Few superstars from the Attitude Era have maintained their cool factor quite like Gangrel. My colleague Graham Hartmann recently caught up with the “Vampire Warrior” for The Stunner, and while Gangrel is still fanging and banging 25 years later, he shared some heavy details about his history with The Brood, real-life injuries, and a hidden message in his iconic theme music.
The Secret Meaning Behind The Brood’s Theme
If you were a fan in the late 90s, the pulsing beat and whispering voices of The Brood’s entrance music are etched into your brain. For years, fans have speculated about what those voices are actually saying. According to Gangrel, the track contains a backmasking Easter egg inspired by rock history.
“He, Jim Johnston, was a big fan of the Beatles. So if you play that backwards—backmask that and play it—play it backwards I believe it says, ‘I buried Paul. Walk with me.’ It really does.”
Dealing with the Ring of Fire
The sight of Gangrel, Edge (Adam Copeland), and Christian rising through a ring of fire remains one of the greatest entrances in WWE history. Surprisingly, Gangrel made it through the entire initial run without a scratch, but his luck ran out during a later return to the company.
“Not in the initial run… but when I came back and tagged with Viscera one time, they wanted to redo the entrance. They wanted me to do the entrance to Rey Mysterio, his elevator where he would pop. It happened to be a smaller hallway, considerably smaller than what I would come through before, and there was a backdraft coming in. That’s the only time I’ve ever gotten burnt. A lot, actually. But I taped it up, wrapped it up, and I cut the skin off… wrestled. Actually had a handicap match with Taker that night. I just kept motoring, had to get a bunch of skin grafts and whatnot. You can hardly tell now.”
Keeping the Story Alive with Copeland and Christian
It’s been a massive few years for the original Brood members. Between Adam Copeland’s run in AEW and Christian Cage’s “Patriarch” persona, the trio’s legacy is stronger than ever. Gangrel even made a memorable appearance in AEW last year to help move that story forward, and he has nothing but respect for his former proteges.
“They’re tremendous talented guys. From when I first met them to now, they’re still out there grinding it 24/7. Want some, get some, bad enough, take some—and they’re out there doing it. Copeland’s off doing movies, Christian is still doing his thing in AEW. And then you got the Hardys too, and the New Brood. We’re all ‘want some, get some, bad enough, take some’ kind of guys. I’m blessed, happy to know them. They help me more than I could ever help them.”
Justice for Luna Vachon
Gangrel also reflected on his participation in the Luna Vachon episode of Dark Side of the Ring. While the series can often be a depressing watch, Gangrel felt it was necessary to step in and ensure Luna’s story was told accurately.
“I actually told them ‘no’ four or five different times. A fellow named Howard Brody, rest in peace, came up to me and he goes, ‘You know, I really wish you would do it because you’re going to tell a real story. Everybody else is going to leave it up to interpretation. You know the truth.’ I think they did her justice in that and really hit on the mental health and the struggle she had and how much she loved pro wrestling.”
