MM: How did the band start?
Mess Age: Few years ago, in 1996 I think, Gruby, Otwieracz & I were playing in Age Crisis. This was not serious band, much amateur, but we managed to give few live shows. After one year the band broke down but it didn't stop our appetite to have a real band! We didn't have guitarists so we gave advertising to newspaper and after one week we have all line-up: Raaf-voc, Gruby-bass, Otwieracz-drums and Alex-guitar, Amber-guitar, Joanna-female vocal. As it was in our case, they were playing before in Alienator but that band also broke down. So we linked our strength and got Mess Age's line-up. It was in March 1998 so in few weeks we will have our 5th birthday!!! I would like to add that Joanna left the band in September 2000 and since then we are "boysband", hehe...

MM: How would you describe your style of music?
MA: Well, this is hard question because I always have problems to answer it in few words. You can find in our music influences of thrash, death or even heavy metal riffs. I heard that we play like Swedish bands - that's because we love melody!! 5 different people make the music we compose so everything is quite mixed. This is good for us, I think; because we still enjoy playing together, everyone of us have his favourite parts in each track. I'm convinced that it helps us not to close down in one style.

MM: What/Who are your major influences?
MA: A I said before all of Mess Age members are quite different but we all are under influences of Iron Maiden, old Metallica, Slayer, Scandinavian bands like Entombed, Arch Enemy, Danzig, Napalm Death, Gorefest, Tool, Kyuss and many more bands worth mentioning.

MM: We gave "Self-Convicted" 9/10 in our review. How has it been received elsewhere?

Mega thanks, Chris! The response of our debut album has been very different. Up to now we have received about 30 reviews and some of them were negative - some people didn't like the way this album was produced, someone said that vocal isn't loud enough but generally no one said: “this is shit". To sum up 80% of reviews were positive and it is great achievement for us. The people who review our CD are aware of the fact this is our 1st big production and believe that another one will be much better. I promise that the second album will be!!!

MM: What are the reactions to live gigs?
MA: We have noticed that every country has its own specific audience. The most crazy for us are polish maniacs but people from outside Poland (for example in Great Britain, France, Spain) try harder to listen to the music - this is not only head banging but also they put attention on musical performance of the band. I think you know what I mean. You are asking for reaction to live shows - in Poland we have many fans and when they come to our show they enjoy with us from the beginning to an end. When we were playing in other countries people within 1-2 tracks were only listen to and after this they join to us and were enjoying our show together with us. This is because we play thrash metal and we give them positive energy, I think, which is needed to everyone.

MM: What bands are you listening to at the moment?
MA: Hmmm...New album of Behemoth "Zos cia culthus", Meshuggah "Nothing", Yattering "Genoside", Dream Theater, Esquarial(PL), Domain(PL)!!! and many many more...

MM: What are your plans now (tours, etc.)?
MA: Now we would like to pay attention on new stuff we are working on not forgetting, of course, about single concerts in Poland. As I said it before in February we will have 5th birthday and we organize mega party - we invited to Gdansk Quo Vadis, Hell-Born and few local bands to give live show. I hope it will be very hard drive, hehe...

MM: What do you think of webzines?
MA: Now we have 21st century and everything is connected or addicted to internet so I think webzines are very good thing for metal maniacs because wherever you are, thanks to internet, you can read and check out what's new of your favourite band. It’s fucking cool! I'm aware that are people who dislike webzines and still search for paper magazines but it is personal thing...

MM: Any last words for our visitors?
MA: Mega thanks Chris and rest of the readers for time given to MESS AGE. If you want to get more info about MESS AGE please visit our web site: http://message.rockmetal.art.pl or send us e-mail on mess.age@wp.pl Best wishes for future to all of you and STAY FUCKIN' METAL FOREVER!! I hope one day we will meet together on our gig. SEE YA!