SHARKBASTARDTERRORCULT Interview #3: Massgrave

SBTC:
Hails and thanks for taking the time to do the interview. For those who have not heard of you guys, how and why did you guys get started as a band?

Massgrave:
Goat and Woody started the band around 2001 with Goat on drums and woody on bass.
They later added Lenny on Vocals and me on drums with goat moving over to guitar. We went like that for a few years and then got Dave in to play bass so Woody could focus on vocals.
The line up is Lenny/Vocals, Woody/ Vocals, Goat/Guitar, Dave/Bass, Hesher/Drums. As for why we all love punk music and grind/crust. We are influenced by bands like Napalm Death, Disrupt, Extreme Noise Terror, Doom, Rudimentary Peni.

SBTC:
You last releases where in 2008, the splits with In Disgust and Stormcrow, and the compilation “5 years of Grinding Crust Core”. Why such the long time since any new release and is there any thing planned for 2011?

Massgrave:
It can be a slow process but we aren't in any rush to pump out new tunes. We have a new LP that we recorded in March 2010 that is going to be coming out on Haunted Hotel Records any day now. Since then we have done a 6 week Euro tour, a 2 week east coast tour and tons of local shows. We definitely haven't been slacking.

SBTC:
If you had to pick one release that you have under your belt, which one would you say you are most pleased with and why?

Massgrave:
I think we would all agree that the split with Stormcrow is up there. I think it’s our best batch of tunes and we are dear friends with the Stormcrow guys, it was cool to do a record with them. The art and layout also turned out killer. Goat did the layout and Dan Sawblade from Texas did the cover.

SBTC:
On a similar note do you guys plan to do a tour any time soon? The last time I saw you guys perform was at Murderfest a few years ago.

Massgrave:
We are flying to Texas at the end of April. We are going to play 4 shows down there with PLF. We got asked to play with Doom in Seattle in May and that is going to be sick. In 2011 we are going back to Europe for another tour. Probably 4-6 weeks. We are all really looking forward to that. Murderfest was really fun. I remember playing right next to Phobia and Rotten Sound which was deadly. It was my first time seeing Eyehategod which is one of my favorite bands.
Cheers to Adrian from What Shame for hooking that weekend up for us.

SBTC:
Are their any notable humorous/interesting experiences you have had playing shows or touring?

Massgrave:
Oh man there are shit loads. One of the funniest was in 2007 we were touring the US with Catheter and we had an overnight drive through New Mexico.


Earlier Lenny had fallen sleep and we were fucking with him. When he woke up we told him that we had rubbed poo on his upper lip. He was choked and we kept bugging him about it and he really thought we did it.
Somewhere along the way someone scratched in the dust on the window “Lenny has poo on his lip.” So anyways we are driving through New Mexico late at night and we get pulled over by Highway Patrol.

They asked us a few questions and everything was fine.

The cop was letting us go and said something like “You guys are free to go, and tell Lenny to wipe the poo off of his lip.” We cracked up hard.
We really fuck with each other on tour. It gets pretty out of hand sometimes.


SBTC:
A lot of great bands come from Canada. How do you feel the scene is over there?

Massgrave:
It's pretty good. We have been getting a lot more US and foreign bands up here lately. We have recently started doing shows at our practice spot that have been awesome.

It’s called Garbage Mountain. It’s a space we share with some of our friends bands. There are 4 rooms in it and we clear out the main room for shows. It is the perfect size for a punk gig.

SBTC:
Obviously you are influenced by grindcore and crust, but are their any bands that people would not expect that you listen to?

Massgrave:
A couple of the dudes are into the Beatles. Lendawg listens to hiphop. I like a lot of assy rock like Airbourne and Nashville pussy. Woody listens to real old blues and country. We are all over the place.

SBTC:
When did you really start getting into the more extreme forms of music?

Massgrave:
We all started off the same listening to pretty mainstream stuff like Nirvana when we were really young then gradually getting into punk and crust later on. I started off as a metalhead listening to Metallica and Sepultura. Through them I heard about underground bands like Doom and shit like that. It just went from there. I think one of the big things for me was hearing the Bleeeeaaarggh!!! 7 inches as a teenager. It just blew my mind that there were bands all over the world playing this stuff. It's how I heard about Assuck, Man Is The Bastard and those types of bands.

SBTC:
D-beat or blast beat?

Massgrave:
That’s a tough one but I would have to say D-beat because nothing gets the fists pumping like it.

SBTC:
How should folks who want get merch and other goodies get in contact with you?

Massgrave:
Get in contact with Goat at theuglyclub@hotmail.com

Thanks for the interview. Write us at massgravebc@yahoo.ca Listen to Inepsy. Up the punks! MG