Editor’s Note: As a veteran of entertainment print media and online media there are times that I just can’t be objective. That’s the case with many artists I hold great respect, and admiration for. That’s the case bands such as Ministry, Prong, Mortiis and Bile. Matt Zanes body of work is no different. As a performer of “shock rock” or once upon a time “rock and porn” he’s in a class of his own. Some people may love him or hate him and in the case of online media outlets such as Blabbermouth the TMZ of hard rock and heavy metal, they refuse to cover his work. At MK ULTRA I’ve been supporters for going on 3 decades. We’ve covered his in the old print version of MK and continue to do so online. Matt’s work ethic is undeniable There are times I wonder if the man even makes time to sleep.
I reached out to two individuals. Our new young talented and aspiring female writer as I wanted a view from someone who is from another generation and I figured I’d get what ytou will read below. And then I reached out to an old friend Ilker Yücel Editor, ReGen Magazine who published a review back in late February 2025 who I suspect “gets it”. He was kind enough to share that piece with us at MK ULTRA Magazine. I hope you enjoy the two points of view for a film that I’ve waited for a few years to see and I loved every minute of it. I “get it”.
Matt Zane will be a guest on the MKULTRASOUND PodCast this Sunday March 9th.
www.soundcloud.com/mkultrasoundpodcast
When one thinks of the term “shock rock,” several names are sure to enter one’s mind – G.G. Allin, Alice Cooper, Wendy O. Williams and The Plasmatics, Arthur Brown, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, GWAR… all figures whose actions, images, and statements both on and off the stage cultivated revilement and reverence in equal measure. Many of these figures have gone on to become beloved names in the cultural zeitgeist, remembered for pushing the envelope and challenging the limits of supposedly acceptable behavior – transgressive, confrontational, and undeniably fascinating. Even the great Jimi Hendrix shocked audiences with his stellar abandon, exuding an unencumbered and imaginative approach not only to his performance, but also to his presentation – from his naturally sexual charisma to the spiritually unhinged act of setting his guitar on fire… destruction as a form of creation. Hendrix may not have sought to shock his audience, but the effect was indisputable.
And then we have Society 1…
Helmed by Matt “The Lord” Zane, Society 1 has become one of those bands that one either loves or hates, with the latter often taken to extremes of repulsion and disgust. Directed by Zane, Everyone Dies (Rock Stars Don’t Count) is the latest documentary to tackle this subject, not only serving as a chronicle of the band’s history, but also an examination of the impact and placement in the current musical landscape. It’s not the first time Zane has addressed the controversial nature of his life and career – either as supplementary materials and special features for past album releases, or some simply not receiving the widespread release he’d have preferred, the man has long had to answer for a lifetime of excessive behavior (emphasis on excess).
“To read the full article, go to https://regenmag.com/blog/blog-review-everyone-dies-rock-stars-dont-count/”
Review of Everyone Dies – Rockstars Don’t Count
By: Fiona Rae the Devil Girl MK ULTRA Magazine Intern
I’d never expected to be so bored an hour into a documentary filled with naked women, drugs, body mutilation, and graphic content. Everyone Dies – Rockstars Don’t Count is an autobiographical documentary focused on the lead singer of Society 1, Matt Zane. It follows him and his bands’ nightly bacchanals, their overindulgence in everything you could imagine while on stage, backstage, in the studio, and on the road. It’s not clear what the focal point of the documentary rests on, it masquerades as a travel through Society 1’s history, their beginnings, backlash, and triumphs. The impression it ends up giving is a 90-minute self-masturbatory film where Zane must prove to the audience how unmissably hard-core he is, becoming clear in one of the beginning lines where he says, “What am I gonna do so nobody ever ignores me again, and I thought– let’s combine rock and porn!” Sure, I guess. He has a glaringly obvious egotistical obsession with “making rock history.”
On the other hand, the documentary’s production value and technical elements are good for an independent release. They had a nice array of interviews, background music, and special effects. The transitions were neat and it was paced well. The footage was organized, and there was enough content to make the screen-time understandable.
However, giving a female perspective on the documentary, I have an issue with the subject matter and actions within the content. It would be pointless to rail against Society 1 on matters of feminism or political correctness, as I’m sure they’ve heard it all before, and it’s their goal to be offensive. I’ll just say that while the treatment of sexual freedom is admirable, the humanization of women and respect for them throughout this production is nonexistent. The scene where they throw lunch meat at naked porn stars is wonderfully metaphoric of how they viewed these girls. A woman interviewed is captioned as “some chick” while the others (men) are given actual job titles. They had a topless female audio engineer in the studio, yet did not seem to comment too much on her professional ability. I’d much rather know her credentials than see her tits. I acknowledge that these women did everything of their own free will, but I wonder what they added to the music? They were not portrayed as people who contributed (very much, actually) to the success of the band, but rather reduced to objects used for gratification. It’s no wonder major musicians distanced themselves from the pornographic productions Zane made, they were artistically barren and a great representation of the commodifying disease that is the porn industry. In my opinion, the few women shown who worked in press or tour management should have been given more recognition and screen time. All in good fun, though, and you must understand Zane’s ‘push-the-rock-limits’ idol is GG Allin.
The question I am left wondering after watching this is: Do they even like playing music? The documentary would have been far more engaging if Zane had gone into their songwriting, recording, and creative process. What makes your band unique? Are you a talented musician? It seems that the overreliance on gimmick and shock-value covers up the disappointing fact that they were not confident in their abilities solely as musicians. There are a few points where members wallow over not being signed or having bad relationships with touring bands. They excuse this as others “just not understanding” what the band is trying to do. I theorize it might have something to do with their capabilities. In the beginning, Zane cites Jimi Hendrix as one of his guitar inspirations. This was a nice piece of information, I wish he would have gone more in-depth about the music side of…well… this documentary about his band. Instead, he spends most of it praising his stunts and reveling in the offensiveness of everything. There is much substance and artistry to be found in the metal genre, I understand this after seeing Kittie and other ‘2000’s nu-metal acts live. It is a shame Society 1’s musical prowess wasn’t discussed more in their documentary, I feel it would’ve added more depth to the watch.
Overall, Zane did not prove to be a rock-star but rather a shock-star, in my humble opinion. At a certain point, the theatrics can only carry a performance or career so far. Perhaps a change in occupation from musician to visual performance artist might have been a more worthwhile exercise for everyone involved. A trip to the confessional would do them well, but putting aside the distasteful exhibitionism, the documentary was an interesting and, at points, entertaining delve into the ethos of Society 1.