We spent some time with Metal 2 The Masses, Essex, winners Mechromorph, before their set at Bloodstock 2025’s New Blood Stage to talk shop about their winning performance at the third attempt, the importance of support from family and friends to help achieve one’s goals, and the merits of listening to your mum.
I’ll start and say congratulations on winning Metal 2 The Masses, Essex! You previously entered in 2019 and were sadly unsuccessful, but you did it this year. So, could I just get your reaction to it all?
Matthew: Over the moon, honestly. Very ecstatic and was just happy that everything that we worked on had paid off and got us the win at Metal 2 The Masses, Essex.
George: We actually – not to correct you – got to the final three times. That was our third time in the final. So yeah, the third time was the charm. Over the moon. Ecstatic!
Well, actually, that leads to one of my later questions, because when I was researching this, I, of course, found that in 2019, you were unsuccessful, and then the only other information I could find was that you won in 2025. What was the other year you entered?
George: The last one was 2023.
So, over the course of those years, can you tell me what you’ve been able to take away from the two unsuccessful finals that led you to the successful one this year?
George: So, I would say a big component of our success this year was the addition of our new drummer, Subash. He’s just a machine. Otherwise, we have brought up the equipment. We’ve invested in better equipment. Generally, we have just tried the best we could to up our game. I guess it worked, we’re here!
It did work, and again, congratulations on making it! Can you tell us about the competition that you faced? What was your reaction to it throughout the heats and also the final?
Matthew: I feel like the heat wasn’t too bad, where there was some strong competition there, but it wasn’t until we got to the final that I honestly didn’t think we were going to win. We were on first. No band’s ever really done well from playing first – not in our region anyway.
Most of the band members have gone to all of the heats as a punter and have enjoyed it. We’ve always looked at it like that’s a tough slot to fill and win off of.
George: That’s where we were last time. We were just like, “Ahhh, done it again, probably not gonna win but let’s just do it anyway!” But luckily, our friends were there and showed up.
What was your reaction when you were announced as the winners?
George: I actually caught it on camera. Our friends were just chanting. It was chaos!
Matthew: Yeah, it was chaos, but I felt a sense of achievement. All of the hard work paid off. We finally made it to the big show!
You briefly mentioned that you had friends along as well, and from researching for the interview, I can see that there’s a lot of support, especially from family, because your mum (George) posted a couple of videos on Reddit and Facebook. For both of you, what would you say is so important about having support from friends and family?
Matthew: It means everything, obviously, to have our friends and family come to shows and enjoy us playing and watch us progress to where we are now. Yeah, it’s a really good feeling.
George: It’s heartwarming, really. You can’t put a value on it. Some people might be embarrassed by stuff like that, but my mum loves metal as well. So, she’s the reason I am probably into this stuff. I tried to rebel and get into hip-hop, but all my family are into metal, and it just drew me in. Yeah, friends and family, they are our main supporters, the biggest supporters. You can’t thank them enough, really.
Who would you say is more pleased with the win, you guys or your mum?
George: It’s probably neck-and-neck! She wishes she were here, I’m sure. She couldn’t make it – sold out. We don’t get a guest list – we don’t quite have that much pull.
Matthew: We’re not quite there yet!
You’ll know for sure that New Blood is a springboard, so the hope is that you will be back on the Sophie Stage or maybe even over on the main stage.
Matthew: Hopefully we get the call for Sophie – and if it all goes well – then the plan is to one day be playing the main stage.
George: That’s the goal.
So, because you have competed in several Metal 2 The Masses competitions, and you’ve now tasted the success that your hard work has deserved, what would you say to other artists, like some of the ones that you may have competed with, or others that are aspiring to get to this level? What advice would you offer?
Matthew: Keep practising, practice is everything. Shows are just shows. We had some tough competition, and the bands that will be coming next year and the year after they’re all going to be high calibre.
George: Like you say, practice. Practice and listen to your mum.
