Article - Various Artists - Mascot Records label portrait

Despite being an independent label Mascot Records has made a stir in Europe with high quality releases. RevelationZ Magazine cornered Wouter Wiegeraad and got Mascot Records' perspective on these essential issues.

Please provide us with some background information on Mascot Records
Mascot Records is an independent record company based in The Netherlands (Europe) and specialized in guitar music, from Metal to (instrumental) Guitar, Hard Rock, Prog Rock and (guitar) Fusion.

What are the goals and vision of Mascot Records?
To deliver to the world things no one else can do and to make the art of music available to the world. We bring some styles of music that usually aren't widely available and we try to provide that.

How do you perceive the music scene today?
Of course it's changed a lot over the years, my personal view isn't entirely positive regarding this matter. The time where people made music just for the sake of creating has kind of passed. However there still are a lot of good musicians and bands of you know were to look.

What's your opinion on albums being released as downloads compared to the psychical CD?
If you realise how many people download music illegally and play that music on a MP3 player of some sort nowadays, I think it's good for artists to have their music released as downloads as well. Also the world is a-changing with all the new technology and you sometimes have to go with the flow if you want to keep music alive and keep it interesting for musicians to devote their lives to music there is going to be money involved. So in that perspective I think making music downloadable (through i-tunes or any other legal source) is a good thing although there's nothing that beats having a physical CD.

Do you think it's possible to fight music piracy (and if yes, how?)
In the UK there was a successful experiment were they imprinted certain codes on the CD's in the process of mastering. This way the illegal downloading was monitored, if you illegally download a track you get a popup with a warning, second time an internet connection block for one week, third time for a year etc. etc. This is still an experiment but it might be an interesting thing. Until some hacker will find a way to crack these codes that is.

Please explain some of the pros and cons being a smaller label in today's music business
Pros: you can be more involved with the bands etc. we tend to be more like family then the guys in a suit (which we don't wear btw), you can give more attention and you can get things done quicker. Also you don't seriously have to listen to the new protools shit by Britney Spears or Paris Hilton (whatever's left of her).
Cons: sometimes there's a lot of competition and you'll usually loose when a major label starts bidding on an artist you'd like to give a chance.

Who do you consider your strongest competitors?
RoadRunner, Relapse, Nuclear Blast etc.

Which Mascot Records release are you proudest of?
(unanswerable)

Which album is Mascot Records' bestseller?
Because we have different kinds of music with all different markets I couldn't say that one of the bands sells most, you'd have to put it in perspective. Acts like Masters of Reality, Volbeat and Don Airey sell most if you look pure at quantity. But acts like Paul Gilbert, John 5 and others sell relatively more compared to them. It's just that the market for instrumental music is a lot smaller.

In the future what can we look forward to from your label?
New albums by Paul Gilbert, Masters of Reality, Marty Friedman, Volbeat, Demiurg and a lot of other good stuff. Check our website for all upcoming releases and tours.

Below is a few in brief reviews and selected RevelationZ reviews from the roster of Mascot Records:

Michael Schenker Group - Arachnophobiac
Released in 2003 "Arachnophobia" was met with harsh criticism. This was mainly because Schenker didn't play on all songs. Schenker couldn't finish the album for various reasons and Nightranger's Jeff Watson got in and laid down guitars on 4 tracks. Watson is a competent player and his solo on the title track is superb.

Of course you expect Schenker to play guitar when you buy a MSG album, but personally I disagree with most critics slaying the album. Fair enough that this isn't the most inspired Schenker album - tracks like Into the Sands of Time and Weathervane are pure fillers.(great solos though) Still Schenker and Chris Logan has come up with a bunch of good songs that is worthy and protects the Schenker legacy.

The guitar melodies and melodic solos for Rock and Roll Believer is superb and the highlight of the album along with the moody Over Now. Both songs feature Jeff Watson and while his playing is amazing you lack Schenker's warm and characteristic guitar tone. Schenker's tone is almost gone in favor of a more crunchy sound. The album doesn't really differentiate Schenker, but still is a good Hard rock album.

Much better than its reputation

Racer X - Getting Heavier
Racer X consists of technical skilled musicians. Therefore you expect their albums to be kind of an artistic playground especially since Scott Travis plays with Judas Priest and Paul Gilbert has a solo career. "Getting Heavier" is a look in the brilliant minds of these technical skilled musicians.

I always liked singer Jeff Martin's voice. He trades vocals with Paul Gilbert on Heaven in 74, which sounds like an outcast from Paul Gilbert's unpretentious solo albums - just listen to the lyrics. The riff for Empty Man is Ain't Talking Bout Love part 2 and the highlight of "Getting Heavier"

It's all fast and well played.

Kevin DuBrow - In for the Kill
"In for the Kill" is the first solo album from Quiet Riot singer Kevin DuBrow. It features a dozen cover songs, which Kevin DuBrow has chosen from the repertoires of his favorite 70's acts.
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George Lynch - Furious George
Furious George" has varied styles with George Lynch putting his own signature on the solos and guitar work through the entire CD. It is pretty cool to hear George Lynch capture the bluesy feel of "I Ain't Superstitious" and his slide playing on "You Shook me"
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Paul Gilbert - Paul the Young Dude
Paul's really pets my melodic ear with most of his songs. He may not be the world's greatest singer, but his voice really suits the style. The CD truly displays diverse styles both in Paul's guitar playing and also his diversity in writing songs.
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Paul Gilbert - Space Ship one
Gilbert is one of the few that can get away with writing only a handful of lyric lines, add melody and turn it into a song, which lasts more than 3 minutes and still keeps the listener excited.
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L.A. Guns - Tales from the Strip
Tales form the Strip is one of L.A. Guns' finest discs. Nothing can compare to first 3 classic albums, but "Tales from the Strip" comes right in after these classic masterpieces.
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L.A. Guns - Loud and Dangerous
Phil Lewis is captured on one of his best days and he sounds on fire. I have never heard him better. Stacey Blades performs the old songs to perfection and keeps the energy plus rawness in his playing, which especially characterized the first L.A. Guns albums.
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Bang Tango - Ready to Go
This is a very strong album with very little filler and it keeps growing. Bang Tango sounds very up-to date without losing the band's original integrity and selling out.
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Volbeat - Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil
"Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil" is consistent and works as an album. However, Volbeat needs more stand-out songs and more variation in the vocals to convince yours truly that this album deserves to the metal album to top the charts. Volbeat has ambitions to chart outside the borders of their home country and that will only succeed if they make the aforementioned adjustments.
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John Norum - Optimus
The album is rooted in seventies like Hard Rock ala Thin Lizzy, but sounds very modern. Norums playing style with heavy riffs and breaks plus in particular his voice reminds of Zakk Wylde. Norum's crunchy guitars and his ear for melodic metal are perfectly conducted on album opener "Chase Down the Moon". The song is the highlight of "Optimus'" along with the melodic "Taking the Blame".
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Jizzy Pearl - Vegas Must Die
Vegas must Die" is a solid release and consistent in its sound because the record was recorded during a short period with the same musicians. However, none of the songs surpasses the brilliant material on "Just a Boy". The common theme on "Vegas Must Die" is Jizzy's experiences during the year he lived in Vegas.
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Brides of Destruction - Runaway Brides
I wasn't fond of the first Brides record but it had a few good songs on it. I was hoping "Runaway Brides" would be the record that took it further and was constructed on the good notes of the last album.
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