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MUDBREED
– A Reoccuring Stench
By Chris Bruni
So it has been said and done with Pungent Stench, a band we here
at U! still revere, but now Austria has a new power groove metal
outfit. Calling themselves Mudbreed, one could say the band rose
from the ashes of Pungent Stench. Well, sort of, meaning that Mudbreed
was envisioned by none other than former Pungent singer/guitarist/songwriter
Martin Schirenc. Sure, since the demise of Pungent he has been keeping
himself busy managing the now defunct Dark Matter Records, working
as a sound engineer, and working on various other musical projects,
most notably his semi-black metal outfit, Hollenthon, who released
an excellent album earlier this year via Napalm Records.
But Mudbreed are a full-fledged band, still looking for a deal.
But what we have from them now though is a monstrous five-song promo
CD. Entitled Late Night Calls, this little beast is a flourishing
wallop of heavy, and I mean heavy, guitars with a suave touch of
groove, power and soul. Really, Mudbreed are one of the finest acts
out there who combine a straightforward assault of real, true-to-heart
metal death-core – kinda like mid-era Entombed mixed with early
Life Of Agony and a heavier dosage of Corrosion Of Conformity, with
even a little touch of Sabbath and a healthy injection of hardcore.
Martin was cool enough to give us just a little insight into this
promising act.
How long after Pungent broke up did you decide to form Mudbreed
and what led to its creation?
"Actually I started with Mudbreed right away," Martin
replies. "But it took a while to find the right people. We
began rehearsals with a complete line-up two years after Pungent
split. That would have been in February 1997. I think that Mudbreed
is a continuation of sorts to what I did with Pungent. Of course,
the style has developed further and found its own niche but since
I no longer have the main vocal responsibilities the songs I write
have become more complex. I even used some of the riffs for Mudbreed
that I originally planned to use on a Pungent recording."
Alongside Schirenc, who is the sole guitar player, the other members
of Mudbreed include Mike Groger on drums, Martin Hosserek on bass,
and the very unique singing of Didi Bruckmayr. What are the other
members' musical backgrounds and where do they come from musically,
since Mudbreed does incorporate different elements within their
heavy music?
"Mike and Didi were the first to join Mudbreed. Mike has played
with a variety of bands, from hardcore to psychobilly. He also plays
in my other band Hollenthon. Didi is known for his theatrical antics
and his vocals with Fuckhead and Wipeout. His musical background
includes punk rock and electronic influences. Finally our current
bass player (our third so far!), Martin Hosserek, also has a background
in hardcore and played with Only Attitude Counts. Mike was the one
who recruited him for the band. Each member's style of playing compliments
that of the others. As far as what each member will bring to the
band...only time will tell."
Which are the influences then that pertain to the band?
"Mudbreed's musical direction finds its roots in metal, hardcore
and rock-n-roll. It's hard to describe one's own music. However
for those interested souls, our homepage (www.mudbreed.tsx.org)
will soon have an MP3 for downloading."
Didi's vocals are very unique in presentation. Whereas one expects
a guy of his magnitude, by his intimidating presence alone, to simply
scream his lungs out in fury, what we get instead is a very soulful,
emotional yet aggressive vocal approach reminiscent of, say, Danzig.
"First of all the vocals are normally the most important part
of a band. People recognize a band often by the singer's voice and
in Didi's case, it is quite unconventional, which is why I asked
him to join. Besides that, his appearance and stage presence is
very extreme. His live act is definitely hard to follow.
"Didi also writes a major part of the lyrics. I guess that
they are quite personal, dealing with everyday occurrences with
a political touch. The songs are relatively easy to understand and
normally have to do with the 'little man' or working class man.
Although the influence is clearly European, I am pretty sure that
the experiences transfer over to the North American continent as
well. They are a bit depressing at times and also very realistic."
What is the situation concerning label interest?
"Unfortunately there isn't label interests in Mudbreed, unless
you know something I don't. As far as the future is concerned, we
will try to get a deal and see what happens. I hope to play many
live shows with Mudbreed and spend the time I have off with drunk
groupies in cheap hotel rooms... throwing TV sets out of the window..."
Seeing that you are involved in many projects would you say that
Mudbreed is the number one priority?
"Actually I always give 100 percent no matter what the project
may be. Mudbreed is probably the most fun because of the live shows
and the collaboration with the other band members. I don't normally
do much expecting, but you can expect an album release, hopefully,
in 2000."
And we hope so too! With such potential at hand here it would be
a damn shame for this act to go unnoticed.
Contact: 666@hollenthon.com
www.mudbreed.txs.org
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