HardLore Podcast: Frank "3 Gun" Novinec – Stories from the Hardcore Trenches

Date: February 5, 2026
Hosts: Colin Young & Bo Lueders (Knotfest)
Guest: Frank “3 Gun” Novinec (Hatebreed, Ringworm, Integrity, Terror)

Episode Overview

This episode of HardLore features Frank “3 Gun” Novinec—legendary guitarist whose career spans hardcore and metal heavyweights: Hatebreed, Ringworm, Integrity, and Terror. Frank takes the hosts on a wild journey, blending personal history, subcultural lore, outrageous road stories, and frank (no pun intended) reflections on hardcore’s evolution. The talk ranges from his Cleveland roots and the birth of his nickname, through forming genre-defining bands, to navigating international festivals, fast-food rankings, and ghost stories.

Frank’s warmth, wit, self-awareness, and candor shine as he dishes on scene politics, band dynamics, Kiss fandom, and seeing the hardcore scene from every vantage point.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Origin of "Frank 3 Gun" (00:00, 30:01)

• Frank’s Nickname: Frank recounts the infamous event that earned him the "3 Gun" moniker—during a standoff with Snapcase, members of Integrity handed him three guns before the cops arrived.

“They're like, here you go. You take these. ... Three of them. And I was like, God, if the cops come, I'm fucked. Right? ... That's how it happened, and DWID started calling me that after that. I didn't think it was funny at all.”
—Frank (00:24; 31:09)

• Legacy of the Name: Frank jokes about giving fake answers now, but he’s come to accept the nickname.

“That’s not who I am. But, whatever. It’s still your name on Discogs.”
—Frank (32:32)

2. Early Life, Family & Cleveland Roots (05:49)

• Tough Upbringing: Frank’s entry to music stemmed from a tumultuous home—his parents partied hard, and music became an escape.

“It was a terrible environment to grow up with the stuff that went on at my house ... But the positive to come out of all that was the music."
—Frank (05:54)

• Discovering Rock/Metal: Early exposure to Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water,” then obsessively digging through his dad’s records.

3. Discovering Hardcore & the Local Scene (10:59)

• Transition from Metal: Kiss was a cultural explosion for him as a child. Skateboarding and local scenes shifted his interests to hardcore punk.

“Skateboarding was the social lubricant of the 80s.”
—Bo (11:22)
“The local bands are so important when you're getting into this stuff because they're the ones that make you realize that you can do this and they're the heroes.”
—Frank (12:32)

• Cleveland’s Influence: Bands like Confront and the local culture pushed him into performance.

4. Formation and Evolution of Ringworm & Integrity (13:46)

• Band Formation: Early collaborations with James (the Human Furnace).

“Ringworm was just an answer to the stuff we were into... I was really into the youth crew bands and New York hardcore ... I was angry. The lyrics are over the top angry.”
—Frank (15:53)

• Impact & Legacy of 'The Promise':
  • Frank discusses the rawness of Ringworm’s early records, their mistakes, and the magic in their imperfection.

“I understand, there’s records that should never be messed with. ... But come on, man, I think that [Promise] could become better.”
—Frank (24:03)

• Joining Integrity:

“Ringworm didn’t really do anything. ... I put my energy into [Integrity], and it was great because we were all friends.”
—Frank (25:00)

• Songwriting Contributions:
  • Frank wrote half of Humanity Is The Devil and large parts of Seasons of the Size of Days.

“Half the songs on Humanity as the Devil were mine. Half the songs on Season of the Size of Days are mine.”
—Frank (26:04)

5. Touring Life and Scene Stories (27:41; 28:14)

• Double Duty On Tour: Touring Europe in 1995, playing in both Integrity and Ringworm every night.

“Me and the drummer played twice a night.”
—Frank (27:54)

• Touring with Fury of Five:
  • Wild times: “People got beat up. Cars got flipped upside down ... Bands on the bus got beat up. People got beat up ... It was tough because it was seven weeks.”
    —Frank (29:24; 29:36)

6. Band Dynamics, Records, and Production (34:13; 36:38; 48:17)

• Returning to Ringworm: After leaving Integrity, Frank wanted to recapture Ringworm’s ferocity but with better production.

“I wanted to do something that was like the Ringworm Promise, but had more metallic edge and double bass ...”
—Frank (34:53)

• Writing & Production Comments:
  • “Berth’s Pain” songs came easy, but he laments the production.
  • "Justice" was a rebirth for Ringworm, with heavier production suiting a new era.

“Writing those songs was so easy. I look back on the production, and I kind of kicked myself in the ass...”
—Frank (38:18)
“This is a complete album. I just wish the other records had that kind of polish.”
—Frank (52:45)

7. Terror and Songwriting Crossover (53:32; 56:19)

• Joining Terror: Lifelong friendship with Scott Vogel leads to the invite, but Frank’s party lifestyle and family emergencies created hurdles.

“It was a wake up call for me to be like, alright, you’re trying to do this for real.”
—Frank (59:59)

• Songs Meant for Terror Ended Up Elsewhere:
  • Some songs he wrote for Terror ended up on Ringworm and Ice Pick records.

“Those songs are on the Ice Pick record ... and two songs on the Ringworm record after that.”
—Frank (56:29)

8. Hatebreed and Leveling Up (61:06)

• Joining Hatebreed:
  • Big leap, facing world tours and main stage Ozfest.

