December 22, 2008 16:00

Frank Gallows: 'I feel like I'm gonna throw up acid…'

Illness pushes frontman's vocals to breaking point

Photo Gallery: Gallows

Gallows frontman Frank Carter has been diagnosed with severe acid reflux - delaying the recording of the band's new album.

The condition, which Carter says is stress-related, was diagnosed after the singer realised he had a problem with his vocals during recording sessions for the band's new album, the follow-up to 2006's 'Orchestra Of Wolves'.

"I've had a few problems," Carter told NME.COM. "I developed a bit of a condition towards the end of this year, and I've got severe acid reflux. It's basically stomach acid that creeps into your flow. It's not great. Whenever I get really stressed I feel like I'm gonna throw up acid. But ironically, the only thing it really affects is my voice."

Doctors have told the frontman that the condition, though not life-threatening, is incurable.

"Once you get it, you’ve got it for life and you just have to look after yourself," he said. "Try and take as much stress out as possible. But that doesn’t really work when you're in a band like Gallows."

Despite the condition, Carter says work on Gallows' new album is continuing - although progress is staggered.

"I'm normally the fucking saving grace, but this time it's been dragged out," he explained. "If I'm stressing, the first thing to go is my voice now, which is not good."

For more on Carter and the new Gallows album, get the Christmas issue of NME, on UK newsstands now.