For all of you who dont know what this is, this is my first foray into interviews on the site. and what better way to start things off than with an interview with Mark Sawickis, of IMPETIGO fame. those of you who have no clue who Impetigo is, shame, shame, shame on you! they are only one of the greatest punk/grind/metal bands ever, and a big inspiration to such better known (at least on the underground metal circuit) bands like MORTICIAN or BLOOD DUSTER or any handful of bands. when i think of gore grind, i think Carcass, Repulsion, and IMPETIGO. so read on, and sorry if the questions suck, but there are more im waiting to send him, so enjoy whats here now.

(this interview was conducted via email over about a months span of time. for the official impetigo website, go to http://go.to/Impetigo)

1. when did IMPETIGO start, and why?

Well, Stevo and I formed the band in July of 1987 from the ashes of his old band SGT. ROCK. We took several of their songs and came up with different lyrics and rearranged them a bit and they became the first couple of IMPETIGO songs. Stevo and I were good friends then and we were both doing zines at that time, I was doing UNIFORCE and he was doing SPLATTER ZINE. He already had been doing some bands and I was playing guitar so we'd always talked about getting a band going. So when SGT. ROCK finally broke-up we just figured it was the right time to get together and see what we could do with our musical ideas. We originally borrowed Dan on drums from the local hardcore band NAKED HIPPY but things just seemed to work out good with him and he agreed to stay in IMPETIGO as well. So he was doing both bands for awhile and then just IMPETIGO after NAKED HIPPY broke-up. We just started the band for fun and to play the music we loved.

2. what are your releases?

Our first release was the "All We Need Is Cheez" Official Live Demo in 1987. We decided to do it as a demo as the sound quality was pretty good and we just didn't have the money for any studio back then. Then in 1989 we released our only studio demo entitled "Giallo". That eventually led to our deal with Wild Rags records. In the mean time A Whisper in Darkness Records released the "Buio Omega" 7" EP in 1990. That was several tracks from the "Giallo" demo remixed. That is probably the rarest of the IMPETIGO releases today. Shortly after that Wild Rags put out our debut album "Ultimo Mondo Cannibale" in 1990. Then in 1991 we took part in a split 7" EP with BLOOD from Germany on their own label Iron Records. Our side of that split EP was called "Antefatto". The next release was in 1991 again with the "Faceless "7 EP/Cassette EP put out by Wild Rags records. That was basically a test recording to check out the studio where we wanted to record our 2nd album. We re-reco! rded three old songs from the "U ltimo..." album and did two new tracks (which kind of mix into one song). Then we did our final release in 1992, which was the "Horror of the Zombies" album on Wild Rags Records. Then the band split up in 1993. Lately there have been re-issues of basically everything we've done and some live stuff. The first thing to come out was in 1999 and that was a live split 7" EP with the Japanese band TRANSGRESSOR. Our side was 3 live tracks from 1988 and it's called "Primitives". That was put out by the Japanese labels Bloodbath Records & Macabre Mementos. Then Morbid Records out of Germany put out a 10" picture disc of the "Giallo" demo sessions. That is the whole demo sessions including three tracks which weren't originally on the demo. Next came the CD release of the old 1987 "All We Need is Cheez" Live Demo on the Czech label Bizarre Leprous Productions. We then did a split mCD with the Czech band INGROWING which has one live track from us(I Work For the Streetcleaner) and! INGROWING did a new track and a cover of our song "Bitch Death Teenage Mucous Monster from Hell". That was put out by the Czech labels Bizarre Leprous Productions and Shindy Productions. Morbid Records has now also re-issued all the old Wild Rags releases on CD and vinyl picture disc too. Those are the "Ultimo Mondo Cannibale" and "Horror of the Zombies" albums and the "Faceless" EP. Obscene Productions from the Czech Republic also released the "Buio Omega" EP as a mCD with the live tracks from our side for the split 7" with TRANSGRESSOR as bonus tracks. It's also a CD-Rom with IMPETIGO video, bio, discography, photo's etc. A really cool release. The last thing to come out will be coming soon from Half Life Records in the U.S. and it's the CD version of the "Giallo" demo with our side of the split EP with BLOOD(Antefatto) as bonus tracks. Watch out for it!

3. what bands influenced IMPETIGO (or yourself [i read somewhere that you guys liked Septic Death and Cryptic Slaughter, both fuckin' rad bands])?

