Festival report: Fluff Fest 2012, day two

Ever since the schedule for the second day surfaced on the festival's website, I knew that I would be killed by it. The list of bands was insane and it was definite that I'll have to sacrifice some bands in order to see others. Lots of tough decisions and maneuvering, but in the end it resulted in a fantastic day. Only thing that did suck was the stubborn heavy rain which greeted us from the early morning hours.  

Schedule for day two of the festival is as follows:

Main Stage:

1:25 PM: Beton

2:05 PM: Bokanovsky

2:45 PM: True Nature

3:30 PM: Run With The Hunted

4:15 PM: Titan

5:05 PM: Wolf Down

6:00 PM: Masakari

7:00 PM: Suis La Lune

8:00 PM: No Turning Back

9:00 PM: Anchor

Tent Stage:

12:30 PM: Controlled Existence

1:15 PM: Vendetta

1:55 PM: Ralph Macchio

2:35 PM: Kung-Fu Girlz

3:20 PM: Child Meadow

4:05 PM: Osawatomie

4:55 PM: Planks

5:45 PM: Boredom

6:45 PM: Aussitot Mort

7:45 PM: Vaccine

8:50 PM: Light Bearer

10:00 PM: Alpinist

While the rain was pouring down like there was no tomorrow and everyone was covering at the merch desk, "Beton" marked the beginning of the day on the main stage. A quintet from Slovakia playing some superb crust, the band unleashed a series of devastatingly fast d-beat tunes across the soaked festival field. Prior to the festival I found myself craving some more bands of this genre in my book and this act came with all the ingredients that I love, nonstop beating to the senses with speedy playing and that good old dirty crust sound. Sadly I was too far away from the stage and at one point I had to run to my tent to grab a hoodie, so I didn't enjoy the band to the fullest, but I definitely praise the very discovery of their work. Will keep an eye out on this project, attention is most deserved.

Moments later it was time to crawl from under the covers and step into the rain to see "Bokanovsky" from a closer point. Right away I have to say that this band definitely jumps up to be in my personal top five performances of this year's "Fluff Fest", no doubts about it. I know about these guys for several years now, though I kinda neglected listening to them in recent periods of time. After this performance, there is no way to ever forget about them again. The band was so powerful and emotionally impacting that they immediately resurrected the passionate love I had for them back in the day. Seeing that unbelievably well-crafted combination of beauty and serenity wrapped in heavy and unpredictable sounds oozing with emotions and passion was magnificent. This is, without any second thoughts, the first band on this festival that managed to thoroughly impress me and shake me to the core. My readers probably know how much I adore screamo hailing from France and this band is a perfect example of why I feel so much infatuation for their music scene. But wait, there is one more band from this country leaving its mark on this review, just coming up next.

Right after "Bokanovsky" finished their set, two of their string players went on into the tent to form "Child Meadow", only this time one of them was on drums and the other remained on the guitar. This band has to be the most pleasant surprise of the festival, without a doubt. These two guys managed to fill the entire tent and the audience with so much positive energy with their smiles, jokes, insanely catchy melodies and extremely pleasant attitude. There was interaction with the crowd, silly playing mistakes which created even more smiles on peoples faces and just make everyone feel like they are attending a house show. Aside of their own songs, the band did a cover of "Remek" which was actually assisted by the singer of the said band. The same happened with a "Paper Plane Crash" cover song. When you put everything together, you get a really thrilling show and a true bomb made out of positive emotions. I seriously don't recall a gig when a band managed to make me smile during the entire set. France, you should be proud.

After some hanging out around distros it was time for "Wolf Down". For various reasons I saw the band perform only briefly, but the tiny spectacle was amazing. If I remember well, I came just in time to hear "Rot" and it blew me away at how perfect it sounded. Also, I was kinda far away from the stage so I had a really nice view on what is going on there and the band really managed to move the crowd with its insane amount of energy. Jumping on stage, crowd surfing, rampage on the ground, the band itself being wild and constantly moving, just total mayhem everywhere. The sound they succeeded in creating was far more aggressive and brutal than that on the recordings, so it was quite a sight seeing them live. Definitely a band worth the note. I also did an interview with them some time ago, found here, so you should also check that out if you already haven't.

