MORTAL SIN have just wrapped up their club tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of their debut album, “Mayhemic Destruction.” Yet the Australians’ career could have taken a very different path: as a band from the first wave of thrash metal, MORTAL SIN were at the forefront in the late 1980s and toured with bands like METALLICA and TESTAMENT, among others. We spoke with singer Mat Maurer about why they still didn’t achieve a major breakthrough, how the band has now been reactivated, and what to expect from what is now their third reunion.
You formed MORTAL SIN in 1985, three or four years after thrash metal started to emerge in the US and Germany. How do you remember those early years? Without the internet, how did you first discover thrash metal?
We used to do a lot of tape trading back in those days, also reading Metal Forces and Kerrang! magazines as well. We had a really great record store in Sydney called Utopia Records (it still exists today), and we used to go in there every week and buy albums from all the great thrash bands.
Your debut album, “Mayhemic Destruction”, came out in 1987 and was very well received. It was promoted by Phonogram, and in 1989 you opened for METALLICA. You followed it up with “Face Of Despair” in 1989 and toured with TESTAMENT. Still, the big breakthrough never happened. Looking back, why do you think that was?
That’s the million-dollar-question…. Maybe because we came from Australia – being so far away from the European and American scenes? We were a small fish in a big ocean – the record company made all the decisions, and we felt we were hard done by. I wanted us to tour Europe off the back of „Mayhemic Destruction“, but the record company said we would wait until the next album. By the time we eventually got to Europe, three more years had passed, and we had fallen behind the second wave of thrash – TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL etc…
„It was a difficult time for even the biggest bands.
Only the strongest survived“
How much does it hurt that MORTAL SIN never became as big as some people had predicted?
Look, it is what it is…. We can’t make people listen to the band or come to concerts. We just need to play big shows where people have never seen us before so we can show them how good we are; that’s the only way we can get bigger. Most metalheads who see us for the first time usually say, “How on earth have I never heard of you guys before?” “You guys are freaking awesome,” and things like that.
The band split up in 1992, but you made comeback attempts in 1996 and 2004, lasting between four and eight years. With the two albums you released in the 2000s, however, you never really made it out of the underground. Was that also one of the reasons why you left in 2012, which more or less marked the beginning of the end for the band?
If you remember the scene in those mid-nineties and early 2000s, it was a difficult time for even the biggest bands. Only the strongest survived. Our comeback in 2004 lasted until 2012, and we achieved so much in those years. It was probably the best lineup we ever had, and our live shows were really great. We played WACKEN twice in that period and toured Europe four times. We most likely achieved more in those years as an independent artist than we ever did with major label backing. It was only some stupid actions that caused the breakdown of the band in 2012.
After that, did you completely step away from music? Did you stop making music and singing altogether, or did you simply stop releasing anything?
Yes, I stepped away from playing shows and singing. My wife fell ill in 2014 and was confined to a wheelchair, so I took care of her for 11 years before she passed away in January 2025. In that time, I tried to keep a social media presence going to keep the legacy alive.
„After the passing of my wife,
I needed an escape from the depression and grief“
Thirteen years later, in 2025, you decided to make a third comeback. You’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of the debut album – but what actually sparked the reunion? Whose idea was it?
The idea was mine – after the passing of my wife, I needed an escape from the depression and grief that was starting to take hold. I went to a concert near my house that Andy and Nathan had also attended, and I asked them if they would be interested in playing a couple of shows for our 40th anniversary. They immediately agreed, so we began trying to rebuild the band from scratch again.
Apart from the drummer, you’re now playing with the same line-up as before the last split. Had you stayed in touch with everyone over the years, or did you have to reconnect first? And was everyone immediately excited about the idea, or did it take some convincing?
No, we had to reconnect again. Everyone was excited to get back together with the prospect of playing live again.
Was it clear from the start that you wanted to return with this line-up?
After myself, Andy and Nathan sat down and discussed the situation and how we would move forward. Andy suggested getting original member Paul Carwana back as the other guitarist. I wasn’t against the idea, but I suggested we should check with Ryan first, as he was in the previous line-up, and I felt that we needed some consistency since Luke Cook had already told us he was not going to be a part of it this time and we would have to look for a new drummer.
„I spent a lot of time in my vocal booth
getting back into shape“
How did you approach the reunion? Did you first find a rehearsal room and start jamming, or did you contact booking agents to see if there was any interest in the band? How do you restart a band like MORTAL SIN after such a long time away?
