Crypticus Interview

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

In between mixing stuff for other bands I've been slowly tweaking the mix for the new CRYPTICUS album "The Nexus of Death" which is about 90% finished. I was not satisfied with the production on the last album, so I'm working hard to make this one huge, heavy, & threatening. Meanwhile, we're also planning new songs for the next online release via Bandcamp.

2. How would you describe the musical sound that is presented on the split and how it differs from previous

recording?

It's a bit closer to the style of our first album "Dedicated To the Impure," in that it's less technical, more

heaviness & groove with a thicker sound than before. Most material is new, but one is a recreation of an old demo track, so it represents how CRYPTICUS used to sound, also how we will sound on the next album.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the new release?

The general theme is: the consequences of ignoring dark forces. Things that lurk beyond our veil of perception do not hold humanity in high regard & I tend to agree with them. One song metaphorically addresses a dark period of depression I suffered & the horrors it taught me. Another is a joyous song of destruction sung by a bloodthirsty Orc. I'm hugely influenced by horror literature, so I chose to adapt T.E.D. Klein's novella "Nadelman's God" into a short & heavy song. Another is based on my combined love of Lovecraft, Poe, EC comics, & psychedelic experimentation.

4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name/

CRYPTICUS was a word I thought I had invented, but I came to discover it meant hidden/concealed/secret, so it fit my original intent anyway. The name was originally given to a creature I drew when I was young - kind of ghost/golem thing that manifested from rotting bodies. Now, it represents my struggle to recover secret knowledge beyond the laws of Man.

5. Currently there are only 2 members in the band, are you planning on expanding the line up in the future/

The only position I would consider is a permanent bassist. Brynjar gets what I'm doing & he adds his own influences & flourishes. I would be extremely happy to find a bass player with the same qualities. If anyone reading this plays like Johan Berglund & can record themselves, send me an e-mail!

6. I know that H.P Lovecraft is a huge influence on the music, what is it that interested you about this author/

I was a very sullen child, attracted to art created by weird people. So when I learned about Poe in school, he

captured my imagination. At the same time, I was falling in love with the Stewart Gordon Empire pictures. When I learned they were inspired by the writings of an old pulpist in the tradition of Poe, I was intrigued. Then, I heard the METALLICA songs inspired by him & I knew I must find his works. The first story I read was "The Outsider," which is, appropriately enough, Lovecraft's attempt to write a feverish tale of obsession in the style of Poe. The story was only five pages long, but it changed my life...

7. On a worldwide level how has your music been received by death metal fans?

I've been very lucky to have been heard all over, but besides America, I get the most crazy fans from India. Those guys are serious about Death metal & have a scene that is starting to explode. I've made many Indian friends online & they have always gone out of their way to support & help spread my music.

8. Are there any current side projects?

Brynjar's prime band is LIKLUKT, which he has been doing for many years, but he's also in THE GROTESQUERY with Kam Lee. I play guitar & bass in TOMBSTONES with Stevo from IMPETIGO, I've played lead guitar for RIBSPREADER, & I am working with a friend on a Grind project called ADAM FUCKING WEST, in which Adam "Fucking" West, himself, will be thrashing the drums.

9. What direction do you see the music heading into on future releases/

Darker, heavier, & stranger. I'd like to bring in more horror soundtrack elements. Maybe longer, more experimental songs. Our free online EP "The Rites of Infestation" is a good forecast of our future direction.

10. What are some bands and musical styles that have influenced the newer music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

RUNEMAGICK & MORGOTH were a big influence on the atmosphere of CRYPTICUS, DECEASED & CARCASS inspire my songwriting, Dan Swano & Bill Steer inspire my guitar playing. Clearly I love Scandinavian Death Metal, but I also indulge in Prog, Gothic Rock, & video game soundtracks. I've just recently discovered Spotify, so I've found many new bands. Currently, I love EXECRATION (Nor), FERAL, MORBUS CHRON, & INSTINCT OF SURVIVAL. Also, many of my friends have great bands like ENEMY REIGN, HOODED MENACE, DEMIURG, THE GROTESQUERY, RUINEBELL, & HORRENDOUS.

11. What role does Occultism play in the music?

It has always interested me & I have spent many years investigating aspects of it. My personal findings are secret, but I metaphorically address them in my lyrics. I also just really enjoy over-the-top occult imagery & its trappings, so I strive to portray a Gothic occultism. But with a tongue-in-cheek spookiness.

12. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

I'm a bit anachronistic, so I love the old-school American manliness of my fathers' generation - booze, cigars, & boxing. I love Spaghetti Westerns & their soundtracks, 8-bit video games & their soundtracks. Big fan of horror in all forms - comics, films, books, games. But my greatest emerging passion is mixing other people's music. Nothing more satisfying than creating a crushing guitar sound.

13. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Just to say thank you to Billy, Vanessa, & Wayne for doing this split with us, Selfmade God for releasing it, & you for the interview. Any bands who want to do a split, or any labels inte

Crypticus/Scaremaker/Selfmafegod Records/2012 Split CD Review

  This  is  a  review  of  a  split  albumm  between  Colorado's  Crypticus  and  New  York/California's  Scare  maker  and  we  will  start  of  the  review  with  Crypticus  that  plays  a  very  very  guttural  from  of  death  metal  with  a  thrash  edge.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  being  thrown  into the  music,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  death  metal  riffs  that  have  a  Swedish  feeling  to  them  mixed  in  with  some  dark  sounding  melodies  and  thrask  influences,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  morbid  sounding  death  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads.

  Vocals  are  all  deep  guttural  death  metal  growls  with  some  samples  and  spoken  word  parts,  while  the  lyrics  cover  H.P  Lovecraft  and  Black  Magick,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  heavy,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Crypticus  are  a  very  great  sounding  guttural  death  metal  band  with  a  thrash  edge  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  style,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  "Beuty  And  Deceased"  and  "Baron  Of  The  Dark".  RECOMMENDED.

  Next  up  is  Scaremaker    aband  that  mixes  death,  black  and  thrash  metal  together.

  Drums  range  from  slow,  mid  paced  to  fast  drumming  with  a  good  amount  of  blast  beats  being  thrown  into  the  music,  while  the  bass  playing  has  a  very  dark  tone  with  riffs  that  follow  the  riffing  that  is  coming  out  of  the  guitars.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow,  mi  paced  to  fast  riffs  that  combine  death,  thrash  and  black  metal together  with  a  good  amount  of  dark  sounding  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  music,  while  the  lead  guitars  are  very  dark  sounding  death  metal  guitar  solos  and  leads  with  a  good  amount  of  melody  being  thrown  into  the  music  and  at  times  they  have  a  very  powerful  sound  to  them.

  Vocals  are  a  mixture  of  deep  death  metal  growls  and  high  pitched  black  metal  screams  with  a  brief  use  of  clean  singing  female  vocals,  while  the lyrics  cover  horror  film  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  dark,  raw  and  primitive  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Scaremaker  are  a  very  great  death/black/thrash  metal hybrid  with  the  best  music  on  this  split  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  style,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "From  The  Coffin"  and  "Demon  Slave".

  In  my  opinion  this  is  a  very  great  sounding  split  album  and  I  would  recommend  to  all  fans  of  underground  raw  and  primitive  sounding  death/thrash.  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Ominous Crucifix/The Spell Of Damnation/FDA Rekotz/2012 CD Review

  Ominous  Crucifix  are  a  band  from  Mexico  that  plays  a  very  dark  and  brutal  form  of  anti  christian/occult  death  metal  and  this  is  a  review  of  their  2012  album  "The  Spell  Of  Damnation"  which  was  released  by  FDA  Rekotz.

  Drums  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  drumming  with  not  much  in  the  way  of  fast  playing  or  blast  beats,  while  the  bass  guitar  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  tone  with  some  brutal  death  metal  riffing,  as  for  the  synth  which  was  only  used  on  the  intro  and  briefly  on  one  song  brings  a  very  dark  and  evil  sound  to  the  music.

  Rhythm  guitars  range  from  slow  to  mid  paced  death  metal  riffs  that  are  very  brutal  sounding  with  some  dark  melodies  being  thrown  into  the  music  while  the  lead  guitars  when  they  are  utilized  are  very  chaotic  sounding  death  metal  guitar  leads .

  Vocals  are  mostly deep  death  metal  growls  with  some  high  pitched  screams,  spoken  word  parts  and  samples,  while  the  lyrics  touch  on  anti  christian  and  occult  themes,  as  for  the  production  it  has  a  very  strong  and  powerful  sound  to  it.

  In  my  opinion  Ominous  Crucifix  are  a  very  great  sounding anti  christian/occult  death  metal  band  and  if  you  are  a  fan  of  this  style,  you  should  check  out  this  band.  RECOMMENDED  TRACKS  INCLUDE  "Third  Day  Resurrection"  "Secular  Omens  Of  Doom"  and  "The  Spell  Of  Damnation".  RECOMMENDED  BUY.

Nephelium Interview

Questions answered by Florian Ravet - Bass

The True Bringer Of Death Zine - Questions:

1. Can you give us an update on what is going on with the band these days?

Well, in addition to the promotion for the release of our album on February 7^th, 2012, we are also actively working on new material, both musically and lyrically.

2. How would you describe the musical sound of the new release and how it differs from previous releases?

First off, the overall quality and engineering is the best we have had so far. We really wanted to make sure we polished up everything to achieve the sound we wanted. We are really satisfied with the outcome (especially the drums). All in all, the recording and engineering quality is top notch and was well worth the time and effort.