Next up, "Boredom". Maybe it is quite cheezy to say, but they instantly annihilated any possible presence of actual boredom in the tent. Precisely as on their recordings, the amusing clash between raspy, thrashy crust and almost rock and roll type melodies managed to impress me beyond measure, changing my mood from calm to nigh hyperactive. Ever since I first heard their split with "Rivers Run Dry", courtesy of good friend Botond from "Itai Itai Records", I've found their sound so unique and intriguing, thus this being an absolute honor to attend their show. Similarly to when I listened to them at home for the first time, they just swept me off my feet when they started playing on stage and my mind blown state was present until their sound died. "Lap Dance of Rats" and "The Poverty Lawyer" punched me in the gut so hard that I really don't know how I restrained myself from killing someone in the dancing area in front of the stage. What this band can do to you with their music is insane, that's for sure. They have less than 500 listeners on last.fm and that is something that is not tolerable at all. Seriously people, what's wrong with you? Check this band out, I promise you won't regret it!

It is sad to say that this is the point where the schedule became extremely tight and squeezed for me, with too many good bands entwined with one another. I really wish that "Fluff Fest" starts doing what "Ieperfest" does with its schedule, although this will have to wait until I write the review of my stay in Belgium. Until then I'll stick to what happened in Rokycany. "Masakari" was next and due to seeing "Boredom" I couldn't attend to their whole set. Although I only witnessed a part of the gig it was definitely enough to stomp me entirely. Approaching the show I realized how enormous their sound is, not only because of the fact that they were on the main stage, but also because it was, plainly put, the sound of "Masakari". There was just so much anger and energy hurling from the stage, so much that I felt completely battered, in a positive way of course, despite the fact that I was rather far from the source of sound. If I recall well, I arrived just in time to hear "X. Pain Conceived As A Tool", the song which is featured on the benefit split with "Tempest", and the band just killed everything with the sheer massiveness of their music. I've always been in love with "Masakari", but I never imagined them being that good in concert, just stunning. I feel insanely sorry that I didn't see their whole act, so I hope they come back to Europe one day to wreck havoc on everything. 

One more occasion to see "Aussitot Mort" and yet again I wasn't able to view their entire set, because I needed to catch another band. Sigh. "Fluff" you are killing me. Anyway, if I remember well the band once again opened their act with "La Ride Du Lion" which is just a superb opener and mood-setter. The band simply excels at lashing out their amazing atmospheric sound in a single swipe and it definitely doesn't leave you unshaken. I only saw that first song being played and I already had to run to the main stage, but it was absolutely worth it. I still hate myself due to the fact I missed their show with "Heaven In Her Arms", especially now since I have a chance to see them properly but always fail to see the entire set. The band hates me probably, that's why. I due love them, however. 

Rushing to the main stage earlier I managed to secure a first row place for the next act. "Suis La Lune",  legendary screamo band from Sweden and a long time favorite band of yours truly, was getting ready and just about to start. I was quite anxious about this performance due to the fact that, prior to the festival, I heard that they weren't really entertaining live and I honestly had some level of fear about what was going to happen. Additionally, for various reasons, they kind of drifted away from my liking and this show was definitely a sort of a test for the band in my eyes. Saying it right away, the band swept me off my feet entirely. And they would sweep me even easier if I wasn't stupid enough to neglect listening to their newest album called "Riala". The majority of the performed songs were from that album and, although I watched with awe and utter pleasure, it just isn't the same when you actually know the songs, if you know what I mean. Needless to say, "Cornea", "Remorse", "All That Meant Something" and all other new pieces managed to resurrect the old love I had for the band. Mixed with those were "With Wings Of Feathers And Glue" and "September Gave Us...", while the ending came in a beautiful combination of "Utter Silence Is Fragile" and "A Letter A Void". In all the years that I followed this band fervently, I always imagined that they would be so blissful and wonderfully gentle and there they were, proving and justifying all my previous thoughts. I have always dreaded about writing things concerning my favorite bands, among which is definitely this one, and this amount of text is enough to make me shudder, thus I will stop here. Astonishing performance, worth the wait all these years. 

