Interview with old school death metal band from Germany - CRYPTIC BROOD.
Translated by Markéta, thank you!
Recenze/review - CRYPTIC BROOD - Wormhead (2015)
Ave CRYPTIC BROOD! I haven´t found any interview in Czech with you. So firstly I would like you to introduce your band for readers who don´t know you. You may start from the beginning and talk about the whole history of CRYPTIC BROOD.
BAND INFO:
www.crypticbrood.de
www.crypticbrood.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/crypticbrood
Ave CRYPTIC BROOD! I haven´t found any interview in Czech with you. So firstly I would like you to introduce your band for readers who don´t know you. You may start from the beginning and talk about the whole history of CRYPTIC BROOD.
Steffen: Ahoj Jakub and thanks for the possibility to say a few words about my band in your zine. CRYPTIC BROOD is a death metal three-piece from Wolfsburg/Germany. Founded back in 2013, the we released a demo, two splits and one EP on different labels since then. Played one European tour, many single shows and some smaller festivals like Morbid Catacombs or bigger ones like Party.San Festival. This year our first full-length album will be out to mangle your brain. The CD version is already out via Xtreem Music. Vinyl will follow on Terror From Hell Records. And all hail Weed Hunter Records for releasing our album on ancient tape format.
I saw you live in Prague on your concert last December. You played with ENTRAPMENT and to be honest your set totally killed me. It was the old school death metal I like! Do you remember how you felt after this concert? How did you like Prague?
Steffen: It was our second time in Prague. The city is extremely beautiful, beer very tasty. People are nice – so we always have a good time there. The venue we met at was very good. Extremely good sound. And I like the atmosphere in those smaller places very much. Furthermore I had the most delicious vegan pizza in my life there.
You have released your first long-played album “Brain Eater” in the beginning of March by the Xtreem Music. I play this album over and over. How did you create it? I would like to know how did you compose, who is the author of your music, who did the lyrics and so on?
Steffen: Glad you like it. Really appreciate that! There is no “main-composer” for our music. We all have different influences and ideas. All three of us put their ideas into one pot and then we brew the music you know from our records. We even share the lyrical part, which is influenced by our sick and twisted brains!
“Brain Eater” has a great cover. It was done by Marc Niederhagemann. Why did you chose him? Correct me if I am wrong, but he plays in death metal band LIFELESS. How did you find him? Did you send him any songs for inspiration?
Steffen: That’s unfortunately wrong. Ravager Artworks created the cover artwork and booklet paintings. Marc did the layout and the handwritten lyrics. We have to admit that the “Brain Eater” cover was no assignment from us. We found the painting in his purchasable works and we thought it would fit perfect to the album!
The next thing which I really like about your new album is the sound. It is nicely outdated, moldy and probably recorded in catacombs. Where did you record this album and how? I really like those “old” records so I would like to know how the whole process was. Today, there is the digitalization everywhere and albums are cleaned and dehumanized. But you go against the new times.
Steffen: The album was self-recorded in our rehearsal room. We wanted to have an organic sound and that was the best way to get. You feel the energy and can actually really hear the musicians playing. Clean studio productions often have no soul, no feeling, and our music wouldn’t work in that outfit.
You released this album by Spanish Xtreem Music. How did you find this label and are you satisfied with the work they did? A label is very important thing in today´s world. People can hear about you everywhere. How was the cooperation with the label?
Steffen: Dave of Xtreem Music noticed our band by one of our split releases. We were in touch with him at the time we were looking for a label to release our stuff. So we talked about that deal and yeah… we’re satisfied. Xtreem Music does a good job as a label and what’s important for me too: When writing an e-mail to them I’m getting an answer soon.
Let´s be honest, death metal has only a small percentage of listeners. For a lot of people this kind of a music is too extreme. In the Czech Republic, there are the same people on concerts all the time. Some events feel like a family meeting. We are very small country with limited potential of fans. I would like to know how is it in your country? You come from Wolfsburg and Germany is just in general larger.
Steffen: There’s this family-meeting feeling too – but only in the underground scene. Surely we have some really big festivals and a lot of people listening to every kind of metal, but like everywhere else, it’s the underground that’s interesting. About Death Metal: It depends on what kind of Death Metal. There is some really “beautiful” and easy listenable Metal, but of course, the ugly Death Metal is not something for everyone.
Let´s just take a look at the beginning of your band again…What was the first impulse when wanted to put a band together? Why did you choose death metal? It is not the kind of a music which would make you “famous”.
Steffen: We don’t care about getting famous. We’re just a bunch of maniacs who want to play then music we personally like! We enjoy mixing different ideas and styles together in one big pile of smelly Death Metal!
Are there any albums which have caught your attention recently?
Steffen: There’re still many good releases these days. Hard to name a few that caught my attention recently. And if I would name some now, there would be others the next time I think about it. So I better not give a concrete answer here. Hehe.
Do you know and listen any Czech bands?
Steffen: Cheers to BRUTALLY DECEASED!!! Sure, there’re more great bands in your vital scene like MÖRKHIMMEL, INGROWING and so on – can’t name them all.
What are CRYPTIC BROOD´s plans for the next few months? Are you planning any concerts in the Czech Republic?
Steffen: I’m about to finish booking our next European tour. We’ll team up with REPUKED from Stockholm/Sweden. The tour will take place in June 2017. Check out the dates this “Sleazy Filth” tour! This tour will take us to Prague once more: we’ll play Modrá Vopice on Monday, 5th June 2017. Stoked!
Thank you so much for the interview and I wish you a lot of sold CDs, hundreds of crazy fans and tons of great ideas.
Steffen: Once more, thank you for this interview. If the readers made it ‘til this point and are still interested, they can keep themselves updated and buy our stuff on our webtomb http://www.crypticbrood.de
www.crypticbrood.de
www.crypticbrood.bandcamp.com
www.facebook.com/crypticbrood
LABEL INFO:
www.xtreemmusic.com
www.facebook.com/xtreemmusic666
www.xtreemmusic.bandcamp.com
www.youtube.com/xtreemmusic
www.twitter.com/xtreemmusic666
www.soundcloud.com/xtreemmusic
