Metal Anarchy

Time for the next edition of Metal Anarchy’s “Music In The Age Of COVID-19” series, the feature where I discuss the ongoing pandemic with various musicians. This time I have an interview with Mothflesh.

METAL ANARCHY: How have you been holding up during the coronavirus pandemic?

MOTHFLESH: COVID-19’s global lockdown was a moment of contemplation, reflection and productivity for the band. We took the opportunity to reflect on our past work and future, we put in question the music we’ve put out in the past and its sonic quality; the creative direction we were taking as a band; and priorities as band members. The results were rewardingly tumultuous as the results yielded our release of “Machine Eater” but at the cost of our drummer and rhythm guitarist. We’re proud of how we were able to weather the storm of the pandemic and we’re not out of the woods just yet – the overwhelmingly positive response we’ve had to the album has cemented our conviction to further pursue as a three-piece, which has posed some pertinent challenges such as even finding some suitable session members who could play our songs. Ultimately, we’re optimistic that the future would hold more balance for us as a band and for the general music scene.

METAL ANARCHY: Have you been using your downtime to work on new music?

MOTHFLESH: The lockdown gave us that space to go beyond general song-smithing and gave us the breadth of space to focus on everything from composition to even how we played our instruments. Each riff on the album you hear today was a permutation of a prior riff that was put under a microscope and effectively audited. We focused on the intention of the songs, as each song in an album should provide a unique and cohesive sensory experience for the listener. We don’t think we’ve would have been able to have the time to come to this level of meticulous composition have we not had the space and absence of everyday distractions. After the release of “Machine Eater,” we’ve begun exploring the concepts and ideas for our next release which would touch on newer elements like synth leads and ambient textures and the monolithic DROP-E tuning.

METAL ANARCHY: What was the last show you played or attended before the shutdown?

MOTHFLESH: We played in Thailand’s largest punk rock festival, which was an interesting story. The band effectively missed our slot because we were taking a train from Bangkok that experienced a delay in the middle of the travel. The delay was caused by some jackasses who set the forest which the train’s route runs through on fire. The train had to wait until they were able to put out the fire. Once we arrived at the show, the last band was closing the show, but the organisers were understanding enough and added us to a closing bill – any time extension to a show is a cost for an organizer as the backline suppliers would charge for it. It’s this brand of genuine love and empathy, especially from the punk scene in South-East Asia that helps the extreme music scene that helps a band like us do what we do best.

METAL ANARCHY: Are you planning to play any livestream concerts during this time?

MOTHFLESH: We did do a livestream concert in the heat of the pandemic. It’s not something we’re necessarily focused on as we’re a performance-oriented band.

METAL ANARCHY: Do you think the live entertainment industry will ever recover?

MOTHFLESH: Absolutely, we’re seeing that in Malaysia with small concerts and events, albeit in controlled stages and strict Covid measures.

METAL ANARCHY: Lastly, is there anything fans can do to help your band or others that may be struggling during this time?

MOTHFLESH: We would like our fans to check out “Machine Eater” which is available now and tell us what you think. The best part about modern social media is that we connect with our fans directly and so forth. As for those who are struggling, the best thing we can do is provide support. The best art has always survived from loyal and convicted patrons. We’re convinced that even though this may be a collective struggle for all artists in all capacities and functions, the fans and supporters wont leave us in the lurch.