After soothing melodies and emotions, it was time for pissed off straight edge powerviolence. That sounds gnarly, wouldn't you say? "Vaccine", a band hailing from Massachusetts and featuring members of acts such as "Orchid", "Ampere", "Glue", "Failures" and "Think I Care", just got on stage and basically kicked everyone in the face, over and over again. This came as an enormous shock to the senses after the previous band, but damn, it was worth it. Their entire set was just a violent ball of rending, heavy guitar riffs, choking drums, harsh bass and angry to the core vocals to top it off. I was simply flabbergasted at how awesome this band is, especially since I never heard about them before. I did, however, get a second chance at seeing them on "Ieperfest" where I managed to pay more attention to what is going on amid the chaos they created. Seeing this band twice shows that I'm really lucky that I didn't get a heart-attack. This day just didn't fail to continuously impress.

Once the truly maddening set was over, I had just enough time to go to my tent and put on my "Vestiges" shirt for the next band, just for fun. By the time I got back, the tent stage was overcrowded and bursting with expectations for "Light Bearer". I managed somehow to squeeze inside, despite my initial wishes to be in the very front row. The band opened with their newest song, that from the split with "Northless", called "Celestium Apocrypha: Book Of Watchers", which I have to say surprised me a bit. Although it is a truly astounding piece, I think it is a really bad choice for a short festival performance due to its length and slowness. Needless to say, the band somehow pulled it off and mesmerized the crowd with their great sound and ambiance. After a sluggish start came "Prelapsus", which literally exploded inside the tent, the mass of people erupting into a conjoined choir of screams at the cataclysmic ending of the song. From then on it was continual stage diving and dancing on the part of the audience, while the band continued with "Lapsus" and, if memory serves well, "Primum Movens". The strength of the sounds radiating from the small stage kept being increased to unbelievable levels, completely justifying the epic concept the band is enveloped in. I had my doubts about how the performance will come out in the tent stage, but so much energy and power packed in such a tight spot proved to be magnificent. My only complaint would be the pick of the opening song, since I presume that "Armoury Choir" would be a far better decision, but this stays in the boundaries of personal choice. Additionally, for a score of reasons, I really didn't approve of words spoken by the band during breaks, some of them addressing the whole situation with "Defeater". I just find it a lot better when people mind their own business and think about what they are saying before they actually say it. Otherwise, a great performance.

"Alpinist" gets one word as an opener. Wow. I wasn't pleased at all with their performance on "Cry Me A River" and I came to this gig to give them a second chance. Wow, again. The very first millisecond the band started playing, the crowd erupted like an eons old volcano. Instant stage diving, jumping, crowd surfing, screaming, pushing, everyone became so squeezed together from the sheer amount of people which hurled into the tent to participate in the sea of limbs and sore throats. The band seemed to play in such a violent fashion, when compared to the last time I saw them, and it doesn't come as a surprise that the audience replied in such a fashion. Their sound became exceedingly heavy, pounding and fast, so much that even though you were trying to stay alive in the whirlwind of bodies your mind was well aware of the sounds rushing towards the ears. There was minimal time for pauses or speeches, although they were present, and it was just nonstop insanity until the end of their set. The band just didn't stop beating their instruments until the crowd started feeling fatigue approaching. The only downside to the entire thing was that a girl got seriously injured, if the information is correct she got a fractured skull, during the set. Although it was really fun and adrenaline rushing, people should be a little bit more careful with really hurting someone, especially since at the beginning of the show a lot of tinier people were in front. I got separated from my girlfriend during the course of a couple of songs and I can't say that I wasn't worried for her. Also a similarly lame thing happened to me on "Light Bearer" while I was crowd surfing and was dropped to the ground at one point, without people actually trying to get me up but going along with their business. Just a little bit more concert etiquette is needed I presume. But aside of that, this is by far the wildest and most intense concert I've attended in a long, long while. "Alpinist", I applaud you, this was a show to remember. 

