How metal is Dillinger Escape Plan guitarist Ben Weinman?

Ben Weinman on stage in 2016
(Image credit: Getty Images)

WHAT’S THE MOST METAL ALBUM YOU OWN?

“I have a Judas Priest picture disc with a bite taken out of it. You ever seen that? It’s for the Love Bites single. That’s pretty metal! But just as an album, probably Deicide or something. That first Deicide is metal as shit, it’s Satanic. Glen Benton has a cross burned into his head!”

WHAT’S THE WORST INJURY YOU’VE EVER HAD?

“When I broke my neck onstage in about 2007. I ran to jump into the crowd, and there was this speaker above me. I jumped really hard and smashed my head real bad into the speaker, and it crushed my neck. I had a piece of bone sticking out.”

WHAT’S THE GROSSEST THING YOU’VE EVER HAD IN YOUR MOUTH?

“I’ve never had anything too gross in my mouth. Maybe calf brains? I was in France and they have a delicacy called Tête de Veau. Someone said, ‘You have to try this! Tell me what you think of it.’ It was just like jelly. It was pretty gross.”

WHAT’S THE MOST YOU’VE EVER BEEN SICK?

“In 2000, in Richmond, Virginia, I got hit with severe pneumonia after ignoring a flu for days. I was literally passed out on the floor, occasionally waking up and seeing all kinds of weird fairies and creatures floating in front of my face. I thought I was dying. I’ve never been so sick in my life. I somehow played the show and then collapsed in the back of the van.”

WHAT’S THE WORST FIGHT YOU’VE EVER BEEN IN?

“One time I got in a fight with three Scottish dudes when we were on tour in Scotland. I was with Jeff Moreira, the singer from Poison The Well. He was drunk and talking super-American, like, ‘Yeah, doood! Oh my gaaawd!’ These three guys came out of a pub and were like [puts on Scottish accent], ‘Ooooh, Americans!’ They were making fun of him, and he was laughing because he was kinda drunk. Anyway, I was taking my coat off, and they saw me and were like, ‘Oh you’re getting lairy?’ I was like, ‘No, dude, just chill.’ But this one guy kept going at me, so I fucking clocked him and knocked him out. I turned around and Jeff was fighting this other guy, so I punched him a few times. Then the third guy ran away, so we were laughing at him, thinking it was over, but then the rest of the bands jumped in. So there were like 20 guys chasing this one guy down the road. It was bad. The cops chased everyone away.”

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU BLED?

“The other day. I cut my finger with a knife. It was nothing too serious, nothing too metal about it. I think I was cooking or just fucking around.”

WHAT’S THE RAREST PIECE OF MERCHANDISE YOU OWN?

“Do you know [singer-songwriter and visual artist] Wesley Willis? He was from Chicago, he had schizophrenia. I have his bowling bowl! It say ‘Wesley’ on it and it has a skull in the middle of it. A friend of mine got it after Wesley died of leukemia, and he knew I was a massive fan so he gave it to me. I don’t ever use it. My fingers are too small!”

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR MOST PAINFUL TATTOO OR PIERCING?

“Ribs, a couple of years ago in Budapest. It was awesome, but it fucking hurt!”

SHOW US THE MOST METAL PICTURE ON YOUR PHONE

“It’s a goat I just bought named Danzig. He’s got horns, he looks Satanic as shit!”

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Merlin Alderslade
Executive Editor, Louder

Merlin moved into his role as Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has previously written for the likes of Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N' Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He is also probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site.