MAMMOTHOR – The Ecstasy of Silence…The Agony of Dreams

By starrymag | May 25, 2022

By: Lisa Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) Interestingly, the band originally started as a blues rock band.  There were always some heavy-ish vibes at times, even back then.  But once I joined, the band began recording more diverse material.  At this point, I guess we would be best described as alt metal, though we still do plenty of hard rock type tunes.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) I’m still very much into a lot of the music I discovered as a kid in the 90s: Megadeth, Faith No More, Incubus and even early Collective Soul (at their peak, they were masters of creating the simple hook, and I think some of the catchier stuff I’ve been a part of writing owes a debt to them and other radio rock bands from the era).

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “M.O.A.B.”

 

A) “M.O.A.B.” is the first song I ever wrote before drums were introduced.  Josh sent a video to the band in the Summer of 2017 of him playing the song, start to finish, and I was immediately inspired.  It sounded like classic speed metal or thrash metal to me at times, and that kind of stuff is my bread and butter.  For a song with so many twists and turns, it flowed very naturally, centered on the theme of Oppenheimer’s reaction to creating the atomic bomb.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) The song’s release was very timely, as within a matter of days – or maybe a couple of weeks – Russia invaded Ukraine.  A lot of people have reached out to us, asking if the song is about the war.  It isn’t.  As I stated earlier, the catalyst for the lyrics and title were based on the speed that Josh played.  We have noticed a big influx of listeners in that region and have gotten some messages from Ukrainians.  It is all pretty insane.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) We hired Robert from Wired/Digital to do the lyric video.  We have used him multiple times in the past and he always delivers!  For the guitar playthrough video, Josh worked with Matt Morse who filmed the “You Don’t Know Me” video a couple of years back.  We often try to keep this stuff “in the family” when we can.  We like to have people we can reach out to that we can always trust.

 

Q) Josh and Travis, you wrote “M.O.A.B.” What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics?

 

A) Josh is a songwriting machine.  Some are great, some not so great (he usually tosses them out pretty quickly); but he works very fast.  I usually write very slowly, like a turtle on Xanax.  But some songs, like “M.O.A.B.,” just kind of pour out of me.  I always try to follow the music and often write absolute gibberish for lyrics, until I figure out how to make all of the syllables fit. Sometimes I have a clear theme going in. Other times I start writing lines and realize what the song is about after it has already started coming together.  I often jot lyrics down as they come to me, regardless of whether or not I have music.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music?

 

A) We played a huge hand in producing the last album. Zeuss (Rob Zombie) did the mix and master.  Will Holland (Fall Out Boy) tracked my vocals and assisted in production, as well as Kevin Billingslea (Lamb of God), who tracked the instruments.

 

Q) Your album The Ecstasy of Silence…The Agony of Dreamshas such a vivid title. How did the concept of the album originate?

 

A) This album was definitely the most laborious one that we have ever created.  We went through multiple stages of writing and even began recording it independently before scrapping those tracks and going in with Kevin/Will.  Most of the songs had lifespans of two to three years, so we went over everything with a fine-toothed comb.  I came up with the title and the artwork was handled by Maurizio at Sabnock Design.  He also did the artwork on our last album, “Devotion Lost.”  He is an absolute superstar with art design and packaging.  We go back-and-forth with him a lot to realize our overall vision, but at the end of the day we place a lot of trust in him.

 

Q) What are some tracks on the album that hold a special significance for you?

 

A) Absolutely everything.  You’re basically asking me to pick my favorite child.  Live, there are definitely some that translate better than others.  “You Don’t Know Me” and “Novocaine” are usually really good live, but I also enjoy belting out songs like “Trial by Fire” and “Take the World.”

 

Q) With the album out now, what are some songs off of it that fans are really enjoying hearing live?

 

A) We debuted an early version of “You Don’t Know Me” in 2018, opening for Jonathan Davis from Korn.  That was the first one where the audience was singing along despite never hearing it before.  “Hitcher” is usually a lot of fun too because it has big gang vocals and is really heavy. I also enjoy “Final Hour” because it has a bouncy kind of rhythm at times that I really enjoy.  “This Is Not an Exit” off the Devotion Lost album and a new track we’re working on called “The Inciter” has similar vibes at times from a vocal standpoint.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you?

 

A) The Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom in New Hampshire is my favorite venue, for sure.  The sound there is insane.  Plus, we got to play with Megadeth there, which was like a dream come true.  On tour, Duluth, Minnesota holds a special place in my heart.  We played a very tiny venue there a few years ago, but the fans were amazing.  We sold a ton of merch, and some fans even created a Mammothor Facebook fan group for us. That meant a lot.

 

Q) What album/band are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) I tend to go back to a lot of older albums.  Today, I was listening to “Believe” by Disturbed.  That band gets a hard time from metal fans, but that is a really great record.  I’ve been going back to the Incarnate album by Killswitch Engage a lot the past year or so as well.  For lesser-known bands, there are a couple of great tracks from groups like Violent Idols that I enjoy a lot, as well as Brighter Than A Thousand Suns.  There are a lot of great independent bands, even in our area (New England) like Parts Per Million and Trawl.  We’re hoping to do some stuff with them this Summer.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) It just makes everything so much easier.  Sometimes, when it seems that your hard work isn’t paying off, someone will reach out and tell you what the music means to them.  That’s kind of surreal and definitely helps keep the fire lit.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Go to hell.  Just kidding.  Thank you!  Your support does not go unnoticed.

 

 

 

ALL QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY TRAVIS LOWELL