Interview with death metal band from Germany - MASSAFACTION.
Answered Sascha Hermann (vocals), thank you!
Recenze/review - MASSAFACTION - Downfall of Trinity (2025):
Avel MASSAFACTION! Hello to the German underground. I hope all is well with you. It should be, you have the first long-playing great album of your career this year. I have to admit, it literally drove me up the wall. It's dark, it's energetic, it cuts with a knife edge. It's very telling that you've done a great job and a great deal of talent too. How do you feel about the new record, how was it made and what are the fans saying about it? Have you guys ever played the new songs live? What kind of feedback have you gotten? "Downfall of Trinity" contains all the attributes of good death metal. For me personally, it is a record that I love to come back to. How was it made? How do you compose the new MASSAFACTION material?
Sascha:
Hey, we're glad to hear you like our new album. We're actually very proud to see our baby grow. It all started when our guitarist Steven had a vision. He wanted to create old-school death metal that would capture the metal community and sweep them away. He had already gained a lot of experience with previous bands. First, he started writing the songs on his own and bring his vision to life. One day, he came to me and asked me what I thought of the initial sounds and if I had any ideas for the vocals. We were friends before Massafaction existed and had wanted to work on a project together for a while. I was immediately completely blown away by the sound I heard. I listened to the first songs over and over again until the first one showed me the way. That's how "Worldbetrayer" was created, and almost at the same time, the whole project got its name: Massafaction. Steven brought his old friend Shumon into the band, so we had a drummer. I brought our bassist Tölle with me. Then we created the songs step by step. Everyone brought their own touch to the album. The response to the first single releases was overwhelming. The others already had more experience than I did. I'm just the youngest member of the band. For me, it was something completely new to receive such a positive response to my band's songs. It's been fun right from the start.
Who is signed for recording and mastering? I have to confirm that the sound literally kills. It still makes me turn up the volume on the hi-fi tower. You have a sound that is harsh, raw and dark and animalistic at the same time. How was it working with you? What studio did you record in and how did everything go?
Sascha:
The recordings and mastering were done by Felix Gretzer. He's Steven's best friend and simply brilliant at getting the best out of the tracks. He has his own home studio with a comfortable atmosphere. That's especially important for me as a singer. A good atmosphere can have a huge impact on vocal recordings. Tom was our man for recording the drums. He's a sound engineer and known as the frontman of the thrash metal band Exa.
An integral part and kind of an extra bonus for fans today is the CD. You released it by your own efforts and it comes with a demonic cover. Who is the author? How did you choose the theme and how does it relate to the music on the release?
That's right. It was very important to us that our cover conveyed the soul of the album. It had to be dark, dominant, and absolutely blasphemous. It had to embody an aspect of each individual song and be in keeping with our band name. Massafaction is a neologism derived from the words "effect on the masses with facts." Steven had commissioned a 3D artist to implement this idea.
I've been roaming the underworld for over thirty years and I actually go to Germany for music just in case. I think we have similar moods and tastes when it comes to metal. I like your bands a lot and I follow your scene very closely. Maybe I'm a bit jealous, we only have a few death metal bands here that are worth it. What do you explain that death metal is so successful in your country? How do you perceive your scene, fans, labels?
Sascha:
I can't say much about metal culture in other countries because I only know German metal culture well. But I think it has a lot to do with the fact that Germany was there from the very beginning when metal music was born. Germany has the most metal festivals and the biggest metal festivals. Here, metal is very cross-generational. I wasn't one of those metalheads who rebelled against their parents. My parents made me a metalhead. That's the case with many metalheads in my generation. The old values of old-school metal are passed on. Steven, on the other hand, is an old-school metalhead. We became friends despite the age difference. That, in my opinion, is something that defines German metal culture.
You play death metal influenced by the old school. Nowadays a band can't really avoid comparisons, but I would like to know how the idea to form MASSAFACTION came about, who was and is your role model and where you want to take your band? Are you tempted by big festivals abroad, for example, are you willing to go on tour with a more famous pack?
Sascha:
As I said, Steven had the vision of creating old-school death metal. Our music draws strong influences from bands like Benediction, Bodyfarm, and Dismember. I'd count bands like Entombed and Possessed among my influences, but I also bring a black metal touch to the lyrics. It's important to keep the old-school genres alive. Ultimately, they're the soul of the scene. An old, wild soul that can't be tamed. It's this raw, brutal style that appeals to our primal instincts. The old genres simply have something that progressive, slick music can't give you. And that's exactly why our flag will always be "old school." Ultimately, we're just a couple of friends making music. We have a lot of fun doing it and are even happier when others enjoy our music. The further we can spread our music, the better. Of course, the greatest thing for us would be to play the same shows with our idols someday. But until then we play the music we love and defend old school death metal.
When I started my site eight years ago, I had a vision of trying to support bands that I thought weren't as visible. Let the world know about them. I think I've been pretty successful, at least by the response. How do you approach promotion? Do you leave it up to the label or do you send out CDs yourself for various reviews? I buy albums that I really enjoy, for example. How are you? Are you also a fan who likes to support your colleagues often? Do you go to concerts? Do you party?
Sascha:
We do all the promotion ourselves. We're not signed to a label yet. We'll see what the future brings. Yes, we are absolutely addicted consumers of metal music. We don't just make our own music. We also go to a lot of concerts. I think I can speak for every single band member when I say: we plan our entire annual vacation around festivals. But we also attend a lot of underground events. I personally collect signed records. That's classic metalhead behavior: You don't know which shirt to wear to concerts because you have too many. If you want to dress "seriously," you have nothing to wear.
On the one hand, a band starting out today has a lot of opportunities to make their presence known, but on the other hand, there are a huge number of bands and fans get lost in them. A lot of people just download mp3s from the internet and spit venomous spittle on Facebook instead of going to a gig. How does modern technology affect you as MASSAFACTION? What do you think about downloading music, google metal, streaming music etc.?
Sascha:
Modern streaming services have many advantages and disadvantages. Platforms like Spotify are a valuable tool for us to distribute our music. Social media is also an important tool for us. But ultimately, metal takes place in concert halls. That's where you can truly experience music. And true music lovers will always choose that path. Illegal downloads are absolute crap. We're not well-known enough yet for it to affect us personally, but tours have to be financed. If you support bands, they'll come to your city eventually.
I like to ask musicians what death metal means to them. How would they define it, is it more of a philosophy and lifestyle for them or "just" relaxation. What does it mean to you? How do you perceive and experience it?
Sascha:
Old school death metal is a philosophy and a way of life. At death metal concerts, you can completely forget the outside world and just be yourself. Old school metal music brings out the rawness and daring of the scene. Sometimes it doesn't take much to be happy: just a metal jacket, a beer, and a stage full of brutal violence.
Finally, a classic but important question. What is MASSAFACTION planning in the coming months? Where can we see you in concert?
Sascha:
We're starting with our own event, "Tripple Treat," in May. Then we'll be playing a few festival shows. We'll be at Protzen Open Air, Swampfest, and Thrashtalk Festival. Several shows are planned for September in various parts of Germany. We're looking forward to every single show and everything that's still to come. And if all goes well, we'll be in your area someday.
Thank you very much for the interview. I wish not only the new album a lot of success and may the ranks of your fans expand as much as possible. I'll look forward to seeing you live somewhere and may you do well both musically and on a personal level. I'm gonna go shove "Downfall of Trinity" in my head again!
Sascha:
We thank you for your interest and your interesting questions. It was a great pleasure for us.
Recenze/review - MASSAFACTION - Downfall of Trinity (2025):
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