HK: Hey Mahatma! What was it like performing in front of all those people at Summer Slam 8?
JK: There were really a lot of people. I didn't even know that so many people would come. I was very excited and happy for the opportunity, but the show itself actually didn't go that well. It was difficult because I couldn't hear anything from the monitor speakers. Since we had a rehearsal the day before I didn't think there would be any problems, but two of the amps were switched and the monitor sound was completely different. So although there were some problems, it was really awesome to play in front of such a large crowd.
HK: I was there on your warm up show the night before Summer Slam. I feel bad JK had problems finding an amp, sorry JK. Anyway, is the band used to playing to smaller crowds?
JK: Yeah, the amp wasn’t the one that I wanted, so it made the show more difficult. The sound wasn’t that strong either. However, that was the situation, so I had to make the best of it. Though for that size a show I thought a lot of people came. Since it was our first time playing in Philippines soil, there must’ve been many people who didn’t know who we were. But we had a good time meeting really great bands and great people.
HK: What are your impressions of Filipino audiences? How different are they compared to Koreans?
JK: I think the Filipino audiences aren’t that different from the Korean ones. However, Filipinos seemed to be very open-minded about new people and new music. They are very upfront and encouraging. I think they are very passionate people.
HK: Before heading to the Philippines the band opened for Shadows Fall in your country. Are you very happy with how that show turn out?
JK: Yes, the show was fun. But if I were to have any regrets, it's that everything was set up for the main band, so our space on stage was restricted and the sound wasn’t what we would’ve wanted. However, it was really great to play a shot with a great band and to be able to talk with them. The guys in Shadows Fall are really cool.
HK: Will you ever return to the Philippines?
JK: Yes, if we have another opportunity. And if we get invited again, we will go and put on a really good show. Now that we know what the logistics are like there, we can put on a much better show next time. We’d like to see all the cool people we met again, too.
HK: Now let's move on to the band's history for a moment. How long has Mahatma been around the Korean metal scene?
JK: Mahatma was formed in 1993. At first we played a lot of covers to work on our skills. We started becoming known by participating in a lot of compilation albums. We’ve gone through a lot of line-up changes, but the current line-up is the one that released our debut album and we've all been playing together for about six years now. We’re from a small city and the metal scene there isn’t very big, so it hasn’t been easy. When we started playing in larger cities more people came to know about us and we signed to a label and have gained more opportunities since.
HK: Doesn't “Mahatma” mean “exalted one”?
JK: Mahatma means “great soul” in English. It’s a title for great men. For us, even if we don’t get much recognition now, we hope that later generations will look back on us as being a fine band. That’s why we chose the name. Achieving this goal depends on how hard we work and how much effort we can put into it.
HK: Your latest album “Perseverance” is an impressive release. Does the word “perseverance” hold any special meaning for the band?
JK: The “Perseverance” album does indeed have a lot of meaning for us. For the first album, we wanted to make a record that reflected all the old songs we’d been playing since the beginning. For this album, we wanted it to be representative of Mahatma moving forward with our music. More of each member’s individual input went into this album. I think it has more of all our individual characteristics. Since this album represents our moving forward, in the future we will have more opportunities to grow as a band. I think our next album will be a great improvement over this one musically.
HK: My favorite song is “The Road I Must Follow.” I just love the title. Why is it that half the songs in the album are super fast while the other half is more melodic?
JK: Although we’re a thrash band that plays fast music, all of us don’t like to play just one style all the way through. We also want to show different sides of our sound. I think we put our different feelings from different times into this music called heavy metal. So sometimes we play fast, sometimes slow and sometimes with a lot of melody. We want to play a lot of different kinds of patterns.
HK: Was putting a ballad in the end (“Despair Overcome”) an obvious choice for an album closer?
JK: Speaking of variety, this is one of our songs that show exactly that. People are not always angry or happy, right? This song is just one of the many parts we wanted to express.
HK: My version of “Perseverance” has a cover of “Painkiller.” The Japan version has Testament’s “Practice What You Preach.” Why the difference?
JK: For the Japanese release, both “Painkiller” and “Practice What You Preach” will probably be included. It will also include a re-mastered version of our debut album’s “Nothing to Take.” The Japanese label wanted two bonus tracks, so that’s what we gave them. The label recommended we do these songs, so we recorded them.
HK: How was “Perseverance” received in Korea?
JK: The market for metal albums in Korea is rather limited, but we’ve sold a relatively large number of albums. I’m not sure of the exact figures yet, but it seems to have done well. It has also had a good critical reception. It got a very high score in a review in the most famous Korean rock magazine. Although these kinds of things aren’t the most important to us, it’s nice to be recognized.
HK: Wasn't the band featured on local TV there?
JK: Yes. It’s actually been very difficult for bands like us to get on TV for a very long time. It would be great if more metal bands would be featured to increase the diversity of Korean music known to the mainstream. Anyway, more people got to know us through the TV broadcast and I think it was a good experience.
HK: Has the band done shows in Japan already?
JK: We haven’t played in Japan yet. There’s been talk of going to Japan for a long time now. But we wanted to prepare better before touring. Now we've got a contract with a Japanese label and there will probably be a Japan tour schedule coming out sooner rather than later. To be honest, we want to play in a lot of different countries. If the opportunity arises, we definitely want to go.
HK: How does the band keep its chops sharp while touring?
JK: Our label arranges a practice room for us when we’re touring a certain area. However, when we aren’t on the road or recording we try to arrange good times for us to meet. If a member can’t rehearse due to personal reasons, that’s understandable, but otherwise we all meet up at the scheduled time.
HK: Do you have any idea how many times Mahatma has played live?
JK: I can’t say for sure, but since we were young we’ve probably played around a thousand times. It’s not that many considering when we formed, but they were all valuable experiences.
HK: Beyond your thrash influences, what are your favorite albums from the 1970's?
JK: All of us like hard rock, so we are all fans of 80’s music, but I really like Pink Floyd’s 1973 album “Dark Side of the Moon” and 75’s “Wish You Were Here.”
HK: Thanks for this interview Mahatma. I'll always be watching you guys closely. And please tell your drummer he’s an animal behind the kit, alright?
JK: Ok, I'll do that. Thanks for interviewing us. Stay healthy. Hope to see you again.
