Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein on the "As We Die" album, being vegan, sports & WCW

Guitarist Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein first turned heads as a member of The Misfits. Doyle joined Glenn Danzig and crew in 1980 as a teenager, sticking around through the group's breakup in 1983. The Misfits regrouped in 1995, with Doyle notably co-writing the music on 1997's American Psycho and 1999's Famous Monsters.

Doyle has remained active as a solo artist over the years, and his latest album is 2017's Doyle II: As We Die. A proper full band album, like 2013's Abominator, As We Die was primarily written by Doyle and vocalist Alex Story. Doyle and crew are currently in the midst of a cross-country U.S. tour -- which kicked off in Hartford, Connecticut on October 9th -- which is set to wrap in Brooklyn, New York on January 3rd.

Beyond his musical output -- which inspired members of Metallica, Guns N' Roses, Alkaline Trio and many other major punk and metal artists -- Doyle is known for his impressive physique. Along with other members of The Misfits, he was briefly involved with World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s, performing in a stable alongside Vampiro.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Doyle backstage following his recent gig at New York City's Gramercy Theater. Doyle may not be a man of many words, but he did open up about the As We Die album, how girlfriend Alissa White-Gluz of Arch Enemy helped turn him vegan, why his WCW run wasn't very much fun, and what is coming up for him. More on Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein -- including all upcoming tour dates -- can be found online at www.officialdoyle.com.

How many songs did you write for your new album?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: 500.

500 songs? (laughs) When you and Alex collaborate, do you do it over e-mail?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: U.S. mail.

Do you remember the first song you wrote for your new album?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: The new one?

The new one.

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: No idea. They were both written at the same time, so no idea.

What the first song you and Alex wrote together in general?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: I think it was "Mark Of The Beast." I think I sent it to him and he sent it back in a day.

You sent him the full instrumental and he just put vocals on top of it?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: Yeah.

Had you written like that with a collaborator before?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: Just him. Well with The Misfits I did that too. I don't like to write the vocal melody if I write the music.

Are you the kind of person that writes every day?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: No, I don't touch a guitar every day. F**k no, my fingers are killing me, what are you talking about? (laughs)

Well, you work out every day, that's kind of known.

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: Yeah, sometimes.

What do you wish more people knew about you? Because people predominately know you...

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: (interrupts) That I hate them all, and they should stop stealing f**king music. That's what I wish they knew.

Well you stay on the road enough to make up for that, right?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: No, nobody can. That's why I'm doing a meet & greet. You think I want to talk to these f**king people?

Moving along to the vegan end, did you become vegan because of your girlfriend? How did that happen?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: You know what it was? It was the food. She came out to visit me and I had to get her back to an airplane, we were running around the city. We were starving and trying to get to the f**king airport. She said, "If we can't find something for me to eat, I'll find you something to eat."

I was like, "F**k that, I'll never eat something like that in front of you." When we went out to eat, we would order it because I didn't know what anything was. Every time we would eat it, I would be like, "My god, what the f**k. No wonder you want to eat all f**king day." Then she showed me all the videos and all that s**t and it made sense.

As a bodybuilder, did you really have to change your diet substantially?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: No, pretty much the only thing I was eating that wasn't vegan was two chicken breasts a day and whey protein.

And you shifted over to other protein powder?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: Yeah.

Have you ever thought about putting out your own food or nutrition products?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: Yeah.

Okay, I see the "yes or no" thing there. What have you thought about within the world of food and nutrition products? How far have you gotten with that?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: I'm working on it right now.

Can you tell me more about that in terms of timelines or which products?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: I can't.

I have to say that you're a genius when it comes to merchandising, Guitar products, anything coming along on that end?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: Strings. Strings, coming out.

Is there a name in place? Have far along are you on that?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: They're coming out... It's funny because I ordered strings for this tour and they didn't give them to me. (laughs). Again. (laughs) They'll definitely be out by the NAMM show, I think they're coming out this month.

Do you already have songs written for the next Doyle album?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: Yes.

Can you tell me more about that, please? (laughs)

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: We have about 12.

Same lineup as you used for the last two albums?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: Me and Alex. (laughs)

So is it you playing all the instruments?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: I don't play the drums.

Did you ever try to play the drums?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: I used to play the drums. But I don't mess with them, you know? Butchery on the hands.

Going back to the workout end, were you ever a competitive athlete?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: Competitive? No.

Did you play sports growing up?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: In high school I played sports.

Which sports did you play?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: I played badminton and tiddlywinks.

Wow, did you almost go pro on either of those?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: Tiddlywinks, I was close. (laughs)

You did actually get to step into the ring as a wrestler. Was that something you enjoyed doing?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: No, I did not enjoy that at all. You know why?

Why?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: Because it's real. People think that s**t is fake until it happens. Then they realize it's not fake.

Did that experience at all help you with your music career?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: (laughs) No.

Well, I ask that because you were on TV in front of millions of people, so some people that didn't know your prior work might have gotten to know you.

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: I have no idea.

Besides the guitar strings, besides the new album you are making, are there other projects that you can talk about?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: Um, the only other project I'm doing is, Alissa is doing an album and I wrote a song. I wrote music.

I know that she was on the new Dee Snider album. Was that something that you almost worked on?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: No. They used real musicians. (laughs) Yeah, she's using the same team actually, Jamey Jasta and two other guys.

Do you ever see yourself trying to do a collaborative record like that?

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: I just did one.

In the sense of getting all-star lineup, considering all of the people you have inspired over the years.

Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein: I thought our record is an all-star lineup. We've got these two guys. (Pointing to two nearby people in his dressing room, then laughs)