In the very beginning IMPETIGO was influenced by bands like CRYPTIC SLAUGHTER, THE ACCUSED, WEHRMACHT, SEPTIC DEATH, REPULSION, CELTIC FROST, CARNIVORE, VOI VOD, KREATOR, MASTER/DEATHSTRIKE, JIM JONES AND THE KOOL-ADE KIDS, D.R.I., POISON IDEA, AUTOPSY, early DEATH and more. Then came along bands that influenced us like NAPALM DEATH, CARCASS, EXTREME NOISE TERROR, UNSEEN TERROR, and bands like that. We were influenced by those and many many other bands in the scene but we still tried to create our own sound as well.

4. Why did impetigo break up, and when?

IMPETIGO broke-up in 1993, we weren't really active for the last 6 months or so of the band. There were a couple of reasons the band broke-up. The main reason was that the band had grown much bigger then we had ever expected. We'd always wanted to handle every aspect of the band on a personal level and on our own. That means doing every piece of mail and everything ourselves. We were spending hours and hours outside the band and our regular full time jobs and it really took away time with our families (Stevo and I were married). We didn't want to do the band any other way than the most underground way and when it got to be such a burden and the band was becoming more like work and not as fun we always said we would break up when it became like work. So we figured that time had come. Another contributing factor at that time was all the back stabbing and name calling taking over the scene. All this "I'm true and you're not" stuff and all the in-fighting had somewhat dis! heartened our views as well. Th ings were quite as friendly in the underground. After the release of "Horror..." we figured it was a good time to call it quits.

5. Are all the ex-members of impetigo on good terms with each other?

Yes, very much so. I had just seen all the guys right before I moved over here to Singapore. I've called Stevo several times since I've been here. We were friends before the band, during the band and still great friends to this day. That goes for the other members too, although I'd say Stevo and I have more in common and we stay in contact more regularly.

6. Any new bands that people should be aware of?

Well, I'm not so up-to-date on the new bands in the scene. I'm still mostly a fan of the old bands but I do check out some new things now and then. THE RAVENOUS rule, that's the new band with the old legends like Chris Reifert, Killjoy, Dan Lilker etc. IMPALED is another killer band to check out, sick extreme old style influenced death metal. I'm still listening the the old fiends like REPULSION, AUTOPSY, MASTER, MORTICIAN, EXHUMED, DAYGLO ABORTIONS, CYRPTIC SLAUGHTER, CARNIVORE, SODOM, S.O.B., etc. and I also really like a lot of the Japanese grind death bands like 324, SHIKABANE, SENSELESS APOCALYPSE, SLIGHT SLAPPERS, FUCK ON THE BEACH, TRANSGRESSOR, DEFILED, SIGH, C.S.S.O. and more.

7. Any new bands that ex IMPETIGO membersare in that people should be aware of?

No, none of the ex-IMPETIGO members really have any bands going. Stevo and I really don't play anymore at all. Dan and Scott still play/practice but neither of them are in any bands. Scott has been in and out of a garage rock band called 13 FRIGHTENED GIRLS but I don't think they are together now. They released one 7 inch on Get Hip Records.

8. all time favorite movie?

Wow, that is a really hard one. Maybe I'll pick one movie from certain genres which I'm really partial too, although I love movies so much I couldn't really have a favorite. My favorite gore movie is probably ZOMBIE HOLOCAUST(aka Dr. Butcher MD) or THE BEYOND. My favorite horror film is probably THE EXORCIST. My favorite war movie is probably APOCALYPSE NOW. My favorite drama is AMERICAN BEAUTY or TO LIVE(aka Lifetimes - a Chinese film). It's tough to chose a favorite action movie, maybe A BETTER TOMORROW or FULL CONTACT.

9. favorite band?

That is another difficult one as I like all types of music from grind to pop. Some of my metal favorites are AUTOPSY, SODOM, MASTER, and REPULSION. Some of my punk favorites are BLACK FLAG, CIRCLE JERKS, early REAGAN YOUTH, and the original MISFITS. Other pop rock/bands i like are THE EAGLES, THIN LIZZY, BREAD, and QUEEN. I like a lot of Japanese & Chinese pop/rock bands like X-JAPAN, NAMIE AMURO, L'ARC~EN~CIEL, PUFFY, SUN YAN ZI, and more. I think it's important to listen to many types of music and not just one style.

10. what is it about horror movies, and bands playing splatter/gore movie influenced music that can impact so many people? what are your thoughts on horror/music at their present states? i think that its all a cycle, and for real good horror, for me, you cant beat the romero films and any italian gore films, and music, for me, old punk, thrash, and grind. but why do you think that horror movies and horror music impact so many people?