Masakari & Tempest (2012)

Replenish Records bandcamp

This review was supposed to appear a few days ago, but I sadly got sidetracked by listening to some random music on youtube. Quite shameful yes, especially since this release is a really important one and should be payed much attention. 

The split about which you will read below has been floating around the internet for a couple of days now, thus most of you are probably familiar with it. Although people are massively downloading it, I noticed that not everyone is aware of the whole story and the actual cause of the split, so this really needs to be corrected, especially since that is the thing that immediately made a wish in me to have the release posted on my blog. The fact of the matter is that this record is the only material in more than a year's time that I handpicked to post, a release which was not previously requested by a band to be reviewed, so I guess that that alone is enough to say how much I was thrilled with this.

Back in December 2011 I did an interview with "Masakari", which you can read here in case you missed it, and one particular question was addressing the band's love for dogs and pit bulls in particular. This record comes as a further explanation and materialization of their, and that of the band "Tempest", infatuation with these wonderful creatures, the split being a benefit for two organizations fighting for and supporting a truly noble cause. All of the money, a complete 100%, collected through this split will be donated to "HugAbull Advocacy & Rescue Society" from Vancouver, BC and "Wiggle Butts Bully Rescue" of Cleveland, Ohio. The wish of both the bands and the record label is to not only support the people associated with these organizations, but to also increase awareness about breed specific legislation and general awareness regarding animal cruelty and ways of how we, as humans, should treat our non-human friends. This is the kind of action through music that definitely deserves full attention and admiration, thus I would appreciate if my readers would check out this split and help the cause if they can. Even if you are not fond of these bands and this label, pay heed to what they are trying to do, since it is truly applause worthy. Also, please visit the websites of the above mentioned organizations for any further information or ways to get involved and help. You can do so on the following addresses:

- "HugAbull Advocacy & Rescue Society"

- "Wiggle Butts Bully Rescue"

Concerning some technical information about the split, it comes in the form of a 7'' EP and is limited to 500 copies with a double-sided fold-over jacket. You can grab it on the website of "Replenish Records" found here or you can just take a listen and download it for free on the above posted bandcamp page.

First in line on the split is "Masakari", the band deciding to contribute with a song called "X. Pain Conceived As A Tool". Press play and get pulverized in an instant, the Ohio quintet opening with full aggression and no remorse for your ears. The song lasts less than two minutes, but it is absolutely enough to set you in the mood perfectly and blow your mind away in the process, continuing with the speed and energy for which this band is well-known for. Ripping out a perfect mixture of hardcore and d-beat/crust, this song definitely heats up the excitement about the upcoming "Masakari" summer tour in Europe. This split also shows what kind of mayhem and chaos one can expect at their show, since the two tracks on their side are actually the same song, one as an "unreleased" and the other as a "live" version. So the live version, track two, comes with a very neat explanation of the song and what this split is about basically. Add to that the fact that the band literally slayed with the way they performed the song and the overall excellent quality of the recording and you get a real time-bomb of a record side.

