Max 625 Thrascore - Interview

1.Hey Max! how are you man? all good with you?

Yes, just very busy. I just moved to Vermont (northeast state of theUS) and am getting ready to start a new job. So damn busy!

2.Tell us in which bands you played and how you formed this killer label 625 Thrash.

Um, lets see. Bands: BACKSLIDE, PLUTOCRACY, SIROTA, EVOLVED TOOBLITERATION, MEAT SHITS, CAPITALIST CASUALTIES, SPAZZ, WHAT HAPPENSNEXT?, SCHOLASTIC DETH, BOMBS OF DEATH, STOCKHOLM SYNDROME, MINDLESSMUTANT, I filled in for CONQUEST FOR DEATH a few times. I am sure I amforgetting something. As for the record label, I started it in theearly 1990s in order to release good bands from my area - bands like AGENTS OF SATAN, NO LESS, GODSTOMPER, etc. From there I expanded mycoverage to international bands - but my interest lies with releasingnew bands that have good politics, good DIY ethics, and which playfucking fast!

PLUTOCRACY

SPAZZ

What Happens Next?

3.Nowadays what are you doing?

I am a professor at a college teaching History. I still do the label,but no time for bands.

4.How you see the actual hardcore - thrash - grind - powerviolence scene?

Its good I suppose. There is a history now that didnt exist in thelate 1980s when I first go into it. At that time we looked to fastHC/punk bands, but once I found bands like LARM, et al, my mind wasblown. Now kids can start bands in the 2010s with a huge index offast/grind/etc bands to draw influences from. That is both good andbad....good since you can start off being influenced by great bands,but bad since many bands just return to the same chordstructures/vocal styles. >

5.Tell us what is your opinion about:

*HERESY: My favorite band of all time. Both early and later stuff. My favorite stuff is the split w/CONCRETE SOX with Reevsy singing 

*SUICIDAL TENDENCIES: First LP is great of course, but I could not get into their later stuff. They had a huge influence on the scene around me when I was growing up - all the skaters in the 1980s had home-made ST shirts  

*CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER: I loved these guys. I remember buying Convicted at a local record store and just being blown away. Not too many people liked them back then, but now, since they are from the 1980s, people seem to appreciate them more. They were part of a scene that existed as I was just starting to go to shows and write to bands - so bands like CS, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, etc - bands that mixed thrash metal with hardcore - were a huge inspiration 

*SIEGE: Fucking killer. But back when I first started listening to HC I never heard them. The only thing I had was the Pusmort compilation LP. I remember seeing them listed as influences for many bands - particularly the first round of grind bands, and it wasnt until about 88 or 89 that I finally got a 30th generation dub of their demo that I was like, holy shit.

6.In the future maybe you formed a new fast band?
Depends on the amount of time I have. Right now I am immersed in work,so I will focus on running the label for now.

7.What news in 625 Thrash?

Putting out lots of stuff! There is some great grindcore now, so I amexcited to work with bands like INTERNAL ROT, BLOODY PHOENIX, ROSKOPP,etc. Plus I am doing a ton of SPAZZ LP reissues, so those will be funto put together.

8.Max,your last lines.

Thanks for the interview, and thanks to everyone for supporting me for 20 years!