“I was shook. This is like level up, leveling up ... I was just questioning myself if I was ready for this or not.”
—Frank (61:13)

• Current Dynamic:
  • The band now tours less, cherishes the longevity, and enjoys both metal and hardcore respect.

“When you get to be in your 50s and ... lucky enough to have a career in music this long, you count the blessings.”
—Frank (63:06)

• European Perspective:
  • European audiences are passionate and loyal; huge fests like Hellfest feel special.

“As far as Europe’s concerned... it takes a lot to win them over, but unless you let them down, they’re there til their life is over.”
—Frank (64:57)

9. Kiss Fandom, The Kiss Navy, and Touring With Idols (66:44; 68:10)

• Direct Support for Kiss:
  • Dream come true, meeting his heroes in full makeup.

"I had a Paul Stanley tattoo ... It was cool to go back there and have him sign my arm ... be like, alright, no, I'm real."
—Frank (69:13)

• Kiss Navy Stories:
  • Hilarious rankings, wild international parties, beating Gene Simmons in a guitar pick-throwing contest.

“I beat Gene in a guitar pick throwing contest ... I won a Kiss bicycle and $100 out of his wallet.”
—Frank (73:50)

10. Culinary Lore: Food Favorites on Tour (86:45)

• Food on the Road:

  • Hates touring food but loves Italian beef in Chicago ("sopping wet"), sardines, and anchovies on pizza; recommends Cleveland’s Eastern European cuisine.

• Bus Setup:

  • Hatebreed avoids fast food; instead, they travel with a foreman grill, crock pot, skillet—everyone buys and cooks their own food.

"Hatebreed rolls with a foreman, a crock pot, and a skillet ... we take money instead of catering and just buy whatever we want."
—Frank (90:07)

• Fast Food Debates:
  • In-N-Out, Chick-fil-A, Checkers, noodles & company, Popeyes – all weighed and debated with genuine gusto.

“For Manny Bros up all day!”
—Frank (91:02)

11. Ghost Stories & The Nature of Touring (93:30, 94:52)

• Frank’s Paranormal Encounter:
  • Ghost “touching my legs and making noise, banging on the wall all night… wild.”

"Like King Diamond says, the house is forever haunted. There’s nothing you can do."
—Frank (94:25; 94:30)

• Post-50 Perspective:
  • Loves the stage hour, dislikes the rest of touring, but loves his Florida life.

“At my age, I click my heels together like Dorothy—there’s no place like home.”
—Frank (94:52)

12. Hardcore Ethos & Legacy (101:08)

• On Kindness and Scene Responsibility:
  • Frank is praised for always being approachable, inclusive, and supportive of younger bands.

“You're the guy, dude. ... You go up to people from day one. You embrace them, you accept them. So thank you for being so cool.”
—Colin (101:11)

“It is our responsibility, especially in hardcore and punk ... the next generation is what's going to keep it going. So we must, we must support them.”
—Colin (102:04)

• Achievements & Lasting Impact:
  • From direct supporting Kiss to jamming with Blue Öyster Cult onstage at Hellfest, Frank expresses gratitude for an unexpectedly enduring career:

“To play a Hellfest and turn around and see your favorite band on stage watching you...that was a moment.”
—Frank (96:30, 98:41)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Frank on Cleveland Hardcore:

  “It’s a subculture of a subculture. ... But it’s the best one. It’s the coolest one.”
  (13:25)

• On Band Rivalries:

  “We weren't ... buddy buddies with all these other bands out here like everyone else is doing. ... You're all fools forever believing in us."
  (44:39)

• On Fast Food:

  "Hatebreed wakes up at a Super Walmart every morning ... and we just go in and buy whatever we want."
  (90:07)

• On Touring Europe:

  “They love that music over there. They love it everywhere.”
  (64:57)

• On Growing Older in Music:

  “When you get to be in your 50s ... you count the blessings.”
  (63:06)

• On Kindness in the Scene:

  “Who are our bands without the people that love it?"
  (101:47)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Frank 3 Gun origin: 00:00, 30:01
• Family & music upbringing: 05:49
• Hardcore/punk discovery: 10:59
• Cleveland’s influence, local bands: 12:32
• Forming Ringworm/Integrity: 13:46
• Stories from 90s touring: 27:41, 28:14
• Ringworm/Promise reflection: 24:00
• Returning to Ringworm: 34:13
• On joining Terror: 53:32
• Hatebreed experiences: 61:06
• Kiss fandom stories: 66:44, 68:10, 73:50
• Fast food/tour food: 86:45, 90:07
• Ghost experience: 93:30
• Attitude to touring, Florida life: 94:52
• Hardcore legacy message: 101:08

Closing Thoughts

Frank “3 Gun” Novinec embodies the bridge between eras, genres, and scenes—never aloof or gatekeeping, always game for the next adventure, bit of lore, or backstage snack. This episode vibrates with the real joy and absurdity of hardcore’s journey, mixing personal candor, historical anecdotes, and the reminder that—in Frank’s words—“getting to travel the world with your friends isn’t so bad.”

“Glad to be part of it. ... I know we talked about it for a while and appreciate you having me on. ... We’ll be dropping a [Hatebreed] record this year, so hopefully we’ll see you guys out on the road.”
—Frank (102:58)

End.