The ROX-TV Exclusive Interview with the SCYTHE GANG 666. The Group talks about extreme death trap, the new video drop, and much more.
I’d like to welcome the readers back for another dope interview tonight. We have Scythe Gang 666 in the house to chop it up for a bit about their music, a little background, and everything in between. The group has a unique look and sound and I can appreciate anyone that is trying to shake things up and have fun while doing it. King Zabb recently reached out to ROX-TV and we are glad he did. So without further to do, let’s get into it with the gang from Seattle Washington…..
Welcome to ROX-TV, I’d like to thank you for stopping by to talk with us. For people that don’t know about your music or are just getting turned onto it, I’d like to give them a little background on the members and the group. Currently the lineup consists of Michael Vanson on vocals, Maezi Kacey on (lead) guitar, King Zabb on bass, and Skimask the Drumgod on what else….the drums. For the first time readers, can you talk about how the group formed?
Michael – “Maezi and I go way back to our very first band that we started as kids, and the rest of us have all known each other around our area’s music scene for years. Towards the end of 2019, some of our previous projects were coming to an end, and to be honest, a lot of us were feeling burned out on making metal music. Tired of playing the same, similar sounding music, the same gigs, sick of only hearing about the same bands over and over and over. I personally got to a point where the genre felt really stale to me, and no one was trying to push the envelope anymore. Scythe Gang 666 is basically the direct result of those feelings. The whole goal of the project was to create something totally different. We were inspired by a lot of the trap metal stuff going on at the time, but wanted to do it in a way that was a little different. I’d almost describe us as if like Motley Crue started a band present day, but they had a Soundcloud. The name of the game is always entertainment. We try to create an experience beyond the music so even if you hate the way we sound, it can still be something you’re into.”
Maezi – “Before I answer I just want to clarify that I play lead guitar, not just guitar. But to answer your question, the group was kind of destined to form. Me and Michael Vanson go way back to like when we were kids and have always been in bands together. King Zabb, and Skimask the Drumgod were in the same scene and we all knew each other for years but never spent much time till we started our gang. But it’s destiny because we all have tried to start different gangs and we are all basically the last remaining members of the best gangs all formed into one gang. We all kind of had the same idea at the same time and it just kliqed.”
Obviously, the world has been dealing with the Covid headache since 2020. Some people might argue that coming out during a pandemic was a bad choice but I’m not so sure. It might have been a brilliant move, considering that the shutdowns forced people to sit around and do nothing for over a year. With nothing going on or being open, Scythe Gang 666 came out at a time when it was possible to have someone’s undivided attention, perhaps for the first time in a long time. With that extra time, I think a lot of people (myself included) decided to chill out, let the chips fall where they may, and blast tunes waiting for the end that never came. How does the band feel about coming out when you guys did? Was it a conscious move to drop during the pandemic or was it just an odd coincidence?
King Zabb – “We actually had this project in the works for a few months before the pandemic so the shutdowns were unexpected for us.”
Maezi – “ I mean we didn’t plan on it, but to be honest I think it worked in our favor. Nobody else was doing anything around that time when the lockdown first started happening so we decided to take advantage of the time, and put out as much content as possible.”
Michael – “Obviously not everyone has the option or ability to still be creative and make progress during these times, but I’m super happy that wasn’t the case for us. We definitely had to take some risks in order to put so much content out last year but it was well worth it. Ultimately, we can’t let things like this stop us from chasing our dreams. I’ve seen so many people get discouraged or just straight up quit because of this though. Its so sad. I feel like art usually thrives in times of struggle like this, but these days there seems to be less than ever.”
Do you think that the lockdowns and the down time helped your creative side, having so much time to focus on the music and put things together without distractions that normally might have gotten in the way?
King Zabb – “Yeah we recognized the opportunity immediately and took full advantage of the free time. We’ve been creating as much content as possible while honing our respective crafts. Maezi’s in-house production ability has grown to become a huge asset for us and my video editing has improved tenfold. For a lot of artists around us, the pandemic was a momentum killer but it’s allowed us to speed up our growth exponentially. I hate excuses and to me the pandemic is just the go-to for a lot of people right now. If it wasn’t the pandemic, it would been something else. When needed, Scythe Gang 666 has the foresight to pivot and adapt to our environment.”
