Interview by Ali Williams
Most legacy bands eventually announce one final album before quietly discovering that “farewell” is a surprisingly flexible word. MAT SINNER never bothered with any of that. He simply got busy.
For decades, the German bassist, songwriter and producer has been balancing more projects than most people have unread emails, with PRIMAL FEAR naturally becoming the priority. SINNER, the band that started it all, quietly slipped into the background. Not because the passion disappeared. Life just had other ideas.
Then a handful of songs started stirring the creative pot.
It began with a collection of hard rock tracks sitting innocently on a hard drive. Unfortunately for SINNER’S already ridiculous workload, they were far too good to stay there. What should have been a satisfying creative detour quickly became something much bigger, refusing to remain the side project it was apparently supposed to be.
Rather than stuffing the album with celebrity cameos for the sake of a flashy press release, Mat Sinner surrounded himself with musicians he’d spent years trusting both on and off the stage. In the music world, it seems that genuine friendships are uniquely the norm amongst the Metal Family, a quality we all embrace.
For Mat and the other members of SINNER, that chemistry is impossible to fake, and you can hear it. The album came together with surprising speed after writing only began late last November, but there was never any sense of rushing for the sake of meeting a deadline. If anything, the process reminded him of why he started making music in the first place. Sometimes the best ideas arrive completely uninvited, then refuse to leave until you’ve built an album around them. Inconsiderate little bastards.
Mat Sinner is one of those rare metal legends who didn’t age. He simply became beautifully distinguished in all the right ways. More importantly, he carries himself with the quiet confidence of someone who no longer feels the need to prove anything. After four decades in the business, ego has thankfully been replaced by perspective.
That outlook extends well beyond the studio.
Six years sober, Sinner speaks about the change without preaching or pretending he’s found the secret to life. He simply enjoys it more now. The hangovers have been retired, the drugs are long gone, and the dressing room has transformed from occasional silent warfare into a place filled with laughs, practical jokes and musicians who actually enjoy each other’s company. It’s a remarkably effective business model. Turns out bands function better when everyone isn’t secretly plotting murder between soundcheck and encore.
Australia also remains close to his heart, even if getting here requires the sort of flight that makes you question basic geography. He still laughs about standing in front of the Sydney Opera House for the obligatory tourist photo while being so brutally jet-lagged that the band barely knew what planet they were standing on. The landmark looked fantastic. Their faces reportedly looked like they’d been thawed out moments beforehand.
As for touring, SINNER remains refreshingly grounded. Money alone isn’t enough to dictate where he’ll play, preferring to avoid political minefields rather than chase every available dollar. It isn’t about making statements. It’s simply about knowing where your own line sits and being comfortable enough to leave it exactly where it is.
Fortunately for Australian fans, that line doesn’t extend Down Under.
He speaks warmly about returning, knows Primal Fear still has a fiercely loyal audience waiting, and while nothing is locked in, it certainly doesn’t sound like unfinished business has been forgotten. The funny thing about speaking with Mat Sinner is that nothing feels forced. No manufactured nostalgia. No desperate attempts to convince anyone he’s still relevant. No rehearsed speeches about legacy.
He’s simply writing great music, surrounding himself with good people and enjoying the ride far more than he did thirty years ago. For a man who accidentally revived his own band because a few songs refused to behave themselves, that’s probably the most fitting ending possible. Until the next album decides it has other plans.
SINNER’s latest single and music video, Leave It Behind, is available now on all platforms, and their farewell studio album Boom Bang Goodbye comes out July 31. Preorder: Boom Bang Goodbye
