When I met Paul Speckmann on the Obituary tour – Master opened up for them all around Europe – we talked a bit about Master and labels and stuff. That reminded me that I wanted to interview him after the release of the “Unreleased Album 1985”-album by From Beyond, though, it never got through. And though I haven’t heard the latest Master album yet we agreed of doing this interview as soon as he returned home in the Czech Republic after the tour. He, as promised, was able to squeeze it in between the Obituary tour and the ones he was going to tour manage (both Dismember and Dissection). We talked not only about the latest activities in the band but also a bit on the infamous history of Master and its career. Rather interesting to read, if you’d ask me, so: enjoy…
Hey Paul, thanks for taking the time to answer my questions!
You know I always try to make time for questions. Interviews such as this are important in spreading the music message aroung the globe. Master has been an underground band for many years and I am trying to spread the music to a bigger audience.
First of all, some time ago you released a new album on System Shock (“The Spirit Of The West”) which is entirely based on the Western culture. What was the idea behind this – slightly conceptual – choice?
The USA is a piece of shit trying to force its values on countries that aren’t in the least bit interested, I think it was a big mistake to invade Irak and now Americans as well as Irakis are paying a high price for this fowl up. I think Bush is the modern day Hitler and will stop at nothing to get what he wants from everyone. He wishes to rule the world and force Democracy on cultures that aren’t in the least bit interested. America has always been pushy. Let’s face it when they stole all the land from the Indians, they never looked back. Now its the worldwide quest for the most oil reserves. Greedy sons of bitches is what they are. I must say living here in Czech and standing on the outside looking in is a better way and gives me a clearer picture of what’s really happening!
What were your main influences/inspirations for this album?
The same influences as always. Western culture always has played a big role in my writing. Just read the lyrics from all the previous cds I have released over the years.
Tom Angelripper (Sodom, Onkel Tom) also did something alike in 2000 with his Desperados-project. Did he inspire you to do such a thing?
I have always been fascinated by the old Western movies and this played a big part in the decision to do this cd cover. But, on the otherhand I have always liked Sodom. I always thought this band was under-rated.
It was already some time ago since you released a Master album, just over two years. What’s new since the release of “Let’s Start A War”?
I released another cd from Krabathor called Dissuade Truth and I must say it was a killer album, but the band and the cd fell by the wayside. I will only concentrate on Master for the next several years. Also since “Let’s Start A War” Master played several festivals throughout Europe and has been touring for more then two years now. My label just hasn’t done enough in the way of promotion lately.
The guys you played with on the last tour are from the Czech thrash band Shaark, these guys are new in the line-up of Master (at least, they were not on “Let’s Start A War”). What made you chose for them and what about Shaark, do they still exist?
I found the best drummer in the Slovak Republic as well as a killer guitarest from The Czech Republic and there is no turning back. Aleš Nejezcleba and Zdenak Pradlovsky are seasoned veterans on the Czech and Slovak metal scenes and they are the perfect addition to Master. As for Shaark, I cannot answer that. Shaark and Master played several festivals and shows tpogether last year and had some killer evenings together. As for the future, you would have to ask the guys. I really hope that the new players become permanent fixtures in Master.
We – journalists – at webzines and magazines don’t get too much support from System Shock, what is your experience with the label? Are you satisfied with them after all?
Well I have to say that in the beginning Mr: Kulosa and company were great and really helped Master get back on track, but these days they are concentrating more on the Punk scene which is where System Shock began. Apparently there is more money in Punk rock. System Shock has done a lot for Master and I will always be greatful, but soon it will be time to move on to a bigger Metal label.
Some time ago the “Unreleased 1985” album – which never made it to a proper release – got released through the Dutch label Displeased Records. What made you decide that this album needed a release after all?
Actually From Beyond Productions contaced me and wanted this release and afterall many people got a bootleg of these recordings in the early eightees, and the sound quality was horrendous. I figures re-mastering might be a bit better for these Combat recordings and the rest as they say is history. The recordings are noisy but nevertheless capture the original spirit of the band back in 1984-85.
