WARGASM
BOB MAYO
I have spoken with Bob Mayo vocalist and bass player of Boston thrashers Wargasm. Bob joined Meliah Rage after the breakup of Wargasm but this interview will focus on his time in Wargasm. Wargasm released their debut in 1988 called "Why Play Around?" and it made a buzz in the underground metal scene. The band showed some talent but it took five year until the follow-up "Ugly" and the thrash movement began to decline in the early nineties so Wargasm's second and third album was released without getting the media attention they deserved. Now over to Bob Mayo.
Wargasm back in the days.
We can start with a small presentation of Wargasm.
WARGASM was a 3-piece metal band from Boston, Massachusetts that was active from 1985 to 1995. We released three albums and toured internationally. Wargasm is often referred to as a 'Thrash Metal' band, and their music does contain elements of thrash, but the band has always viewed it's music as a hybrid of thrash, traditional metal and the NWOBHM. Wargasm's original three albums (Why Play Around, Ugly, & Suicide Notes) and one E.P. (Fireball) are currently unavailable... legally.
You released your debut album "Why Play Around?" in 1988. How do you feel about it in retrospect?
It was a great time in our lives, but also very frustrating. The record was very well recieved, well reviewed, but poorly promoted. We had a great start with that record but were unable to keep it going due to label issues. But the album is now considered an underground classic, and we are all gratified for that.
Why Play Around? (1988)
Why didn't you release more material on Profile Records?
Profile did not promote the Why play around-record at all. All of the success we had with that album was through our own hard work. We decided we were not giving Profile another album and started the long fight to get ourselves released from our contract.
After that you got signed by Massacre Records, how did that happen? and how was their support for Wargasm?
Massacre became interested after we presented ourselves as an unsigned band to new interested labels. Massacre was a great label for us at first, they worked hard and understood who we were and what we needed.
You toured Europe with Biohazard in 1990, how was that tour?
That was amazing. Maybe not the best pairing of bands, but they were great guys and the tour was awesome.
In 1993 you released your second LP called Ugly. How was it received by the media and fans?
It too was well received but it had been five years between albums, and it was too long, it was like starting from the beginning all over again, but music had changed. Grunge was coming, and Death Metal was emerging.
You released your third album Suicide Notes in 1995. Was it hard to get attention when Grunge was so popular at the time?
No, we had broken up before the release of Suicide Notes. It was hard to get attention because there was no band anymore to tour to promote that record! In many ways I think it is our strongest record, but the one that the fewest people have heard, unfortunately.
Suicide Notes (1995)
You were asked by your label Massacre to relocate to Germany after the successful tour with Tankard?
Yes because we were doing much better in Europe than we were in America at that point.
Why did you disband?
I turned 30 and felt that I had given one third of my life to the band and we were about to get screwed again after delivering such a strong record (Suicide Notes), the label killed our promotion budget to pay for the acquisition of a bigger name band, so I decided that was enough for me. I quit the band.
You reformed and recorded a DVD: Live in Boston 2004: Knee Deep in the Middle East. How was that experience?
That was incredible. We weren't sure what the level of interest would be so we were nervous but it was a truly special night and all the diehards came to the show and made it amazing.
Will there ever be a proper comeback with perhaps a tour and a new album?
Probably not. But I never say never.
Both Bob and Barry has been members of Meliah Rage. Are you still friends with the guys in Meliah Rage?
Yes, All the guys in Meliah are great friends, always have been and always will be. Great band also.
What's the highlight of your career?
Appearing on the CMJ Metal charts at #4 under Ozzy, Metallica and Anthrax. Playing the Bayside Expo Center with Nuclear Assault and Manowar and stealing the show from the headliners in our hometown. Opening for Motörhead at the Agora in Cleveland. The release of Why Play Around. Meeting Deep Purple and having Roger and Ian Gillan sign my copy of Wargasm's Fireball EP!
Have you got any funny story to tell, if anything weird has happened while touring or so?
So many stories, so many good times...
Any last words for our readers?
Wargasm fans are THE BEST. They still love the band today as much as they did 25 years ago. We appreciate that very very much! Last year, since there is no Wargasm product on the market right now, we decided to give the fans something that's never been available: An album of our demos. Check out our bandcamp page: https://wargasmboston.bandcamp.com/ for the album and the DVD, and our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/WARGASMwpa for merch and information.
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