MAGGOT BATH is quite an interesting band! They are based in Melbourne, Australia; comprising of Ringo a.k.a Filth Bucket (guitars), Colin a.k.a Gnome Lord (drums), Ben a.k.a Lord Rat (bass/vocals) and Linc a.k.a Fudge Goblin (vocals). The band merges elements of sludge, powerviolence and grindcore whilst overlaying lyrics that are either film/movie-inspired, or comedic and heedless. Listen to their works, it's totally diverse and sounds astonishing! – Interview by Harshziqr [24.07.2018]
Hello Maggot Bath. Your music sounds unique. Please further define your musicstyle and what are some of the bands that really inspired you?
Our music style is predominantly driven by influences from the sludge & power violence genres. When the band members come together, we bring an eclectic listening background to the table and then mush it together to create what you can hear in our tracks. It would be too difficult to name all of our influences, but here are bands that we aspire to when we come together and play; Eyehategod, Spazz, Endless Swarm, Electric Wizard, and Blood Duster as an influence!
Could you please share a bit about your band history and the lineup?
The band started up in 2015, when a couple of the members from “She Beast” decided to approach the guitarist from “The High Drifters” to start something up a little bit different. We all seemed to like what we were producing, and it was in 2018 when we added a full time vocalist who also performs in “Mindrippa”.
I think you have produced a lot of Demos, EPs, etc. Tell us some of the most recent releases and the essential ones?
One of the unique things we do, which we kind of just fell across through song writing, was produce short EPs that are film/movie based. These EPs usually consist of about 4-6 tracks and concentrate on our favourite horror films. We are laid back guys and enjoy a good laugh, so most of our other stuff (closer to full length) is just our inner child coming out. This is pretty evident through the track titles. Our first full length, which is self titled, is probably the pick of the bunch. As for the film-based EPs, “Porkins” / “Deadite” are worth a listen.
What kind of themes and messages written in your lyrics?
This is a tough question! As previously mentioned, we are pretty laid back and don’t take things too seriously. So a lot of our lyrics and themes could be thought of by a 6 year old. Yeah, let’s go with that! We are essentially 6 year old children in adult bodies!. The film-based EPs are self-explanatory. A lot of these lyrics are derived by the direction of the plot in those films, as well as the track names.
Do you play gigs frequently? Most memorable and best shows if any?
We play gigs as often as possible given our other commitments. We envisage a big string of shows coming up later in the year. Our most memorable shows are ones we performed with a local band “True Defective” throughout Melbourne venues during 2017, in addition we played at the Bendigo Punk & Heavy Fest, as well as most recently with “Abu Ghraib”.
How do you see the current underground music scene in Melbourne, Australia?
We feel pretty good about the Melbourne underground music scene. Whilst we have seen some great venues close (or come close to closing…) over the years, those that are still around have a great following and community surrounding them.
What are the future plans and your hopes for Maggot Bath?
Maggot Bath is heading in to the studio in August. From that, we hope to release a number of splits with international/local bands that we really admire and would love to collaborate with.
Thanks for your time. Last words?
Moth Puppy!
