Shawn

My passion for the bass began when I was 14. My main influence is Billy Sheehan. Other influences of mine are: Jaco Pastorius, Steve Bailey, and Jeff Berlin. I started out teaching myself through books and tapes then took lessons for a few years from a local music store. Being from a small town in Louisiana I had exhausted my resources and wanted to advance my music career. I packed my bags and moved to Atlanta where I began studying at the Atlanta Institute of Music (AIM); from which I graduated with honors. While I was at AIM, a guitar player came to the school seeking a bassist that would complete his band, Cauldron Born. I was recommended by the head of the Bass Department and got the gig. Over the span of time that I played with Cauldron Born, we released 3 albums with a European record label. Cauldron Born was also featured on a few compilation albums and a tribute album to Warlord.



During this time I ran into Rusty Cooley and we started working on his instrumental material. To my dismay, Rusty soon left Atlanta and returned to Houston. Upon his return to Houston Rusty began reforming Outworld, through the transformation the band decided they need a new bassist, and Rusty knew just the guy. I made a major decision to move to Houston. It has been worth it and an honor to be a member of Outworld. In 2006 we released our debut album. Currently, we are working on some new material with our new vocalist, Carlos Zema.



A live review for Cauldron Born

“Kascak is a MONSTER, I mean a complete MONSTER on bass. One of those bassists that doesn’t follow, but does his own thing and is interesting all the way through.”



An internet forum – The Power Zone: Most Underrated Bassists in Power/Prog Metal

“There are many underrated bass stylists in our beloved genres that often take a backseat to their six-string band mates. They include Doug Keyser of Watchtower; in my opinion the best metal bassist of all time. I am in awe every time I listen to ‘Control and Resistance’. Shawn Kascak of Cauldron Born, right up there with Doug Keyser, fuses melody with technicality like no one else. Highly underrated!!!”