Michael – “Lockdown was such a trip. Maezi and I live together, and lockdown happened before Scythe Gang even launched officially. We wrote SO much. We had nothing else to do and were basically trapped. There was a good 2 months where we’d just wake up at 4pm, eat some top ramen or whatever, and make songs until the sun came up. This is before things launched and there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the project because of the pandemic, but writing music all day was the only thing that kept us “sane” and focused during an honestly really dark time. We wrote an uncountable amount of stuff. Even some of the songs we’ve recently put out like “Speed RcR” and “In The Basement” are from those sessions.”
Maezi, you have cited an interview by Alexi Laiho about “Being successful in music is about how much you’re willing to sacrifice to make it”. I think those are some pretty wise words. Would it be safe to say that you and the band are guided by those principles, giving up a piece of yourselves to make the music?
Maezi – “I would say so. I think the point of the statement by Mr. Laiho is less about big grand sacrifices, but it’s more like just little everyday sacrifices that all add up over time. You gotta live that gang life. Like instead of doing something wack like going to your grandma’s birthday, you do gang stuff instead. Over time the extra hours add up and you’re just ahead of the game. For example, from ages like 3-18 you are required to learn things at school. Instead of learning about something completely useless like biology, or grammar, practice the harmonic minor scale instead.”
Scythe Gang 666 seems to have some pretty interesting chemistry as far as what each of the four of you bring to the table. Do you think that the combination of such strong personalities is actually a benefit to the group, as opposed to four drones vibing off one core idea?
Maezi – “I think we each have a unique perspective that we can bring to the table. Like I am a Chinese transgender and I think I have a unique perspective being Chinese and transgender while also being a lead guitarist at the same time. We are all very different. Each of our experiences are very different. Like for example I don’t know what exactly it’s like being a Drumgod. Skimask the Drumgod see’s things through a Drumgod’ s perspective. I know Zabb see’s through the lens of being the Triple Six Champion of the world, and I don’t really know what that’s like either. English is my second language so that’s why Michael’s perspective as a rapper who writes in the English is so important. The only thing that is similar is about 50% of the gang has Asian origins. But I think the combination of all of our unique life experiences is what makes it impossible to replicate the gang in anyway. I dare you to go find another Triple Six Champion, good luck finding a Drumgod, or even a rapper who writes in English. Nobody is sicker than the Sickle Kliq.”
I’m from the nineties and I get really excited when I hear new groups talk about the “live” shows and the experience of seeing a real concert with thought put into it. I remember seeing Jane’s Addiction and being blown away by the effort the group made to meet and exceed the fan’s expectations. I’m sure you can’t give away all the details, but why should people be excited about your “live performances” when the world opens up?
Maezi – “Well I think a lot of people kind of doubt that the extreme death trap sound is gonna work live in a band format. I’m stoked to show everybody exactly how extreme death trap is supposed to sound live. All I’ll say is: don’t come to a Scythe Gang 666 show expecting a concert, it’s gonna be a triple six live spectacle.”
I have massive respect for anyone that is willing to put a little risk into their lives or their music. I feel in the decade or so, the elements of surprise and danger have slowly drifted away from the music. Being a little older, it gets me excited to see people willing to “put a little skin in the game”. Do you think that sets Scythe Gang 666 apart from a lot of the “music” being made right now?
King Zabb – “We definitely put ourselves out there. People online roast us but we love what we’re doing and won’t stop. All of our members have a presence online so when we try an out of the box idea that fails, our faces are attached to it. It’s not like a “brand” that flops, it’s four individuals that publicly fucked something up or tried something stupid and we’re cool with that haha. People curate and sterilize their online presence to look “perfect” which I’m not a fan of. A band’s 5 million streams can be from 5 million people that changed the channel after 30 seconds. They can flex on people that don’t know any better but they’re not fooling the Triple Six Champion of the world.”
Maezi – “I mean to be honest I don’t really think we think too much about what exactly we are doing. The only reason the gang does anything is because we think it’s sick. We don’t really care if an idea fails, or if people don’t like the song or whatever, at the end of the day anything we do, we do it for the Sickle Kliq and because we think it’s sick.”
Michael – “I got naked and let people staple money on me in the last video.”
I love the fact that you guys are willing to push the boundaries and fight the “mainstream” industry with your “never say die” attitude. Can you talk a little about that saying and why you think it represents the group so well?
King Zabb – “We do what we want and we won’t stop. We don’t really care about the “industry.” There’s a world of people out there willing to support artists that they love, and those are the people we want to connect with. Artists get so caught up in trying to cater to their higher-ups that they lose the authenticity that develops a meaningful community. We don’t compromise our vision. It’s valuable to us having total freedom to entertain ourselves and the Sickle Kliq, even if it upsets people and keeps us underground. Artists strategize ways to inflate streams and monthly listeners just to impress their peers and record labels without really developing a fanbase. It’s all fake. The only thing real in the world of music right now is the Triple Six Championship. I could leave a boombox at a bus stop and get thousands of listeners too. I don’t really care haha.”