3. What are some of the lyrical topics and subjects the band explores with the music?

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4. What is the meaning and inspiration behind the bands name?

We cover various myths and beliefs, blending science and religion, which gravitate around the topic of the Nephelium – hence our band name. In the bible the Nephelium are referred to as “giants”, that would have been the result of a cross breed between fallen angels and females on earth. We believe that they carried a superior genetic structure that resulted over time in what we are as humans today. Many religions mention visitors from the skies, so we definitely don’t restrict our views to one religion. On top of that, by looking scientifically at all these ancient records, one can easily speculate that visitors from another planet were once on earth with ulterior motives, one of which included altering our DNA to create the human species. Our theme covers all facets and questions raised by this intriguing topic, always in relation to the world we live in and its history through different eras and perspectives. "Coils of Entropy" is only the beginning.

5. What are some of the best shows that the band has played so far and how would you describe your stage performance?

The Metal Bar in Toronto was a memorable show. We shared the stage with filmmaker, Sam Dunn’s (Metal, a Headbanger’s journey) band, Burn to Black, which Alex and Alan were members of for a period. When on stage, for the lack of a better word, we are in a trance; a melange of adrenaline, power and conviction. We always do our very best to make the audience part of us to really relate what we feel. The Peterborough, Ontario show we played a few years ago was a lot of fun too. It was a small venue with some true love for metal. That was definitely a show we appreciated and felt appreciated at.

6. Do you have any touring plans for the new release?

We do. We’re in the process of tying up some loose ends and are looking forward to hitting the road to promote our album!

7. Currently you are unsigned, are you looking for a label and if so what kind of label do you feel that would be a perfect fit for the music?

We are currently looking for a label; however we want to make sure we find a match between what a label can offer us and what we want. There are so many out there, of many sizes and all with their pros and cons, so we will find the one that fits us best.

We are still looking into details so we can’t really say for sure, however if we had to name the one that appeals the most to us, a first guess would be Seasons of Mist.

8. You are originally from United Arab Emirates but now live in Canada, how would you compare the metal scenes of both countries?

When we started in Dubai, Nephelium was really the very first extreme metal band to make it out there. We helped forge the scene and propel it to the new heights it is known for today - a growing scene somewhat in its infancy but with very eager and dedicated fans. That was aeons ago! We’d love to go back and cause havoc on home soil as we’ve heard nothing but awesome stuff about what the scene has become. In Canada, there is definitely a contrast. You have your big bands coming in at regular intervals, big venues, retail and everything being more accessible (again, this is in comparison with Dubai when we started in the late 90s). Canada is interesting as you have the big hot spots such as Montreal, but we’re always surprised at the dedication of metal heads all over the country when we go out to play a show. Specifically, Toronto is not receiving the credit it deserves as far as metal is concerned but worry not, Nephelium is about to change all that! ;)

9. On a worldwide level how has your music been received by death metal fans?

Better than we have ever hoped actually! We know the album kicks ass but looking at it from the inside you always foreign criticism to see what the deal really is. We were really pleased with all the reviews and comments some small and large zines and prominent figures in the industry gave us. I personally found myself hunting for more negative reviews or more blunt ones to pinpoint areas where we could improve and a couple of reviews brought that positive criticism, while staying very good overall.

Seriously, it’s awesome; fans dig our shit because they like what we like: death metal! \m/

10. Are there any other projects besides this band or is this a full time line-up?

We’re all at 100.666 % into it and are devote ourselves to Nephelium completely.

11. What direction do you see your music heading into on future releases?

More of the same but better. With some of the new compositions we have worked on so far, in the traditional Nephelium vein, they are more technical and brutal than ever. It will be new but old and a lot sicker!

12. What are some bands or musical styles that have influenced your music and also what are you listening to nowadays?

Our main “Death Metal” influences are Death, Decapitated, (the older) Morbid Angel and Suffocation, but we also draw inspiration from more progressive acts such as Dream Theater, as well as any kinds of music that really talks to our psyches as musicians, may it be Jazz or Arabian inspired melodies. We listen to a bit of everything, Kronos, Aeon, Blotted Science to name a few, but there’s definitely a lot of different things we dig our ears into.

13. Does Occultism play any role in the music?

It can be, but not necessarily, unless it relates to Nephelium’s general theme and goes in accordance with the narrative.

14. Outside of music what are some of your interests?

We all like different things, not all of us like the same stuff but if we were to combine them, our interests are strongman, mixed martial arts, video games, the occult (here it is!), the supernatural, horror movies, porn and overall funny shit (movies, internet, etc…).

Like anyone else, no?

15. Any final words or thoughts before we wrap up this interview?

Some say the world will end in 2012 and Nephelium might be to blame because this is gonna be our year, and WE’RE COMING TO MERCILESSLY ANNIHILATE EVERYTHING, DEATH METAL STYLE BITCHES!