An Interview by Managing Editor, Katy Defazio
From one publisher to the next, it is crucial we get the story out there today about any and every topic ever imagined! From health and wellness topics to the music and creative industry, there is something of interest for everyone. Your Bliss magazine sat down with Mike Marlinski, creator of the local music publication Wretched Sound to get a background on how his publication came to life.
What is the mission statement of Wretched Sound?
When I started up the zine, we went by the name, The Metal Webzine. Back then, the plan was to just talk about everything metal from A-Z, but with an emphasis on the Buffalo metal scene, of course. However, as the years have gone by, I’ve really turned my focus almost solely to underground bands from all over Upstate New York. In my travels as a musician, author, and journalist, I’ve met bands from all over this crazy expensive state, and I’m happy to say that I’ve, in turn, met some of my best friends through this publication.
So, fast-forwarding to today, our mission statement is currently, “Wretched Sound is an underground music publication based in Buffalo, NY, USA, dedicated to the chronicling of the underground music scenes of Buffalo and the surrounding areas.” The biggest change there is — going from “everything metal” to “underground music”. I still focus on metal, but I feel the name Wretched Sound is more inclusive than The Metal Webzine. And I do throw all kinds of music in my printed zines and my website these days.
How long have you been publishing Wretched Sound?
I started The Metal Webzine in March of 2015 and changed to Wretched Sound in August of 2021. We are celebrating our 9th anniversary on March 16th, 2024 at Rockin’ Buffalo Saloon. The name of the event is “WRETCHED MANIA: A Stone Cold Saturday” and this will be the second year in a row we are using a wrestling theme to celebrate our anniversary.
Where does your passion for music come from?
Well, I started listening to metal and rock at a very early age and fell in love, but I didn’t realize I wanted to play music until age 16. I started with drums and kept that up for 6 years until I realized I also had a passion for booking and promotion. I got a job in the field in 2006 and focused solely on booking and promotions until 2010. Shortly after my job became too stressful, I picked up guitar, an instrument I must admit I’d always been more interested in than drums, and started my own band. Finally, being in a position to write my own songs instead of learning songs written by others just further fed into my passion for creating and listening to music. So, I guess you could say that my passion was sparked by the music of Metallica, Journey, Rush, Glass Tiger, Huey Lewis and the News, Bon Jovi, ZZ Top, and a bunch more I can’t remember off the top of my head, and this goes back to when I was in single digits. But my passion for music grew tenfold once I started playing.
What are some of the biggest projects/bands/groups you have highlighted in your publication?
Over the years, I’ve done interviews with members of Nightrage, Kalidia, Darkest Hour, Archspire, Unleash the Archers, Inferi, Rivers of Nihil, Obituary, The Absence, Inhuman Condition, Cold, and many more I can’t remember off the top of my head.
Where do you see yourself in the next five years as a musician?
My main focus right now is my solo project, Quantumleaper which I’ve been working on since April of this year. It’s a power metal, melodic death metal, ambient metal amalgamation. I try to incorporate everything I love hearing in metal songs into every single song. I do this unapologetically no matter how scatterbrained the material sounds at times. My biggest influence is the band Scar Symmetry. In fact, the project is named for one of their songs. I would like to see Quantumleaper as a live band within the next five years, but who knows what I’ll be doing at this point. I’m always working on something whether it’s music or a literary work, so you might say I’m just enjoying the ride at this point in my life.