Mastic Scum Interview

1. Can you give us a brief history of the band?
Harry: Well, Mastic Scum was formed in the middle of the 90`s and is still blasting the daily grind. The band released 3 studio-albums and a lot of split-releases so far and did a lot of live shows and tours. We are already working on the 4th album, so be prepared of some grinding new stuff!! We already finished studio recording so you can check out a studio-teaser at youtube. The album will be mixed at Grindlab Studio and mastered by Jacob Hansen in September, release date is schedulded for middle of November. Artwork will be designed by Killustrations. We are really psyched about it and can`t wait to hear and see the final product. Also new video-clip will be filmed in fall, so check out our news and blogs at our homepages!!

Maggo: Hello there! Also fucking greetz from Austria! Yeah, watch out for our new shit coming up!!

2. How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard you before?
Harry: Just call it deathmetal or grindcore, i don`t care. There are a lot of different opinions about descriptions of our sound, yes, it`s not that normal deathmetal or grindcore, so everybody can make his own opinion about it. New stuff in more in the vein of deathmetal i think.

Maggo: very peppy!!! ha ha ha.... its a blast in your face! with a singer thats hung like a horse, ha ha ha...

3. What is the meaning behind the band's name?

Harry: it`s a kind of play on words, so i think everybody knows the word masticator and scum???

4. I remember getting a lot of your stuff on vinyl in the 90's and I noticed you still put out stuff now, what motivates the band to keep going?

Harry: It`s just that we like what we are doing, you know, music is my live and i love the record new stuff. We have own recording-studio now and it`s easy for us to record, so we also do lot of covertracks and so on… We already recorded a covertrack from Nasum, this track will be available on "Tribute To Nasum" CD which should be out soon!

5. How would you describe your musical progress over the years?

Harry: I think there is a kind of progress in songwriting, in the technical way and also in the production of our music. We always wants to move forward, we never want to stop improving as a band, also as individual musicians, as songwriters and as performers. Therefore we always do our best to go one step further. We want to make sure that very album we put out and every show we play is better than the last one.

Maggo: i think the music sounds more brutal today, a bit more deathmetal.

6. What are some of the best live shows that you have played so far?

Harry: We played some cool festivals last year… for me every show is a special one for itself, but I would like to mention Kaltenbach Open Air and Summer Nights Open Air in Austria, great festivals!!

Maggo: Harry, where did we get the best beer??

7. What releases have you put out so far?

Harry: As already mentioned we are working on our 4th album right now, but there are also a lot of other releases like Split-EPs, Tapes, and so on… i think it`s more than 15 releases so far…

8. Are there any plans for a U.S tour?

Harry: There are some plans to play in the US after the CD release but nothing is fixed yet. We already played some show in US, so we really would like to to back there for some shows. We will see.

Maggo: If you have a cool offer for us we will come to destroy the USA!!! ha ha ha...

9. What are your main influences music wise or non music wise?

Harry: I have a lot of musical influences, lot of old deathmetal and grindcore stuff but also hardcore stuff from beginning of the 90`s and also new stuff as the musical standard ins high and very interesting for me. Dont like this new metalcore stuff so much but there are some really cool new bands out there.

10. What are you listening to nowadays and what are some good bands or releases that you would recommend?
Harry: I listen to new and also old stuff, I listen to a lot of styles of music, but I prefer deathmetal… about new bands, hmmm??? For example i like latest Suicide Silence stuff, it`s a pretty cool band, also great live shows… but for me I prefer old stuff as there are really very good thrash metal albums in the end of the 80s and great deathmetal beginning of the 90s…

Maggo: Thats a hard question because i listen to so much music and bands but especially some ultra brutal stuff like Internal Suffering for example. I also like experimental bands like Dillinger Escape Plan, specially the EP with Mike Patton is a blast! Or some older stuff like Pantera, and as adjustment i listen to roots reggae, drink some beer and chill out with a spliff ha ha ha...

11. What are some good films or books that you would recommend?

Harry: There are some classic movies from Kubrick and Lynch, also old Tarantino stuff, but you have to check out „Man Bites Dog"!! crazy shiiiiiit!!!! really like this movie!! it`s a france production, not sure if available in english…

Maggo: Guest House Paradiso!!!!! It`s the most stupid movie ever made, but i like it!! :-)

12. How would you describe the grindcore/death metal scene in Austria?

Harry: As i`m living in Vienna since years i love this city and I really like the scene there. There are a lot of live-shows, big festivals, also underground shows, lot of cool locations… really great to hang out!

Maggo: I don`t like austrias musicscene very much and the metal- and grindscene makes me weary. There are to less really brutal bands, it`s more melodic bullshit around, exept my other band watch me bleed ha ha ha... but i like the hardcore scene in austria, there are many really good asskicking underground bands.

13. Any final words?
Harry: Thx for the interview. Don`t forget to check out our pages masticscum.com and myspace.com/masticscum cheeeeers!!!!!!

Maggo: Thx for the interview and watch out for our new upcoming album!! hell yeah!!!