Matthew: Listen to your mum.
“Listen to your mum” – top advice. We have mentioned, hopefully, being able to play the main stage and other things. Thinking in a broader sense, what else do you hope playing at Bloodstock and playing the New Blood will lead to?
Matthew: Shows with other bands that are the same sort of music as us, really. We’ve met the guys from Symbyote. They are all really nice guys. They smashed their set, so we’d love to get shows with them. Just linking up with people and talking about metal is amazing.
George: Networking. Bigger and better shows. That’s what we’re here for. This is what we do.
Cool! If you had money no object and could sign bands to your own tour, who would you be with?
George: Alright, established bands, The Black Dahlia Murder. Additionally, Symbyote, and they can join us.
You know what? I’d like to just have a couple of local bands, like Existentialists – we did a little run with them. Their friends, great friends.
Matthew: Olympus is also in our region; they’re smashing it right now. It’d be great to get some shows with them again.
George: That’s a five-band bill tour. Chuck another one in there, Peeling Flesh. There you go.
Get your tickets soon! I wanted to mention new music for you guys. ‘Cosmic Aberration’ was one of the more recent singles back in October 2024 – have you got anything else cooking?
George: We’ve got a lot of cooking! Unfortunately, we don’t have dates to announce at this time. We have got a lot on the horizon, I promise you now.
Matthew: Yeah, we’ve got plans for an EP to be released as soon as we can. We’re working on a full-length album. There’ll be singles being dropped left, right and centre. So, keep your eyes peeled!
Can we discuss the writing of your music? Could you provide a bit more detail about your process, please?
George: Sure, I mean, almost everything starts with a riff, right? So, Adam, the other guitarist, or I come in with riffs. I might write computer drums and then program the drums and just spring forth from there. Sometimes we collab, sometimes one of us will come up with a complete song. Patrick, our bass player, has written a lot of the older material. Sometimes it’s a collab, sometimes it’s a song – learn it.
Matthew: I used to write songs when I was playing guitar, but now that I’m the vocalist, I have the easier job of just writing some word-stuff.
When you have songs written, how do you then start thinking about how they’re going to translate live?
George: Generally, once you learn it again in the rehearsal space.
Matthew: We get a much better feeling of it when we’re all playing it in a rehearsal room and we know if it’s gonna kick arse, or if it’s not gonna do so great.
You get that moment in the room where it’s, “This is the secret sauce!”
Matthew: Yeah, when we’re looking at each other and go, “Hang on a minute. That was something!”
Brilliant. So, what can you tell us about the next few months for Mecromorph?
George: A lot of tracking, and a lot of sitting and recording. But yeah, we’ve got stuff to book, and there will be announcements. A lot of recording.
Matthew: We’ll be releasing stuff and setting dates on our socials. So again, keep your eyes peeled.
Great. Are there any live shows planned, or was that what you mentioned earlier? That gigs still need to be booked?
Matthew: We have one live show that we can announce because it’s already been announced, and that’s the Burnley one.
George: Yeah, I believe it’s the 15th, Saturday in November.
Matthew: Apart from that, everything’s kind of hush-hush. Watch this space.
2026: Can you tell us what your hopes, dreams, goals, and aspirations would be for it? Matthew: Come back and play Bloodstock!
George: If we have a full-length coming out, then get as many shows as possible. Come back and play at Bloodstock. Hopefully, Sophie, who knows? Might be over there? Might get that lucky!
Fingers crossed for you guys, and good luck with the releases as they come. Thank you again for chatting with us. Would you like to share any final thoughts with the Devolution readers and your fans?
George: Sure, just thanks for supporting us if you already have. If you want to check us out and you like what you hear, welcome to the family!
Matthew: Thanks to everyone for tuning in.
George: Thank you very much!
https://www.facebook.com/Mechromorph
Interview By Lee Carter
Photos By Rebecca Bush – https://www.instagram.com/beckybphoto/