Prowling the dark alleys of the metal world for a number of years now, SAVAGE MASTER have earned their cult status and more. It’s hard to put an exact term on the kind of metal they play, but one word always applies: HEAVY. Their style ranges from juiced up 70’s hard rock to classic British-influenced steel to the very edges of thrash metal and hanging over it all is a mist of darkness and the occult.

The voice of the band is unique as well and that belongs to Ms. Stacey Savage. This temptress hits the stage with leather lungs and leather pants and her smoky voice gives the band a different flavor than their almost exclusively male-helmed counterparts. SAVAGE MASTER’s live shows have become legendary and the band is in high demand on the American metalfest circuit.

The latest album for Stacey and her hooded cohorts is “Those Who Hunt At Night” and it’s safe to say this one covers the entire range of their sound. After seeing them crush at the Blades of Steel fest earlier this year, I felt it was a good time to visit Mistress Savage’s Dungeon for a chat...

WORMWOOD CHRONICLES: Hail to SAVAGE MASTER and thanks for talking to us. Is it safe to say that your new album “Those Who Hunt At Night” is the most “thought-out” and meticulous of your albums so far?

STACY SAVAGE: Thank you! We put special effort into making this record something we can really be proud of.

WC: What was the process for putting the album together like? Did it come together pretty quickly after “Myth, Magic And Steel” or did it require a lot of deliberation?

SS: Adam (Neal, guitarist) spent a couple of months writing the majority of the record. It seemed to all come together with John's contribution which became the title track "Hunt at Night".

WC: There’s no doubt this album has a ton of range and shows some different sides to SAVAGE MASTER. Was there any trepidation that all fans would be on board or was it kind of “damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead” when it came to writing?

SS: Our fans appreciate the variety and the big effort in our work.

WC: “The Death of Time” is one of the moodiest and most epic songs you’ve done yet. What was the mentality behind this one?

SS: It's about doing what makes you who you are because death is coming for us all no matter what we do. Might as well enjoy life while it lasts, not only for yourself but because it can help give other people a more enjoyable stay on this planet.

WC: Could you guys ever see yourselves doing a real long epic tune, something like the longer RUSH and MANILLA ROAD tracks?

SS: That's a fun idea to ponder...

WC: The video for “Hunt At Night” looks like it was a ton of fun to make. What was filming it like and how comfortable were Stacy’s fangs?

SS: It was an absolute blast filming "Hunt at Night". Adam made his directorial debut with this one. It went perfectly smoothly... well, the fangs... that's another story. Haha. A more experienced fang-wearer of the group lent us some denture glue to help seal ‘em in. Believe it or not, mine fell off as soon as Adam said his final "cut."

WC: The car in that video looks like a sweet classic ride. Did it belong to one of the band members?

SS: The car was a '69 Chevelle that a friend let us borrow for the video. Fun fact: our guitarist Julian is a classic car nut.

WC: That song itself is just classic pure metal. I get a vibe of PRIEST’s “Heading Out to the Highway” with maybe some of KISS’ “Creatures of the Night” to it. Is that a pretty fair read?

SS: I'll take it! Nothing wrong with either of those songs!

WC:. Is there one particular song off the new album that you can say is your favorite?

SS: It's impossible to choose one and once I start listing them, I'll end up listing them all.

WC: I’m interested in the band’s view of occult subject matter, which seems to be a very important part of your make-up. Is it something that’s done just to be “metal” or is there a deeper philosophy to it?

SS: We do find matters of the occult to be very inspiring. I will leave it at that. Cool to leave a little mystery in things...

WC: Are there any authors or movies that influence the band greatly?

SS: Our look is inspired by Mario Bava's "Black Sunday". "Those Who Hunt The Night" is a horror mystery book by Barbara Hambly about the search for a vampire who is killing other vampires. (I’ve actually read that one. I had it but gave it to a vampire fan friend for their birthday...--Count Mality)

WC: The masks give anonymity to the guys in the band. Are any of them involved in any other acts or is SAVAGE MASTER the main focus for all?

SS: The guys have all done a lot, most notably: Adam fronts a Punk band called THE HOOKERS, John drums for Punk band BEFORE I HANG, Nick plays guitar for Old School Metal band WAR CLOUD, Julian played in Power Pop band MISSING MONUMENTS.

WC: What kind of touring plans are there for 2022?

SS: We have a three weeker out west with EYEHATEGOD and ACxDC. YATRA and DEATHCAVE will be joining in for a few shows as well. After that we are looking forward to returning to Europe in January. Hopefully we will be touring the US again immediately following that.

WC. What was the oddest location you ever played?

SS: Probably an old ballroom in Boise, Idaho. It was surreal playing a ballroom dance floor.

WC: If you could ask any 3 people from history to dinner, who would they be?

SS: For me personally, Tura Satana, Mariska Veres and Tom of Finland.

WC: Is there any “Spinal Tap” moment where things went crazy for the band that you could share with us?

SS: Bad things happen to bands all the time and it does disturb me but I'll find a way to rise above it.

WC: Any last words? Thanks again!!!

SS: Thank you so much for the interview!! See you on the road!

SAVAGE MASTER