"Tempest" holds the second half of this split and they hold it firmly. To be honest, I have never listened to this band before, since they are hanging out on my rather long "to-listen" list due to the fact that I'll see them live a couple of times this summer. I saw that people are really saying amazing things about the band on the internet and this split showed me why. Formed in 2007 in British Columbia, Canada, this five piece band charges and tramples over you with a superb combination of dark hardcore and screamo, reminding me of an amalgam consisting of "June Paik", "Danse Macabre" and "Zann". So far I have just listened to this split, thus I don't know what their previous material sounds like, but I can definitely hear a lot of tones influenced by the famous German wave of chaotic screamo. The song on this split, called "Death Rattle", is a purely excellent piece, being overtly aggressive while bearing an amazing atmospheric trait. It paints a rather complex image in the head of the listener with a lot of various shifts in melody, interesting bridges and an omnipresent wave of massive sound crashing on you. Similarly to "Masakari", "Tempest" brought two versions of a single song on this split, one being a remaster and one a live recording. And again they have devastated the audience with the second track much in the same fashion as their split mates. A clean recording where the bass playing really comes as being fantastic, a tidbit I found quite amusing. 

Overall, this is a fantastic split, both because of the bands and their performance, but also because of the action they took with the label to help the lives of others who can't fight for their rights. I myself will definitely be buying this release and I respect anyone else who will do the same, be it for the love of the bands or for the love of our furry (or otherwise) friends. Check it out and thank you.

Interview:Masakari

It seems that this year is going to be ending in full interview power and I couldn't be more happy about that fact, since this really reminded me how much I enjoy talking to bands and "meeting" new people. In any case, thanks to Luka for connecting me with the amazing "Masakari" and thanks to Joe for answering the questions. Hope to see you guys on the road some day! Definitely check out this interview, it's an excellent read.

1. Hello friends! First, I would like to say thanks for taking your time for this interview. Please, introduce yourselves.

Hey my name is Joe and I play guitar. The rest of the band is Tony (Vocals), Greg (Guitar), Adam (Bass) and Jon (Drums)

2. "Masakari" is a Japanese battle axe as far as I know. Tell me why did you pick that name and is there a specific story behind it?

Honestly, as most bands will probably tell you, we spent a long time trying to come up with a name and we just kind of like how it sounded. Plus it had a cool meaning, and it was an added bonus that is was Japanese because we tend to be Japanese fanatics.

3. Aside of the name, your music is influenced by several Japanese bands. What managed to draw you close to that music in particular?

Cleveland has always had a closeness with the Japanese scene. Every popular band I can think of from Cleveland from "H100s", "9 Shocks Terror" and even "Integrity" had heavy influences from Japanese Hardcore. We just all fell in love with bands like "Death Side", "Gauze", "GISM", "Judgement" and "Bastard" (amongst many others) and haven't stop jamming those records since we first heard them.

4. Next to Japanese hardcore punk, can you tell me which bands and styles inspired you to create music?

Probably most apparent is our influences by American crust/hardcore bands, most importantly "His Hero Is Gone". It is no secret that we craft our sound off of what they were doing. Their records are flawless and we try to take the intensity in their records and filter it through our own creative writing abilities. We aren't that unique and we don't care to be. We try to write music that we would want to listen to. Other influences come from all over the place, but I would have to say that pretty much everything coming out of Germany has a huge personal influence on me. Next to "His Hero Is Gone", I think "Perth Express" has the strongest impact on me. What they did in such a short time is something that will never not impress me.

5. When did the band form and how did the idea to create a project such as "Masakari" arise?

"Masakari" formed in 2006, we originally started writing epic sounding crust. After about 2 years of doing this, and realizing we weren't very good at it, we decided to strip things down, play faster, heavier and write much shorter songs. We scratched all of our material and started fresh with all new songs. 5 of the first 8 songs we wrote formed the first 7".

6. Your most recent release is a split LP with the German band "Alpinist". How did that collaboration occur?

It actually happened rather quickly. The last day of our first European tour, we were hanging out with Timo (Alerta Antifascista) and talking about records/listening to records when he mentioned that we should do a split with "Alpinist". Of course we jumped on the idea because at the time "Alpinist" was on constant repeat for the majority of the band. Originally we didn't think anything would come of it, but about 3 months later we began the planning process...

