“Forty-one minutes of pestilential miasmas, a slow descent into the abyss into endless horror and a journey without predetermined routes to the borders of sanity, a record that sounds like the sentence to an eternal damnation that spares no form of life.” I wrote these words in my review of Confines de la Cordura, the latest record by the Catalans Cruz, a majestic work of oppressive death metal that slowly guides us to the innermost borders of madness. Thunderstruck back in 2016 by the gem that was Culto Abismal and waiting all these years for a follow-up, I finally also had a chat with Cruz to talk about their personal approach to death metal, what influences their music and what lies behind the meaning of a title like Confines de la Cordura. Leave all hope behind, prepare to descend into the suffocating abysses of anguish and horror.
Hi guys, let’s start the interview with a bang by talking about your latest studio effort Confines de la Cordura. Would you like to explain what is the meaning behind a title like this? What are the boundaries of sanity you refer to and what inspired you to choose it?
Hello Stefano, first of all thank you for your interest in CRUZ. Since the inception of the band, the general conceptual theme has always been the affirmation of the limits of the human condition regarding the knowledge or experience of realities that are beyond our comprehension and even reach, and the title implies that those realities are beyond the borders of our sanity, meaning that if our minds were exposed to those realities, we would go crazy. The inspiration behind this comes both from philosophy and literature, especially Lovecraft, but also from a disdain towards human intellectual vanity.
In my review of Confines de la Cordura, I wrote, “a record that sounds like the sentence to an eternal damnation that spares no form of life,” and I think it can best summarize your sonic approach and the soundscapes you create with your music. Which bands have influenced you the most, both musically and conceptually? How did you approach death metal in your lives and why play this particular genre?
Actually, the choice of playing death metal was quite an improvised one, because when the band started, the idea was to play some sort of dark mix between punk and metal, but Imanol, the original guitarist, brought his Flying V, a copy of the famous HM2 pedal and some riffs inspired by Nihilist, so we chose to go in that direction. We love how death metal can be heavy as fuck, catchy, dark and atmospheric at the same time. In terms of influences, each one of us has a different taste, but direct musical influences would be Bathory, Celtic Frost, Sepultura, Bolt Thrower, Entombed, Dismember, Morbid Angel, 90s black metal, crust punk, etc.
You have always chosen to sing in Spanish and Catalan, an alternation of languages that you have reproposed in your latest record. How important is it for you to use your native language in writing and singing your songs? What do you think the use of Catalan and Spanish can add to your death metal?
More than a statement, it’s just about singing in a language that feels your own, because it is your native language. To us it feels more natural and even authentic somehow. I guess it gives the music and the band a distinctive characteristic. I always like when you can see part of the band’s native culture reflected in what they do, it makes it genuine, I think.
Keeping talking about Confines de la Cordura, what influenced you in writing the record from a personal and socio-political point of view? What themes are you trying to address through your music and what are your songs about?
To be honest, there is no socio-political message or drive in CRUZ, we are not a political band, although as individuals we are very political about certain things like confronting all forms of discrimination. With CRUZ we just want to play the music that we like, but obviously music is not only music, it also has a connection with your inner self. The songs can be about what I explained in your first question, for example, parallel dimensions, entities from other planes of existence, Lovecraftian literature, etc., but also about sinister cults, rituals and other horror-themed topics.
Years ago, in the days of the beautiful Culto Abismal, a record I am extremely fond of, your music had a more pronounced crust punk vein that has come somewhat lacking in the latest record. How has the influence of certain crust punk evolved within your band? And why did you decide to leave it much less space than in the past?
The crust punk influence was very present in Culto Abismal because CRUZ was born in the DIY punk scene in Barcelona, and extreme forms of punk like crust, d-beat and hardcore were very present in our lives at that point, so they were a bigger influence at the beginning. The evolution into something more purely death metal was something natural because we felt we wanted to write songs with a little more complexity, which I guess was partly because we also started to listen to even more metal as time went on.
Still talking about Culto Abismal, I remember that it was published by the great Neanderthal Stench, a diy label that no longer exists. What was your relationship with Neandertahl Stench and how did you come into contact with this label? What did you share in terms of ideals and approach with it?
Again, to be honest, we didn’t have any sort of relationship with Neanderthal Stench, it was actually another one of the labels that released the record that suggested that Neanderthal Stench joined the co-release (remember it was To The Death, Sentient Ruin, Selfmadegod and Neanderthal Stench who released the album in different formats). I guess we shared some values and a DIY approach with Neanderthal Stench so we were happy with that, but that’s about it.
To conclude the interview I wanted to ask you how is the situation of the extreme (punk and metal) underground and diy scene in your city and in Catalunya in general at the moment? What are the most interesting and active realities within the scene?
The underground extreme metal and punk scene both in Barcelona and in Catalunya is in great shape, there are many killer bands and there is a strong and active scene with people going to shows, playing in bands and organising gigs. I’d say it is better than ever. Obviously it isn’t massive, but it has a loyal following. We all know each other. Shows happen both in squats and regular venues, and there is some crossover between punk and metal, especially with people going both to metal and punk shows, but also with some metal bands playing at punk shows. The biggest scene is in Barcelona of course, but there are bands and scenes in other parts of Catalunya.
We have come to the end of the interview my dears, I leave this space at your complete disposal, you can add whatever is on your mind that you think will be interesting and valuable to those who will read. Thank you again!
Thanks again Stefano for this interview and your support. Our idea is to present our latest album ‘Confines de la Cordura’ in a few European cities in the near future, so stay tuned! Cheers!