MAMMOTHOR – INTERVIEW WITH TRAVIS LOWELL

MAMMOTHOR – INTERVIEW WITH TRAVIS LOWELL

By Ralph Beauchamp

Travis Lowell is an outstanding singer and entertainer. His charisma is contagious. In front of Boston hard rockers, Mammothor, Lowell brings hi-energy and a special dynamic to their music. Lowell is joined by dual guitarists Josh Johnson and Alex Muss. Bassist Lori Gangi and drummer Euz ​​Azevedo round out the ensemble. Their sound is a mix of hard rock and alt metal. MammothorIts groove carries a sonic impression of incredible dimensions. While hitting on all cylinders, they still keep it melodic and accessible. The guitars scream with erratic volume while Gangi's bass powers the backbeat. Azevedo's percussion pound with ferocious depth. Mammothor clearly cranky.

Mammothor has progressed with each album release, developing their sound over the years and steadily improving both their live performance and production. Their 2014 debut album, Tyrannicideshowcased the heavy blues side of the band on their 2021 release, The Ecstasy of Silence…The Agony of Dreams showcased their grittier yet cinematic leanings. Mammothorthe latest full length, Lies by omissiondelivers their strongest material to date.

For The ecstasy of silence…The agony of dreams, the band enlisted the help of Kevin Billingslea (Lamb of God) and Will Holland (Fallout Boy) for recording/co-production and Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Queensryche, Hatebreed, Shadows Fall) for mixing and mastering. Mammothor teamed up again with Billingslea, Holland and Zeuss for their latest album, Lies by omissionwith post-production handled by Jake Adkins and Connor Riley (Wake Up Hate).

Travis Lowell was kind enough to sit down with AMP for this Informative Interview.

AMP: Can you give our readers a brief history of the band?

TRAVIS: Mammothor was founded in 2012. This was before the band. I have been working for about 9 years. They started out as a sort of heavy blues rock outfit, but started to morph into a prog metal entity once I joined. Over the years, the band began to move in other directions. We moved towards a more alternative perspective on metal/hard rock. The band has done some huge shows and some national tours. Some of the biggest bands we've opened for are Megadeth, Godsmack and 3 Days Grace. We have been very fortunate in this area. Mammothor they are an independent band trying to do their own thing.

We have a new album titled Lies by omission which has two tracks out digitally right now, We have a little unusual release strategy. An off-disc track will be released digitally and then a physical copy will be available. All songs will drop within the next two years. The idea is that by dropping the whole album at once, you only get a momentary slab of excitement, but by extending it, you have extended cycles of exposure. We used this strategy on our last album and it worked really well.

AMP: What is your creative process like?

TRAVIS: Most of the songs come from Josh or Alex's riffs. Both use different processes. Josh likes to come up with a complete but very rough demo. Alex likes to participate much more. He'll actually write thick drum and bass parts that can be erased later. It's more work for him, but when it comes to us, it's like a finished product. Then I use what I'm given and start working on the vocals. I tend to work on them right away because if you wait too long, you lose that initial feeling. It's a lot of pushing and pulling between all of us to make sure we're all on the same page.

As the images come together, there's a whole new dynamic. I had moments when I started writing the lyrics and after a while I started to realize what I was writing. Other times, I go in with a complete idea and title which is much easier because you have a clearer vision. This is a fun experience. I like it when I see the whole picture, both lyrically and visually.

AMP: Your new Anthrax single, the re-imagined “Inside Out” is killer. Why did you choose this track to cover?

TRAVIS: We released a previous cover of Ra's “Do You Call My Name” and it was quite successful for us. It's a tough challenge since the groundwork has already been laid by the original artist and you want to make the song your own. I feel like we did that successfully. After completing the Ra cover, we felt we had to try another one.

I've always been a fan of Anthrax and “Inside Out”. When I saw the Twilight Zone themed video I thought it was so cool. So we started playing it and people started responding. We started closing our sets with it. Well, it was a logical track to record. In addition, we decided to put our own take on the Twilight Zone video.

AMP: Are there hidden meanings in your songs?

TRAVIS: This is a great question! Pretty much all of them. Certainly from a lyrical perspective. I really like words that have multiple meanings. So if you look through our lyrics, you'll find all kinds of imagery. In more than half of our songs, you can find many different associations. It's fun to play with the English language. One of my favorite lyricists is Eminem because there are so many ways you can interpret his wording. In many ways, I hide little gems in my writing.

AMP: What are some of the band's inspirations?

TRAVIS: Josh is a big fan of the 90s sound like Soundgarden. As a whole, we're definitely all inspired by early thrash like Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax. We also like songs with twists. Think Faith No more. Alex is into metalcore like Killswitch Engage. Vocally, I enjoy singers like Mike Patton (Faith No More), Brandon Boyd (Incubus) and Serj Tankian (System Of The Down). I prefer vocals that are unique and unique.

AMP: AMP is based in the northeast. Do you think the New England music scene is stable?

TRAVIS: This is a loaded question. We've made a lot of friends around here. Some of the bands are amazing, but I'm not sure there's enough of a scene to give an honest answer. Just a bunch of bands trying to find their way. I might just not see it. We are meeting a lot of hard working bands from the area and I really hope a scene pops up soon.

For example, there is a band called Fifth Freedom. Alan Jones is their singer. It's a kind of blues rock with a Black Crowes kind of feel. Talk about hard work. They'll play anywhere, anytime, and they don't ask for much. Trawlers are another cool band. We did a few shows with them. Also, Inverter from around here. The bands are here. We just need people to support them and create a cohesive and nurturing music culture.

AMP: The band tours quite a bit. Do you stand out from a particular tour or concert?

TRAVIS: A whole bunch of them. Sharing the stage with Megadeth was beyond a dream. One of the best venues we've ever played is the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom. It is a large room with natural reverberation and echo. So to play a show there with a band I've loved since I was a kid was amazing. Also, playing in Bangor with Godsmack was another highlight. After our set, I went out into the rain to meet as many as I could in the audience. We made a bunch of new fans that night.

With the release of our new album, we are much more headlines. We're not playing Hampton Beach, but we've sold out decent sized rooms. It's nice since there are no time restrictions on our sets. It's nice not to be relegated in 20 or 30 minutes. We can play as much as we want.

AMP: What advice would you give to a band just starting out?

TRAVIS: Do not!! No, I'm kidding. The number one thing is to pay attention to the people you play with. Also, scrape together a few bucks and go into a real studio with an outside producer if you can afford to record a professional single. In addition, you must be open to feedback from this external producer.

AMP: You guys look like you know how to have a good time. What is the worst problem the band has faced?

TRAVIS: OH MY GOD! There are things that just can't be revealed, but as everyone says “it wasn't me” (laughing). In fact, no one had any real problems. The current and past members of the band are pretty much top people. The only way to succeed is to be serious and we follow this rule.

AMP: What's next for Mammothor?

TRAVIS: February 1st was the 10th anniversary of the first album, Tyrannicide. We haven't announced it yet, but we are remastering the release with bonus tracks. I managed to get the original singer to join me in the studio to cut a track. We are also trying to create a “best of” full length with different mixes and more bonus material. Just as a celebration we have survived so long. Apart from that, we are writing new songs and trying to organize some groundbreaking tours.

AMP: Any final words?

TRAVIS: Not the coolest last words, but we appreciate the interview. Anyone willing to talk to us is warmly welcomed. What keeps us going is the fans. We get emails all the time from people all over the world expressing their love for the band. These connections are valuable.

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