The shock collars are an interesting subject. Can you tell the first-time readers a little about them and how they drifted into your world, what you use them for, and the reaction that they’ve caused among fans and partiers?
Skimask the Drumgod – “It started out as a way for us to make performance videos that were more entertaining than just playing the song. I always see bands post playthroughs trying to hype their shit and honestly 99% of the time it’s just some boring static shot of a guy playing or an overproduced Michael Bay lens flare mess where the audio is just the original studio recording. When we did the AK47 playthroughs Zabb treated them like mini music videos with trippy effects, which was sick, but we wanted some twist that would be immediately attention-getting so we started coming up with these Jackass style challenges. I bought the shock collar online for like $20, when it showed up my girlfriend was like ‘what the fuck that is not going on our dog’ and I had to be like ‘no no it’s for the band!’ lmao. We’re always coming up with new hells to put ourselves through for these but the shock collar might come back in a live setting for some type of crowd interaction.”
For the first time fans, can you talk about the music you have currently out for public consumption? Where can people find and buy your guy’s stuff?
Skimask the Drumgod – “ www.scythegang666.com has everything we’ve put out plus a huge selection of merch designed by Zabb. You can get everything from socks with my face on them to coffee mugs with my face on them to face masks with my face on them, along with a ton of shirt designs and masks that have been worn by people in our videos.
We have a Discord for our street team now, DM us for access to that, we’re gonna have some exclusive bonuses available on there for people who help spread the word and you get to hang out with us. Subscribe to us on YouTube and hit up our Instagram and TikTok for behind the scenes stuff and other goofy shit.”
You have a new song called “Ice Cream Song” and a video that will premier on Friday April the 9th. Without giving too much away, can you talk about the song and the video concepts?
Michael – “So Zabb hits me up and he’s like “We have access to an ice cream truck. I dunno how we can use it but we should” I wasn’t sure how to use that at first, but the great thing about Scythe Gang, is you can kind of make it work with anything, even something ridiculous as this.
I loved the image of the gang rolling around in a stolen ice cream truck selling drugs and doing drive by shootings and getting into car chases. I tried to fit as many ice cream puns into the lyrics as I could. Overall I’m super happy with how everything played out. The video shoot was super fun and messy. This is probably our craziest video yet, especially when you take into consideration that all of this was shot in the middle of a suburban neighborhood with no permits”
I understand that a new album is also in the works. We’d love to get a copy to review here at ROX-TV so keep us in mind. Is there any information you want to tease out about the new recordings? Or when that piece will drop?
Maezi – “We have hella music just on my laptop that people haven’t heard, that will eventually be heard. We had to initially make our own songwriting formula before writing AK-47. It took a very long time to figure out how to create true extreme death trap. We have since mastered that formula and we have created a new one to really push the boundaries of extreme death trap. It’s not necessarily something COMPLETELY different but it’s adding on to what was already sick to make it even sicker.”
Like I said before I’m from the 90’s and the live shows and tours were always just as important as the music. It used to give us a chance to connect with the artists that simply can not be done on tiny little computer screen. In the good old days, we used to get fucked up and head to the shows. When can we expect Scythe Gang 666 hit the road and if so, please tell me that Detroit is on that list?
King Zabb – “We’ll start touring as soon as venues open to full capacity. I love traveling and it’s been a bummer not being on the road. Detroit is sickk so I would expect Scythe Gang 666 and the Triple Six Champion to make their way through as soon as possible.”
Shout outs. I’m old school and dig the shout outs. Who is Scythe Gang 666 shouting out tonight? Anyone/Anything
Maezi – “I’d like to give a shoutout to my lead guitar teacher from back in the day Masa Kobayashi. And shouts out to the Sickle Kliq as always for supporting the gang.”
Michael – “Shoutout Jesus”
King Zabb – “Shout out the Sickle Kliq for being the driving force behind getting this project seen.”
I’d like to thank Scythe Gang 666 for showing up and rapping with us for a bit. I’m can’t wait to check out the new video Friday or see what else the group manages to get up to in the coming weeks and months. Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with us and I hope that you come back sooner or later and do it again. Until next time….
Signing Off,
Mike Shepard
ROX-TV Head Writer
shepard2909@hotmail.com
kidvicious810 on IG