7. Can you tell me something more about the split itself? And some interesting bits and pieces about your previous releases?

The split represents, to me, the most important material we have written so far. It is the first proper release with Adam on bass, as well as being the record I am most proud of lyrically and musically. I think it really represents a growth we went through as a band. The first 7" is actually a funny story too, because we actually recorded it 2-3 times prior to the recording that can be heard on the record. We just originally couldn't find the sound we wanted. We were extremely meticulous with the recording process and we can't be happier that we decided to do it the way we did.

8. "Masakari" releases always featured some very interesting artwork, so who creates it?

Everything we have released has been created by someone new, and we like it that way. The original 7" was created by "KENNTWOFOUR", the repress of the 7" is a piece of art from Gustave Dore with a drawing
from "Halseycaust" in the insert, the LP is by one of my favorite artists Sugi, the "Sleep//Rot" 7" was designed by myself and the split artwork was drawn by Alex CF. We like that every release looks a bit different but still maintains the dark aspect that our music also has.

9. You have also toured with "Alpinist" recently. What were your impressions about the said tour and are there some plans about doing a European tour with them? Do you enjoy being on the road?

The tour with "Alpinist" could not have been more fun. They are one of the most real and down to earth group of people and we completely connected with them. I wish I could tour with them every time we hit the road. We actually are currently in the process our planning a European tour with them that will begin in July 2012 and end in Augsust! I think being on the road has its disadvantages, but overall I couldn't be happier than when touring. Touring is one of the most exhilarating experiences and I anticipate starting immediately when tour ends.

10. Which was your most memorable "Masakari" show?

That is a hard question, there have been so many, but I think I have to say that playing Maryland Death Fest will probably always come to mind. There is nothing like being on the same bill as so many bands
that are completely amazing, and so many bands that we grew up listening to. It is one of the most well run festivals I have ever seen and I only hope to be able to play again!

11. I noticed that you are dog lovers, loving pit bulls in particular. What is the situation in your hometown when it comes to organized dog fights and is there a discrimination of pit bulls? I am asking since here there is such a situation, the government even wanted to ban the holding of this race of dogs at one instance. I would like to hear your general thoughts about this matter, about dogs, fights and all those bastards that revel in something like that and earn money from it.

Dog fighting doesn't seem to be huge in Cleveland, but I know it happens, what is more common are assholes who think that the dogs are only good as pieces of jewelry. They walk their dogs with gigantic chains and clip their ears, all so their dogs look menacing. We as a band are absolutely disgusted by this. 3 of us own pit bulls and we understand their true nature, which couldn't be farther from the menacing nature in which people like that and the media would like others to believe. As far as bans, the city of Cleveland, where we live, actually recently just revoked any discrimination laws against them. Now we can freely own Pits without dealing with the bullshit laws that just recently existed. However, many cities in America have these laws still and a lot of cities do outright ban them, including a suburb outside of Cleveland, actually about 2 miles from where I live.

12. Back to music subjects, tell me something about your local scene in Cleveland. Are there many active bands and venues, any fanzines? Anything in particular that you love or hate about the scene?

I always have a love/hate relationship with Cleveland. Cleveland's scene is hit or miss, it will have its moments of greatness and then moments of absolute horrific-ness. All in all it is my home and will always be important for me. We have tons of great bands (check out "Grin and Bear It", one of the best fast hardcore bands out there period) and two solid punk venues ("Now That's Class" and "The Tower 2012"), which is a lot more than most cities have so I can't complain.

13. Since you have been touring a fair bit, what are your impressions about diy music on a more global scale? Do you enjoy what the diy bands of today are doing?