And didn’t it have a title at first?
Master debut, that’s it.
You were on a European tour with Visceral Bleeding and Obituary, how did you experience this?
The experience was better than most. The houses were full at most of the gigs and I was finally able to show a decent size crowd what Master is and was always about on a nightly basis.
And what are your best memories on the tour?
Too many to tell. That’s to general of a question. every tour has its good and bad and that’s what books are for. I will release “On The Road With Grandpa” after another twenty or so tours and you can read about it then.
And what about the choice of touring with these two bands?
Obituary chose Master after playing Fuck The Commerce together in May of this year. I would say the name of the tour: “Legends are Back”-tour, pretty much speaks for itself, wouldn’t you?
You and your bands (mainly Master and Deathstrike) are seen as pure cult bands that were of an enormous influence on the scene back then. How do you look back on such a thing?
Surviving The Underground, my autobiography addresses these and other issue. Look out for it in 2005.
And did you know you were heading toward this status back in the days?
Of course. Many bands wrote me letters as children, asking advise or just complimentig Master, Deathstrrike and also Abomination. Bill Steer for example.
Your influence is indeed huge, for instance: Napalm Death covered a Master track of the unreleased 1985 album on their last album, what do you think of such a thing? Barney, their vocalist, is really worshipping the old Master albums, that must feel great, doesn’t it?
It’s an honour of course, but let’s face it we all no that Barney was influenced by Massacre (Kam Lee) and Paul Speckmann and one must congratulate such a successful legend in this difficult business. Actually it was the Benediction boys that told me this about Barney on the last tour a month or so ago. Napalm has and always will kill in my book, and I wish them all the best. It’s funny, when I met Benediction in Praha for the first time they were hanging up their backdrop. I put mine up over theirs and Daz said (Yeah Paul we stole the logo!) Rewy later informed me that at the first Benediction gigs they opened up with the song Terrorizer from the original Master demos. We all smiled and this was the beginning of a good friendship. Most of the bands from the early days from England are quite cool.
You were also in some other bands, for instance in Solutions. The story behind that band is rather unclear to me. Could you spend some words on it please? What happened?
A simple story. Brady from Master and I decided to record a project after the Lost over Euro tour with Malevolent Creation,
Master and Krabathor. We recorded a Punk cd with our friends from Tilburg Holland. We had many guests recording and doing vocals as well as producing the cd. The label Metal Age Records Germany (ex-Turbo, known for some works on early Beherit and Acheron for instance, FelixS) ripped me off just like their friends Nuclear Blast Records.
What is your opinion on the death metal scene of today, it faded far from what it once was. Only a few bands are still true to the original roots these days. That makes a band like Master or Acheron for instance more unique at the moment…
Well the originals will always survive. As for this new generation of garbage I really don’t have much too say. I hear an
occasional Master riff still today.
On the tour with Obituary I saw that you had some nice black and white self-made xeroxed flyers, I was kind of surprised that you were still doing these things…
Underground promotion is and will always be the only way for me. I am still Surviving The Underground as you can see. Are you still as much of an underground freak as you were back in the eighties? Of course I am still broke as I was when it all began for me. If it was about money, I would have given up long ago. The underground made me what I am still today. I really don’t think the underground is what it was in the eightees, but there is still hope for its return.
So I suppose you are still checking new bands, demos, zines etc?
Of course!
And just to kill my curiosity, what have you been listening lately?
Motorhead, Sabbath, Deep Purple, Rainbow, the classics.
Ok Paul, that was it for now, thanks a lot for your time and your answers! Hope to see you soon on stage again!
You will as Master will do another big tour with another legend next year, watch fror details. Meanwhile gotta go. I must tour manage for Dismemeber 27 days and then 14 days for Dissection.
The music awaits me cheers, Paul!!!!!
