Would MUSHROOMHEAD Ever Perform Without The Masks? STEVE 'SKINNY' FELTON Responds

In a new interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music, Steve "Skinny" Felton, drummer and founder of Cleveland theatrical art-metal ensemble MUSHROOMHEAD, was asked if he and his bandmates would ever consider performing without their trademark masks. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, the thought has definitely crossed the mind many times over the years. But if we were to do something like that, that's what side projects are for and that's what releasing something that MUSHROOMHEAD doesn't have for you.

"Sometimes [when MUSHROOMHEAD is performing] it's overwhelmingly hot, and your peripheral vision in a dark club, man — you can't see anything," he admitted. "To kind of find your footing, especially guitar players or singers, to find their footing, they just kind of stay planted for a little while sometimes because, like I said, with the lights, it's very hard to see and breathe. The communication is tough. We have a lot of hand signals because there's no lip reading. 'Wear a mask,' they said. 'It'll be fun,' they said. I say it all the time: 'Whose idea was this?'

"But I'm glad we do it," Felton insisted. "It keeps us entertained. And I'll tell you what — when you put a mask on and you get out there and you start performing, you definitely do take on a little bit of a different character and you just feel slightly different in the mask. It's a little more free and open, and you're not really worried about if you're making direct eye contact or if you're smiling right or you look cool. It's like you're in a whole another world as soon as you put it on. So it definitely helps the energy level when you're up there. But it also drains it, because by the end of the song, when it's Arizona at 104 degrees [Fahrenheit] at one in the afternoon, you're, like, 'What the hell?'"

MUSHROOMHEAD's ninth album, "Call The Devil", will be released on August 9 via Napalm Records.

Returning after a 12-year hiatus, longtime guitarist Dave "Gravy" Felton — who performed on several of the band's biggest albums and is credited as a primary songwriter on classic anthems like "Along The Way", "Sun Doesn't Rise" and "The Dream Is Over" — contributes his trademark skills to two "Call The Devil" album tracks. The album once again features production by Steve "Skinny" Felton, as well as the return of Matt Wallace (FAITH NO MORE, 3 DOORS DOWN) on mixing, also recognized for his work on MUSHROOMHEAD's iconic album "XIII". The album is also the band's first to feature mastering from Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, EPICA, ARCH ENEMY).

Last year, Skinny told Cleveland.com about MUSHROOMHEAD's longevity: "All I can say is that we have been very blessed to be able to do this. Whether it's 10, 20, 30 years — pretty much any time at all — anyone who gets to do this for any length of time knows how blessed and lucky and fortunate they are and to really soak in that.

"If there's a secret, it's to wake up every day with the goal of figuring out how to make your band, brand or artwork a little more accessible," Felton said. "To have an opportunity to create art with multiple people — to have their attention, time and creativity for a while — while chasing that creative element, staying inspired, believing in yourself and being true to your art is what does it, from my point of view."

Photo credit: SK1