We are lucky enough to have a legacy in Australian thrash, so we knew all we had to do was work hard on putting together an outstanding live show. So we had a goal, and we got down to relearning the songs that we decided to play live. With having a new drummer, we decided that we would spend a few months learning songs first, and then when George felt he was ready, we then found a rehearsal studio so we could practice. I also explained to the guys that I would need six to nine months to get my voice back into the kind of shape that would do the songs justice, so I spent a lot of time in my vocal booth getting back into shape. It wasn’t until after we felt we were good enough that we started to think about the tour. We contacted Chris from Aussie band HIDDEN INTENT, who also works as a promoter/booking agent here in Australia, and he said he would book some shows for us, so long as his band could do the supports for the whole tour. We booked a couple of festivals as well, and then a small agency in Europe asked if we wanted to book some club shows to go with the festivals, so that’s what we did.
The anniversary tour is over now. What’s your verdict on the tour? Are you happy with how it went, both musically and in terms of audience interest?
I think going to Europe twice, playing some awesome festivals – KEEP IT TRUE, ALCATRAZ, BRUTAL ASSAULT and BARBEUK FESTIVAL, playing Japan, China, and New Zealand along with over 20 shows in Australia was an amazing year for us. I would go as far as saying it was the biggest year of our career! We made some amazing contacts and met some great bands, and our fans were super happy to see us again after so many years.
A club tour like this is exhausting and challenging, especially for the vocalist. I saw you towards the end of the tour and was impressed by your voice – it didn’t sound worn out at all. Did you develop any special routines to keep it in shape?
As I answered earlier, I slowly built my voice up over a period of nine months, as I didn’t want to push too hard too early. The vocal cords are a muscle, so you have to take care of it just as you would with other muscles in the gym. I had quite a few people commenting on how strong my voice was, which made me feel proud for all the work I put into getting it into shape.
„Playing live is an amazing feeling.
It’s something only a musician can explain“
What had you missed about touring – and what hadn’t you missed at all?
Playing live is an amazing feeling. It’s something only a musician can explain. The one hour or so that you perform on stage is an incredible experience where you get to connect with like-minded people. People who love thrash metal! Obviously, the travelling is the hardest part, but we all looked out for each other to make sure everything was good. The dust at some of the festivals was a bit of an issue; some of us got sick from all the dust, so we learnt a lesson for the next time we play at festivals: to wear face masks when walking around festival sites!
Is there a story or funny moment from this tour that you’d like to share with us?
You know what they say – “What happens on tour, stays on the tour!” But on a good note, Ryan met the girl of his dreams at KEEP IT TRUE festival! Andy left his iPad behind at ALCATRAZ festival and just got it back this week. We got speeding fines in Sweden. In Japan, our guitars did not arrive in time for our first show, as the airport in Shanghai did not put the case on the plane because Nathan had left a battery in his guitar case.
None of us are getting any younger. Did you notice that on this tour? Did you approach touring differently compared to when you were young?
Andy and I are the oldest in the band, so we knew we would have to prepare more than everyone else. The biggest thing was probably the heat – we left Australia from winter and landed in Europe to a heatwave, so adjusting was difficult, but we managed fine.
„The young ones kept us fresh,
and us older ones kept them in line“
There’s an age gap of more than 30 years between the musicians in the band. Does that make touring together easier or more difficult when everyone is at such different stages of their lives?
After spending six months playing 42 shows, we felt like we had a good camaraderie and a good dynamic within the band. The young ones kept us fresh, and us older ones kept them in line. There’s definitely a lot of comedians in the band, that’s for sure. We had a great time.
What happens next for MORTAL SIN? Do you have any concrete plans, including new music, or do you want to remain a live band? Or was this always meant to be a temporary reunion, with MORTAL SIN going back into hibernation after the tour?
When we started, we said, “Let’s see how everything goes first,” and then we’ll talk about what comes next. We’ve only just finished the last shows, so we’ll discuss everything over the last few weeks of 2026, and then we’ll announce plans for 2027.
Thanks for your time and your answers! To finish, a quick round of word association: What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the following?
Your favorite animal: my dogs Loki, a Golden Retriever, and Finn, a Bernese Mountain Dog
What food are you completely sick of after the tour? Bread and baguettes with ham and cheese (laughs)
Your favorite band: DREAM THEATER
METALLICA: Never heard of them… (laughs)
MORTAL SIN in ten years: Old!
Du siehst gerade einen Platzhalterinhalt von YouTube. Um auf den eigentlichen Inhalt zuzugreifen, klicke auf die Schaltfläche unten. Bitte beachte, dass dabei Daten an Drittanbieter weitergegeben werden.
15. Oktober 2026 Moritz Grütz
Dieses Interview wurde per E-Mail geführt.
Zur besseren Lesbarkeit wurden Smilies ersetzt.