I'd have to say that no one knows how to handle DIY punk ethics better than European punks. The treatment of bands, the political ideology, etc.. is just on another level. I can't tell you how much of a relief it is to know that no matter what, every show on tour we will be fed and have a place to stay is just about the greatest thing. In America DIY punk is awesome but still has a little ways to go. Touring Europe really had a positive effect on us, because since we have been modeling the shows we book after them.

14. Tell me something more about your own experiences with diy ethics. Do you find some elements tough on the band and, in contrast, do you consider that the diy approach creates a more intimate relationship between the musician and the music?

DIY purists may not consider us DIY since we released the CD on "Southern Lord" but everything we have ever done has been within the DIY community. We can't exist as a band without that community. We are happier playing small punk houses/venues than big clubs, and while we still have fun playing some big shows here and there our home will always be inside the DIY community.

15. Any thoughts about diy music and the internet? Do you consider the internet being a valuable tool for underground bands? And do you follow some specific blogs or webzines?

The internet is double-edged. It makes it so easy to share our music with the world, and it has helped us reach the people we have reached, and for that we are grateful, but it also makes the music community over-saturated and I think that it causes some people to feel that they can pick and choose what bands to listen to based on superficial reasons, rather than base bands on their music. The internet though has really allowed an exchange of free music globally that we can't be more behind, we have said this time and time again but will continue to say it, we love having people download our music and think that digital music should always be free. For internet sites check out "CVLT Nation", "Crustcake", "Brooklyn Vegan" and "Toxicbreed Funhouse".

16. Time for you to ask something!
What are some Serbian bands that I should be aware of?…and what is the political state of Serbia like, does this infiltrate the punk scene?

I have been asked this first question numerous times before and I always end up listing the same bands, so I guess that makes them really good! My favorite band is definitely "Dazd", which everyone needs to check out, apocalyptic crust/punk at its best. "Reflections of Internal Rain" are also worth the note, playing an extremely fast and melodic crust/hardcore combination. You should also check out "Went", if you are into mellow postrock/acoustic/low-fi music. And definitely the newly risen band from Novi Sad, "Furtive Forest", an emotional hardcore act which just released their first recordings and I managed to miss their gig a few days ago so they probably hate me now. Those bands are active, but there are lots of projects worth the note from the past, like "Ground Zero" and "Unison".
As for the political state of things...I don't really like talking about stuff like that here, you can check my tumblr page for a look at my (a)political opinion of things. But generally, what I consider most disturbing about the state of such things in Serbia is the amount of media manipulation and similar bullshit, which is too subtly influenced by politics. If it weren't for the internet, we would probably be like living in caves. But the sad thing is that the majority has fallen to such manipulations and it actually results in people being overtly stupefied and younger generations turning horrible. There are political aspects that seep through into music and stuff like that does manage to inspire some bands here, but they usually end up being not my cup of tea, so to speak. 

17. Aside of "Masakari", are the memebers of the band associated with some other music projects, both past and present?

Yes currently we all have side projects I am also in "Wind of Death", "Little Sister" and "Trespasser", Tony: "Gasmask" and two unnamed projects, Greg is in a new also unnamed project, Jon: "Wind of Death" and both unnamed projects with Tony and Adam is also in "Heartless".

18. Since you are all young in the band, are there some schools or jobs next to music related work? Some hobbies even?

Currently Tony, Jon and myself are pursuing degrees, while Adam works a series of jobs and Greg works full time. Other than working music takes up a lot of time, but I think we all have hobbies that we like to do, for me I love seeing films.

19. The year is almost over. Do you have some music releases which marked this year for you? Or are there any overall favorite records you would like to recommend?

This is coming from me, but my favorite releases this year are Heartless' "Hell is Other People", Ghost's "Opus Eponymous", Alpinist's side of our split, Midnight's "Satanic Royalty", Hungry Lungs' 7" and
Dead in the Dirt's "Fear" 7".

20. In the end, I would like to thank you again for doing this interview! Any final messages for the blog readers?
Can't wait to get to Serbia, and stay in contact!