Originally printed in Town Of Hardcore #4

MENTAL

MENTAL are one of the best new bands in Hardcore. They were interviewed in a locked stairwell at the Joe Sylvia benefit show, a show that they didn't play but were all there to support. Present from the band were Greg (G), Dookie (DK), and Derek (D). Also adding their 2 cents were Dolloff the Rat (RAT) and Chris Morgado (CM).

LET'S START WITH HOW YOU GUYS CAME TOGETHER?

G: Summer of 2001, me and Justin wanted to play "Back to Back" to practice it cause we like the song so we had D playing bass, me singing, Justin playing guitar and this kid playing drums from the Cape. The kid kinda didn't work out so we didn't have a band for a while and then we met Dookie and we started up and Justin got on drums and Dookie played guitar. We started jammin', when did we start playing?

DK: Once school started, September or October, 2001.

G: Then we just started playing...

IS THAT WHEN "DEMO 1" WAS RECORDED?

G: Yeah.

DK: Demo #1 was recorded.... I think we recorded that February, 2002.

(Someone tries the stairwell door and realizes that we are locked in. Some door banging ensues)

ARE YOU GUYS HAPPY WIH THE WAY THE 7" CAME OUT?

G: Yeah, I like it. I had fun putting it out and it's cool that everything fell together well.

DK: I think it worked out perfectly.

G: We made our money back selling it and shit so now it's just... I was kinda worried cause I put it out myself and... is this gonna bomb? But we just kept playing shows and selling it.

THAT'S THE NEXT QUESTION, WHY DID YOU RELEASE IT YOURSELVES?

G: That's the way we wanted to do it cause I didn't want to be on a label at the time.

DID YOU GET OFFERS?

G: Yeah we got offers from record labels.

FROM WHO? WHO DID YOU TURN DOWN?

G: We didn't turn nobody down, we wanted to do it ourselves.

DK: We didn't have any straight offers, it was more like people were just talking about it.

G: Before we even had offers, I said that I want to put it our myself the whole time. I wanted to do it myself and do a label myself just cause I thought it would be cool. Ya know, old school.

SO ARE YOU GONNA RELEASE STUFF OTHER THAN MENTAL?

G: Yeah, DUMPTRUCK, RIGHTEOUS JAMS, we're gonna do a STOP AND THINK tribute 7" (laughter),

DK: We're gonna do a live MENTAL 7". Live on the radio show.

G: Live on the radio show and maybe a tribute 7" to a band besides STOP AND THINK. I want to do lots of things with my label but right now we're just kinda laying low, writing some music and practicing with my new band DUMPTRUCK.

WHAT'S THE "LOCKIN OUT" REFERENCE? (I'm a poser)

G: There's a SUPERTOUCH song called "Lock Out", it's just about hanging with your friends and not thinking about your problems or your troubles. So like, lockin out...Like just zoning out.

SUPERTOUCH VS UNDERDOG?

RAT: UNDERDOG.

G: I like UNDERDOG better personally but I love SUPERTOUCH so they definitely take #2 slot. I know my friend Mike Cronin (SP?) thinks differently, he's older than me so....But I'm gonna say I like UNDERDOG better but SUPERTOUCH live and unreleased stuff is fucking awesome and rivals UNDERDOG but..

DK: I think UNDERDOG has more meaning to us as a band, that's like the one band we always agree on. Those are the two NYHC bands...

RAT: Besides BREAKDOWN (laughter).

G: For me, those are my two favorite bands and that's my favorite band

. I don't know much about music but I like UNDERDOG a lot (laughter). That's my favorite band. If Justin was here right now, he doesn't really like NYHC so like VENOM... Just would probably pick SUPERTOUCH over UNDERDOG, but us three say UNDERDOG. 

I DROP AND OLD SCHOOL STORY...NO ONE CARES. RICHIE VS CARL? 

G: Richie of course, he's got a way better voice but Carl's got a good windmill mosh and I don't know...
DK: Carl definitely has good on stage mosh.
G: Richie definitely has a sicker voice and...but Richie can mosh too and Richie was in YOUTH OF TODAY but Carl was in THE ICEMEN. I don't know I'm gonna say Richie. 

DK: Definitely Richie...

EVEN THOUGH RICHIE WENT ON TO INTO ANOTHER, WHICH I THINK IS A NEGATIVE?
G: I love INTO ANOTHER, "Ignaurus" is the fucking best.
DK: I even like "Seemless". Anything that Richie has done...the NUMBSKULLS demo...
DO YOU GUYS LEAN MORE TOWARDS THE "SOULFUL" OR "GROOVE" SIDE OF NYHC?
G: No definitely not.
YOU'D BE COMFORTABLE COVERING BREAKDOWN OR CRO MAGS?
G: Definitely. The thing is, it has to go by Justin. We've covered BREAKDOWN a couple of times. We've covered... STRAIGHT AHEAD. It's like we've got to get it to go down ith Justin.

DK: As long as everyone agrees on it.
G: No but we like it all.
FAVORITE WNYU SET?
RAT: OUTBURST.
G: I'm gonna say, the SUPERTOUCH NYU set, it's like you play it to anyone and they're sold on that band. There might be good NYU sets but that set is really a strong point of that band.
DK: UNDERDOG with Carl is good though...
G: That's okay cause it's got some unreleased songs that were just on the demo which is cool but... And I like the rap that they do on the NYU set. BREAKDOWN NYU is funny, but SUPERTOUCH definitely.

Part Two tomorrow....