DANGEROUS TOYS lead singer Jason McMaster - Interview
We recently had a chance to catch up with legendary Dangerous Toys frontman Jason McMaster and he got us caught up on a few of his bands including Dangerous Toys, Broken Teeth, Evil United, Ignitor, Howling Sycamore, Killa Maul, Sad Wings, and more.
HBH: Let’s start with Broken Teeth you guys put out an amazing album in 2017 called “4 On The Floor” it’s definitely my favorite Broken Teeth record to date. Can you talk a little bit about that album and are there plans for a new Broken Teeth record in the near future?
Jason: As far as the near future, that would be us getting back to writing material for another release. As far as a new release, that could be a little while, we are guilty of a minimum of two to three years or longer, to release material. We don't like that incubation period, but, its just how life has been thrown at the five of us but, without a doubt, we love the writing process, and the songs are to be made of pure fun. If the songs we write are not fun to play, we throw that skeleton away.
HBH: Will Broken Teeth be playing any shows outside of Texas this year?
Jason: Only if the phone rings and the offer is solid. We would prefer to play events, we love the bars/clubs and we will play them every night, but, it's not made much sense to us, to leave home, play for almost nothing and return to outstanding bills. Thats a constant catch up. Not smart, not professional, and that's just how it has been the last few times we have booked a tour, with very little fruit left on the tree.
BROKEN TEETH: "Never Dead" (Tribute to Motorhead)
HBH: You released some new music with Texas Metal Outlaws in 2018, can you talk about that project and how that came to be?
Jason: I was asked by Ignitor guitarist Robert Williams, to appear on a pet project. It was awesome, and thrown together for an old school "metal demo" vibe. I think a lot of us older metalheads like that.
HBH: Are there plans for you to do more music with that project or was that a one time thing?
Jason: No tellin. Its just another project that I was happy to be a part of.
TEXAS METAL OUTLAWS: "Texas Metal Outlaws"
HBH: Ignitor is a band that has been around since 2003 and leans a little more to the heavier side as compared to DT or Broken Teeth. How did you end up joining Ignitor, and how would you describe the band’s music for someone who may not be familiar with the band?
Jason: Ignitor is "true metal", the way you felt when you heard the early signings of anything on Metal Blade records circa 1983 through about 1986. Alot of Judas priest, DIO and Maiden and early thrash metal sounds. I call it "Euro style metal". We have no problem being compared to the "dungeons and dragons" metal, the King Diamond wannabe's etc. Leather and studs, definitely part of the sound and vibe.
HBH: Ignitor’s latest album “Haunted By Rock N Roll” came out in 2017 and has great NWOBHM feel to it? What are Ignitor’s plans for 2019?
Jason: We are writing new material as we speak, and it's going well...slow...but very well.
IGNITOR: "Haunted by Rock n Roll"
HBH: Dangerous Toys recently played a new song at The Rocklanta Festival called “Hold Your Horses”. Does the band have more new material written?
Jason: Yes.
HBH: When can people expect to hear a new Dangerous Toys album?
Jason: There is no telling the future of the new material. I can say we would love to make a new full record of DT material, but, the writing is slow, the differences in how we write are not really any different, but we live far apart, and its just not the way DT has ever been before when writing material. We get more stuff together, book studio time, etc. but, we just cannot put a date on anything yet.
DANGEROUS TOYS: "Hold Your Horses"
HBH: You’ve had several releases on EMP Label Group from Broken Teeth, Ignitor, Dangerous Toys re-issues how did that partnership with David Ellefson and Thom Hazaert come about?
Jason: Mainly through Thom Hazaert, he is in charge over there. I've been friends with him for years. He is a big DT fan, and has involved me in many projects of his. When he hooked up with Dave, he called me and we made some stuff happen.
HBH: I love collecting vinyl and EMP always does a great job on their vinyl packaging, will EMP be home to the new Dangerous Toys album as well?
Jason: That's the plan. I've got more coming out of EMP label group. New Evil United is supposed to get a "release date" slated this week. Not sure when that will be, but, it is supposed to be in the books this week. Evil United new record called "Serpent". The sub label is "Combat/Emp".
HBH: What is the status of Sad Wings your Judas Priest tribute band? You make for one hell of a Rob Halford from the videos I’ve seen on Youtube.
Jason: Thanks. We are playing next month.. It has turned into a seasonal gig for us, Spring and summer mainly, but only because of some of our schedules.
SAD WINGS: "Diamonds & Rust"
HBH: You also have a Metallica tribute band called Killa Maul, I believe you guys play mostly early Metallica material? Can you tell us a bit about that band?
Jason: Killa Maul, plays the record, head to toe of Metallica's "Kill Em' All". so...yes, early material and that's it. I wanted to pay tribute to the feeling that we all got when we first heard that record. It made alot of rockers, move into heavier material, A definite gateway album for rock fans to realize how cool the guitars sounded , being played with the fats double picking, with thrash beats and all still based off of blues riffs. If I had the time, I would form a Motorhead tribute, "Ace of Spades" and do the exact same thing. Total breakthrough record.
KILLA MAUL
HBH: Is there anything you would like to add?
Jason: Please check out my bands HOWLING SYCAMORE and EVIL UNITED.
HOWLING SYCAMORE: "Midway"
EVIL UNITED : "Viking Funeral"
Interview By: Josh Smith
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