"Better To Have Loved" - An interview with Masaki Murashita of Murashita

By: Geoff Teach

Although universally exhibiting images of war, violence, death, and, bloodshed on t-shirts, album covers, and through the bands' lyrics and names themselves, metal heads know that deep down, metal is all about love. We love our favorite acts and artists, we love it when we see other people who also enjoy metal when we are out in public (and show it by sharing our customary greeting of horns), and for those of us who are somehow connected directly to the industry itself, if it wasn't for love, we'd all have probably quit years ago; because very few of us are truly able to make much of a living from metal thanks to there being barely a trickle of big capital thrown our way by the higher-ups of the music industry. But we solider on anyway out of a deep love and passion for the music that makes us feel like no other music can.

"It's just for the love of the music," affirms Masaki Murashita, founder and guitarist/vocalist for the Los Angeles-based act that bears his namesake, Murashita, who continues, "Seriously, I have given up many things just to keep doing this, like many other dedicated musicians have. I would probably be in better shape financially and have more luxury in life if I moved back to Japan and got a job there, but that doesn't appeal to me. I love what I do."

Masaki Murashita does it all for the love of metal.

Murashita, who came to North America at sixteen years old with the intention of studying abroad, is not unlike thousands of other metal musicians: He does it because he loves it. It's literally just that fucking simple. "I want to write and play music, tour, and make records both as a performer and a producer. What do I need to do to make that happen? Working hard is the minimum requirement, and it seems like it's a lottery to make the dream happen, but if you don't try, you won't get anything, so I do what I can everyday. There's no bullshit, and I learned immediately that that's what it takes in this industry. You must have a good work ethic, so I started spending all my time with music and promoting the band." It is exactly this kind of drive that defines all metal acts, large and small, and without a doubt, Masaki has drive in spades, as he's also laid it all on the line to stay here in the States and pursue his passion. "I had to think ahead to obtain a visa to stay here in the country. Luckily, with help from my friends and a lot of hard work getting my name out there, I was able to get the visa, and I'm still here doing what I love." (There's that word again...)

Murashita's music, intense and impassioned, is what holds Masaki here on foreign shores, sure, but his act's latest release, 2015's Inescapable Damnation (Independent), has a distinctly classic American thrashing death sound to its overall production and approach. It is easy to explain why, though - Inescapable Damnation is chock full of guest appearances by some of America's most well-known metal artists and engineers. "Kevin Talley of Suffocation played drums on all of the songs, and I had three bassists appear on the (five track) record: Rodney McGlothin of Voice of Dissent on "Conquer the Foe", "This Show Must Go On", and "Death or Glory", Kelly Conlon of Death and Monstrosity on "Retribution", and David Ellefson of Megadeth on the title track." Yes, you read that correctly. "I've known David since 2007 while working as an assistant for producer Ryan Greene, and I have worked with him several times on his other projects. I thought it was a long shot to have him appear on a song, but you never know until you ask, and he was nice enough to do this with me. I am extremely honored that one of my heroes who inspired me has played on one of my songs."

Murashita playing live for the masses.

And the aforementioned Ryan Greene (longtime producer for artists like Lita Ford, NOFX, Swingin' Utters, and Ellefson's F5) did more than just hire Masaki as his assistant all those years ago - he also worked closely with his protégé on Murashita's Inescapable Damnation, tracking the vocals and doing the mixing for the entire album. "Ryan is a guy who puts more than one hundred and twenty percent effort into the projects he's involved with. Whether you are from Megadeth or a newbie, he treats all artists well and does his best to make your record sound killer. I am beyond happy and grateful for everything he's done for me. He did absolutely top-notch work." Just as important as the mixing, however, is the mastering; and Masaki could not have been more pleased with how his turned out, saying, "Gene Grimaldi (who has also mastered for a myriad of artists across all genres, including Huntress, Failure, and even Lady Gaga) also did on outstanding job. I've had opportunities to work with Gene on other projects and have attended [some] of his sessions. After seeing him work and hearing the results, I knew he would be the right person to work with and to master my album. Not only is he a talented engineer, but he is also a super nice guy. I was able to finish the record in two days from mixing because of Ryan and Gene's amazing talents."

The cover art to 2015's Inescapable Damnation, featuring many notable guest appearances.

Speaking of the record, Murashita's Inescapable Damnation, although relatively new and undiscovered, should continue to impress all who hear its sturdily-constructed compositions. "I've been receiving positive reviews from both critics and fans alike. There have been a few old friends and fans from my old band, Hemoptysis, that loved the record, and it's great to have some dedicated fans. It definitely helps to keep me motivated. I just hope that more people get a chance to listen to this record, and it would be awesome if everyone who likes it would share it with their friends. Being unsigned and having [limited] promotion, it is tough to reach new audiences, so if you love what you hear, pass it on to your metal head friends!" If you've ever read my writing before, then you will know that I'm not lying when I say that I couldn't have said it better myself, as Inescapable Damnation is well-written, sounds great, and is a lot of fun to listen to. Or, in other words, I love it, and I hope that this article satisfies Masaki's request for fans of the music to share it with others, because that is obviously the aim of my efforts.

So if you're in the mood to listen to some awesome tunes, just press play below - and be sure to purchase a copy of Inescapable Damnation to help support Murashita on their ascent to the top!