul as I have stated already and those who know me well are already aware of the bond which has formed between us. He wishes no harm on anyone and bears no grudges, harbors no ill-feeling. Despite his demeanor, mistakenly assume at your peril that he will suffer fools gladly. There are plenty of people who incite his inner rage, those who squander their exclusive opportunity to explore their own place within our multiverse or whom don’t follow their dream to find themselves creatively or artistically really irk his chain. In particular, corporate robots, pre-loaded with responses and unable to step outside of their comfort zones in the name of spreading a little good karma provoke his fury.

This doesn’t make him unapproachable, on the contrary, he is kind and accommodating unnervingly. However, any notions of hulk smashing these charlatans into perpetual oblivion, exist only in his mind and he chooses his art to make his point. Who better then to play Marcus Miller, here is a man with so much behind those peepers and one able to slip into character at any given moment to inhabit the super-villain. The moment the veil has lifted, his smile is wide and filled with an abundance of warmth. When it’s down, you’d better fear the reaper as he will tear out your soul and feast upon it gladly.

His sole intention has been to bring his own inimitable style to the table. This marks his primary outing as Miller and he takes the baton from David Backus who made the role his previously with a performance of formidable heft. Yet, this didn’t have Horwich overawed. He is a different creature and, it only seems right, that the character would undergo something of a metamorphosis in the three years since The Orphan Killer first grasped that axe handle. The augmented Marcus is a juggernaut of sorts, hulking in frame and savage in appetite. But he is also an inspiration to us all. He fights ignorance with fire and vocalizes his discord with great integrity. He is the thinking man’s killer. When it is required that he say nothing at all, his stance does the talking on his behalf.

I have personally received his python-like grip around my throat, stared into his blackened eyes and faced my demons. There was no way I wasn’t going to do every last one of my stunts and I’d do the same again in a heartbeat. He respected my bloody-minded approach to artistic endeavor and gave me a showdown I won’t likely forget. Marcus Miller is an enigma, and with that power comes great responsibility. For a man who overhead snatch presses 100lb dumbbells in each hand for kicks, brawn is never likely to pose a problem and this is counter-balanced with intelligence.

Matt is a musician and a poet in addition to being a kick-ass killer. His guitar is on his back as he sets off upon his life’s travel, his words are used sparingly and Emotional Stripper offers proof of his dedication to sharing his thoughts only when he feels as though he has something constructive and meaningful to say to the world. Great minds like Jim Morrison and Nietzsche inspire his free-thinking and he lives his life by their exclusive terms. In this respect, he embraces his own center point, creates from his soul, something I happen to know rather a lot about. I too have bared myself emotionally and know this to be the correct course if we have any hope of reaching our zenith amidst the artistic revolution. His poem resonated deeply with me as it was raw and true, just like the great man himself. No pretense, no bullshit, just limitless grace.

Many of us are graced with a mop of hair atop our head beacons but his curly blonde locks are more akin to a lion’s mane. Another powerful beast which lives it’s life with pride and purpose, Matt shares much common ground with the undisputed king of the jungle, bearing more than just an uncanny resemblance. He roars as Marcus, loud and free, prowling like the predator he is but, when the midday sun is beaming down hard, likes nothing more than to sit and soak in these beautiful rays and contemplate their beauty. If you ask Matt what he sees then you will invariably be introduced to something of beautiful simplicity that you’d previously been unaware of. It is all around us, we just need to look for it with the right eyes.

My pilgrimage will soon be drawing to a close and soon I will be a man without a roommate. However, I won’t be one without a brother. When two souls are open enough to share something beautiful and enriching then distance becomes little more than a bunch of numbers. Connections forged can last a lifetime and, one of the many things I have learned during my time in Long Beach, is that Matt Horwich will always be my brother. I wish him good health, happiness and the happy ever after I know he will find with the inner peace he exhibits in his great voyage through our multiverse. He is a surfer of these alternating planes of reality, a river dolphin, wild and free. He is a gentleman, a dear friend, and a true brother. Until such time as our paths cross again, and they will, I will take comfort from his very existence.