Christopher Hall of Stabbing Westward Interview: Wither Blister Burn & Peel, Chasing Ghosts

Christopher Hall of Stabbing Westward joins us to share his memories of the rollercoaster ride in the ‘90s and discuss reforming the band

Though most people’s introduction to Stabbing Westward was via their major-label debut, Ungod, in 1994, Christopher Hall (vocals) and Walter Flakus (keyboards) had been making music together since their college days nearly a decade earlier. Blending the industrial influences of Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, and Skinny Puppy with the goth rock of early Smashing Pumpkins and Depeche Mode, Stabbing Westward found themselves smack dab in the middle of the mid-90s alternative wave and toured with a wide range of acts ranging from KISS to the Sex Pistols to Killing Joke to Placebo. While fans may have appreciated the consistent releases (Ungod in ‘94, Wither Blister Burn & Peel in ‘96, Darkest Days in ‘98), it put a strain on relationships within the band and, after being dropped by Columbia and releasing a self-titled album on Koch Records in ‘01, Stabbing Westward came to end. Hall started The Dreaming, a band very much in the vein of Stabbing Westward’s sound, while Flakus got into the radio business as a program director and DJ. A reunion in 2015 to celebrate the band’s formation 30 years prior led to occasional live shows and eventually Hall retired The Dreaming name to reform Stabbing Westward with Flakus and some of his Dreaming band members. In 2020, Stabbing Westward released three new songs which led to a full album of new material, Chasing Ghosts, out on March 18, the first Stabbing Westward in 21 years.

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