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TOTM Interview By Jeremy Ritch

I recently sat up until 5 am with Stephen Mark Sarro, the infamous singer of one of the most controversial and intriguing bands in Christian underground music history, Tantrum of the Muse. He talks openly and honestly about the demise of TOTM, his views on Christian music, the scene, the industry and the American church. He also talks about where he is headed musically and about his solo release Sympathy for the Living due out now on Teki-Pyro Records after years sitting finished. It was a very moving and thought provoking interview to say the least.

J.R.: What is the current state of TOTM?
SMS: The current state of TOTM is death! To give everyone a rundown of what the hell happened, between 1998 and 2000 we recorded, released and toured 2 albums, by 2001, the band members were all heading in different directions with me being the most "true" to what TOTM was doing. We broke up late 2001, when Udrick quit, joining The Huntingtons. In 2002 I recorded a solo album with Jim on the recording helm, in FL, while attempting to rebuild a new line up. Late 2002 I managed to get TOTM back on track with Udrick back on drums, my friends Seth and Tyler (keys and bass) and then things with Tyler didn’t work out and Jim came back. We broke up again this year because, much the same, Udrick quit first. Everyone was heading in different directions, and unlike the others, the older I get, the more obsessed I become with affecting people's life, the older I get the less I want to calm myself and be content with just "playing some creative music and keeping my mouth shut." I just really feel like I have to surrender this whole mess over to God and allow God to direct me as I believe He has. This was, of course, a hard decision to make, considering the fight was long and the memories are endless. Whatever God has for me next, I plan on continuing in the honest, surreal and edgy standards that I have had for my art, ever since the beginnings of TOTM, but with no less integrity! I plan on breaking as many rules as I can.

Do you feel that the "Christian Scene" completely missed the point of TOTM?
Absolutely. I mean, as far as industry standards, record label, stores, ministries, even all you bands out there, you self-proclaimed "angry" bands out there, touring around screaming and yelling about what you hate, even YOU kept your distance from us. I tell you, I will never have an answer as to why people approached TOTM with a 200ft long stick. I can understand why Christian record stores didn’t want to carry our albums, and that is fine with us, because we never wanted to be stuck in that camp anyway. Part of TOTM breaking up, the good part is...I don’t have to deal with my art being shoved into these Christian politics. As much as it is a fair question to ask, and as sad as my answer to you is, the truth is...I just do not care anymore about that. What the "Christian scene" says to itself as it lies in bed at night about TOTM is not my concern because I am not there to deal with it. I do want to add that there was a fair share of fans and a few bands even that understood the message I was bringing to the table, the humor we used to bring it there, and the convictions we had to not compromise. Thank you to every one of you for understanding that, and its importance. It won’t sink it for a while, if people are patient enough to sit and wait and then pull a TOTM album back out. Maybe a few years from now, people will say "Remember when TOTM did this or that? THAT’S what we got to see people doing NOW" Now being the year 2010 perhaps? I really think that much is true.

As far as not caring about the scene or industry that TOTM was apart of, do you feel that you were let down by it or pushed away?
Yes. We were let down. We were pushed away. We had our (bleep) kissed. We had people do all 3. We dealt with it all man. I heard every slanderous thing, and I had to have that "Just relax, you don’t understand what’s going on" conversation with TOO many "important" heads in that fantasy world. Occasionally I peak my head in that world to see if some "friends" still linger, and It blows my mind what is still the same, and who is still the same and who is still pushing their "good idea at the time" seminars to all the pre-teens who are just dying to get some attention with their hair. It’s just...ugh!! Not for me, let’s just say. It may have its good place, but just not with me.

Do you regret the years TOTM and yourself spent in the Christian scene?
Of course, but when I sit and think about the mistakes we made and get angry, I have to remind myself, "Stephen you were young and that was how you were raised." In a lot of respects I got a bit ahead of myself, because I was doing things that I didn’t even understand completely myself, and so marketing it a certain way, it was just however I could make it work. I mean, we got signed (and later dropped) from our first concert. There was no experience in this. We were some kids who got a break from the start and it went too fast. While I certainly mean what I say about everyone and everything (keeping in mind that you asked these questions) I don’t blame everyone else, we made a lot of stupid moves, and I blame a majority of that on ignorance to the situation we were in, and that gives me peace, because we just didn’t know any better. What projects I dabble with from here on out, will be only what I know now, and with my mistakes close to my side as remembrance.

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