This is your brain on drugs!
Master Cheese Maker was a nu-meta/ punkl band from Palmerston North, New Zealand, formed in 1995. Blending punk, metal, and grindcore, their music drew inspiration from bands like Dead Kennedys and Faith No More, sharing similarities with Wellington scene contemporaries such as Conventional Toasters and early Head Like A Hole. The original lineup featured Mike Asmundson on drums, Murray Shaw on guitar, Glen Wintringham on bass, and Ashleigh Rooney on vocals.
The band burst onto the vibrant Palmerston North music scene with one of their first gigs at The Stomach, a local creative arts hub, in February 1995. They were part of a vibrant local scene that included bands like Sid Vishnu, Motorsheep, and Froithead. That July, they released their debut tape, “Today Is A Good Day To Die“, with launch gigs in Palmerston North and Whanganui. Later in 1995, they toured New Zealand, performing in cities including New Plymouth, Rotorua, Wellington, Auckland, and Tauranga.
In 1996, Master Cheese Maker released a video for their tracks “Penis Fly Trap/Planet Distortion,” a cleverly crafted piece reflecting the dark humor of the era and their Palmerston North roots. That same year, vocalist Ashleigh Bolland left the band, and Kevin Hunt, also of Sid Vishnu, joined as vocalist in October 1996. The band’s fast, fun, pop-punk style, with a nod to Dead Kennedys’ paranoia-fueled energy, earned praise in a 1997 Rip It Up review. Two of their songs, “Jazz” and “Grrrr!,” were featured on the 1997 Palmerston North compilation Intemperance.
In January 1998, Master Cheese Maker opened for Californian punk band Your Mother at The Stomach. However, the band disbanded in July 1998 when Kevin Hunt relocated to Japan. Murray Shaw went on to play in stoner-doom band Government Pest in 2016 and is still active in the Palmerston North scene in 2026.
| Origin | Palmerston North/ Whanganui |
| Genre | punk, metal |
| Years Active | 1995 – 1998 |
| Labels | Spotty Dog Wreck Cords Inc |
| Associated Acts | Motorsheep State Of Hate Sid Vishnu |
| Past Members | Mike Asmundson (drums 1995-98) Murray Shaw (guitar 1995-98) Ashleigh Rooney (vocals 1995-96) Kevin Hunt (vocals 1996-1998) Glen Wingtringham (bass 1995-96) Mike Beattie (bass 1996-98) |
Releases
| Title | Date | Label | Type | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today Is A Good Day To Die | 1995, July | Self-released | tape | |
| Rope Burns And Clucking in The Streets: Volume Zero | 1995, Nov | Yellow Bike Records | compilation | 12″ |
| Soft Adventure: Wanganui compilation | 1996 | Ridgeways Records | compilation | CD |
| Excommunicated: Palmerston North compilation | 1996, Dec | compilation | CD | |
| Planet Distortion | 1996 | Spotty Dog | album | tape/ DL |
| Cheesier Than All | 1997 | album | tape | |
| Intemperance: Palmerston North compilation | 1997 | compilation | CD | |
| Radio Massey 99.4 FM: Live To Air compilation 1998 | 1998 | Radio Massey | compilation | CDr |
| Swamp Musak | 1998 | Radio Massey | compilation | CD |
| End Corporate Domination | 2000 | Loudmouth Records | compilation | CD |
| Out Of Control: 30 Years Of Radio Massey | 2010, Nov 19 | Radio Massey | compilation | CD |
Timeline
1995, February 10, The Stomach
Master Cheese Maker, Fluid, Shoe Shine
1995, July, Master Cheese Maker: Today Is A Good Day To Die
1995, July, Palmerston North
Release gig for Today Is A Good Day To Die
1995, July, Whanganui
Release gig for Today Is A Good Day To Die
1995, August 4, Wild Horse Saloon, P-North
Semi Lemon Kola, Nothing At All, Stump Thumper, Master Cheese Maker
1995, August, Rotorua
Master Cheese Maker, Mafia Staff Car, Muflar
1995, November, The Stomach?
Master Cheese Maker recorded “Planet Distortion”
1995, November 18, Senior Citizens Hall, NP
Sticky Filth, Nefarious, Mallet, Master Cheese Maker
1995, November 30, The Oaks
Master Cheese Maker, Mafia Staff Car, Frayden
1995, December 1, Peppers, Whanganui
Master Cheese Maker, Mafia Staff Car, Frayden
1995, December 2, Wild Horse Saloon, NP
Master Cheese Maker, Mafia Staff Car, Frayden
1995, December 10, Wild Horse Saloon, PNorth
Master Cheese Maker
1995, December 11, The Oaks
Master Cheese Maker
1995, December 12, Moose McGilicudys, Whanganui
Master Cheese Maker
1995, December 13, The Mill, NP
Master Cheese Maker
1995, December 17, Crossroads, TGA
Master Cheese Maker
1995, December 18, Ace of Clubs, Rotorua
Master Cheese Maker
1995, December 19, Exchange, HAM
Master Cheese Maker
1995, December 20, Squid, AKL
Master Cheese Maker
1996
1996, June?, Planet Distortion
1996, Penis Fly Trap/ Planet Distortion
1996, June 8, Wild Horse Saloon, P North
Master Cheese Maker, Vargas Grell, Mafia Staff Car
1996, September 13, Excommunicated compilation
1996, October
Kevin Hunt (Sid Vishnu, ex-Slugfarm) joins as vocalist
“Penis Fly Trap”
1997
1997, June 6, Wild Horse Saloon
1997, July, The Stomach?
Master Cheese Maker recording “Cheesier Than All!”
1997, July 26, Thistle Hall
1997, November 15, Thistle Hall
Photos: Jim Gardner/ Skippy
1997, December 20, Masterton
1998
1998, January 16, The Stomach