I think People like to be scared and see fantastic things on the screen, things they don't see in real life. It's a escape for people, entertainment. The state of horror now is extremely weak, they just don't make the horror/gore films like they used to. Those films belong to the past and will probably never be made again. Ultra gore films don't seem to make the money like they used to, most of the venues that showed them are gone, like drive-in's and the old theaters. At least thanks to video and especially DVD of late, the rich history of the horror/gore classics are being released in the most complete and best looking versions ever. Thanks to DVD I think cult horror/gore has experienced a true reniassance!! There is and always will be a select audience the world over for these films and they are now being tapped! There are lots of gore bands going now, there seems to be a resurgance, but very few of them would I consider to be true "horror" bands, or at least "film"! based bands like IMPETIGO was.

A majority of our songs/themes/artwork was inspired by cult films. Today bands like MORTICIAN, NECROPHAGIA, ENGORGED, MACHETAZO and a few others carry on the film inspired horror/gore music. Not to say the other gore bands aren't good but it's just a different atmosphere they play under.

11. any thoughts on politics?

I try to keep up-to-date with what is going on around the world. I enjoy news channels like CNN and the BBC as well as your news magazine shows like 60 minutes and so on(although we don't get those here in Singapore). I tend to be a liberal conservative if that makes any sense. I definitely didn't vote for George Bush and I think he can really damage the country especially if he pushes that tax cut plan through. People don't seem to realize that all the numbers add up to only a refund for the wealthiest people. He's also got some strange and dangerous ideas about foreign policy. I guess time will tell how he's going to do.

12. why are you living in singapore now, and are the rest of the members still living stateside?

Well, I'm living here in Singapore now as my wife's job brought us over here. She got an assignment here for about 2-5 years, not sure exactly yet. So I just followed her, it's quite nice living here except it's really really hot and humid every day of the year. Being on the equater almost the temperature never changes from day to day. Otherwise it's a cool place, very green and clean! Everybody else is still living in the U.S. though. Dan and Scott are still back in Illinois in the same city that we formed the band in. Stevo is now down in Kentucky.

13. how can IMPETIGO merchandise/albums be ordered, via internet or mailorder?

Well, I think the best bet is to get it from any number of various distro's like RAZORBACK, RELAPSE, CENTURY MEDIA and more that carry it. I don't know exactly which stuff they carry but you can check with them. I think RELAPSE even had a few of the shirts that SHINDY PRODUCTIONS made up. You can even order from the various labels we worked with like MORBID RECORDS from Germany or the Czech Republic labels like BIZARRE LEPROUS PRODUCTIONS, SHINDY PRODUCTIONS and OBSCENE PRODUCTIONS. I think all those labels have websites out there. I know it can be a pain to order stuff from overseas though the mail though.

14.you mentioned you were married at the time IMPETIGO broke up. are you still married ?

That was kind of answered above in the why I'm in Singapore question. I've been married now for almost 11 years. Stevo's been married for quite a while too, almost as long as me. Scott is married too but Dan isn't.

5. any last words? Doug, thanks for doing the interview and for supporting the band. Thanks to everyone who is still out there and interested in us even though we've been gone now for about 8 years! It always amazes us that people are still into the band even to this day! Thanks to the Lesions of Impetigo for the many years of loyal support. Watch out for the last of the IMPETIGO re-issues to be coming out soon. It's the "Giallo/Antefatto" CD coming out from Half Life Records in the U.S.. Hopefully, it will be out within a month or so!

okay, for those of you who were somewhat intrigued by this interview and have never ever ever heard IMPETIGO.....STOP READING, GET AWAY FROM YOUR COMPUTER, AND GO FIND ANYTHING BY THEM! house recommendations: ULTIMO MONDO CANNIBALE- their first full album. great songs, very goofy and gory. funny but yet sick. a classic. HORROR OF THE ZOMBIES- their second and last full length. 10 songs of absolute horrofying mayhem. slower songs, good production, fantastic sound clips before the songs, but not as goofy as the first. a truly atmospheric release. get it, lock yr doors, and watch all the movies Mark described above. you wont regret it.

in this space soon we shall have the interviews i did over a year ago with Ryan Daniels and Justin Conlon, ex members of Fall Of Leningrad, my favorite hardcore band ever. they are both quite long interviews though, so be prepared......